Cupid (Sam Cooke song)
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| "Cupid" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sam Cooke | ||||
| from the album The Best of Sam Cooke | ||||
| B-side | "Farewell My Darling" | |||
| Released | May 16, 1961 | |||
| Recorded | April 14, 1961 | |||
| Studio | RCA (Hollywood, California) | |||
| Genre | Rhythm and blues | |||
| Length | 2:30 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter | Sam Cooke | |||
| Producer | Hugo & Luigi | |||
| Sam Cooke singles chronology | ||||
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| "Cupid" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Nash | ||||
| from the album Hold Me Tight | ||||
| A-side | "Hold Me Tight" (original) | |||
| B-side | "People in Love" (reissue) | |||
| Released | 1969 | |||
| Recorded | 1969 | |||
| Genre | Reggae, rocksteady | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | JAD | |||
| Songwriter | Sam Cooke | |||
| Producers | Johnny Nash, Arthur Jenkins | |||
| Johnny Nash singles chronology | ||||
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| "Cupid" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Tony Orlando and Dawn | ||||
| from the album To Be with You | ||||
| B-side | "You're Growin' on Me" | |||
| Released | January 1976 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:02 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter | Sam Cooke | |||
| Producers | Dave Appell, Hank Medress | |||
| Tony Orlando and Dawn singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Spinners | ||||
| from the album Love Trippin' | ||||
| B-side | "Pipedream" "Body Language" (Germany/Sweden) | |||
| Released | May 1980 | |||
| Genre | R&B, disco | |||
| Length | 3:55 (single version) 5:32 (album version) | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters | Sam Cooke ("Cupid"), Michael Zager ("I've Loved You for a Long Time") | |||
| Producer | Michael Zager | |||
| The Spinners singles chronology | ||||
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"Cupid" is a song by the American singer Sam Cooke, released on May 16, 1961. It charted at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 20 on the Hot R&B Sides chart; the track performed best in the United Kingdom, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The song is featured on Cooke's greatest hits album, The Best of Sam Cooke (1962). Cooke's producers had asked him to write a song for a girl they had seen on a Perry Como TV show—but once they heard her sing, they kept "Cupid" for Cooke himself.[citation needed]
Personnel on the recording included Cooke's session regulars Clifton White and Rene Hall on guitar, Clifford Hills on bass, Earl Palmer on drums and Joseph Gibbons on guitar and banjo.[citation needed]
"Cupid" was ranked at number 452 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004 and at number 458 in 2010. An AllMusic critic described the track as a "perfect pop song" which combines "Latin, R&B, jazz, and mainstream pop elements".[1]
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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| Chart (2008 – Amy Winehouse) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[26] | 49 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[27] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
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‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Cover versions
- In 1964, Johnny Rivers covered the song on his album In Action.[28]
- In 1965, The Supremes covered the song on their tribute album We Remember Sam Cooke.[29]
- In 1970, Johnny Nash's rocksteady and reggae version, released in late 1969, peaked at number 39 on the Hot 100 on January 24, 1970. In the United Kingdom, this version peaked at number 6 in May 1969.[30] It was the B-side to his hit song "Hold Me Tight".
- In 1975, Gary Glitter covered the song on his album G.G..[citation needed]
- In 1976, Dawn's cover peaked at number 22 on the Hot 100 on March 20–27, 1976, and number two on the Easy Listening chart.
- In 1980, the song was covered, in a medley with Michael Zager's "I've Loved You For a Long Time", by The Spinners. This version went to number four on July 19 - August 2, 1980, on the Hot 100, thus becoming the highest-charting version on the Hot 100, and number five on the R&B chart.[31]
- Otis Redding was also known for covering a number of Cooke's songs including "Cupid". His cover was included on the 1993 box set Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding.
- In 2006, Amy Winehouse covered the song on her album Back to Black.
