You Got What It Takes

"You Got What It Takes" is a 1959 single by Marv Johnson. In the US it reached #2 on the Black Singles chart, and #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 early in 1960.[2][3] In the UK Singles Chart it reached a high of #7. The original recording of You Got What It Takes was by Bobby Parker on Vee-Jay 279 in 1958. Parker claims to have written the song, but later cover recordings credit Berry Gordy, Gwen Gordy, Billy Davis, and sometimes Marv Johnson.[4]

Other recordings
The song was released under the title "You've Got What It Takes" by The Lana Sisters (featuring a young Dusty Springfield) as a B side in 1960. A 1967 cover of the song by The Dave Clark Five reached #7 in the United States and #28 in the UK. A rock and roll cover by Showaddywaddy reached #2 in the UK in 1977. On their 1967 album, United, duet performers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell recorded an uptempo soul version and included a false ending.