Cupid (Sam Cooke song)

"Cupid" is a song by 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.

"Cupid"
Single by Sam Cooke
from the album The Best of Sam Cooke
B-side	"Farewell My Darling"
Released	May 16, 1961 (1961-05-16)
Recorded	April 14, 1961
Studio	RCA (Hollywood, California)
Genre	Rhythm and blues
Length	2:30
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	Sam Cooke
Producer(s)	Hugo & Luigi
Sam Cooke singles chronology
"That's It, I Quit, I'm Moving On" (1961) "Cupid" (1961) "Feel It" (1961)

"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(s)	Sam Cooke
Producer(s)	Johnny Nash, Arthur Jenkins
Johnny Nash singles chronology
"Love and Peace" (1969) "Cupid" (1969) "(What A) Groovey Feeling" (1970)

"Cupid"
Single by Tony Orlando and Dawn
from the album To Be with You
B-side	"You're Growin' on Me"
Released	January 1976 (1976-01)
Genre	Pop
Length	3:02
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Sam Cooke
Producer(s)	Dave Appell, Hank Medress
Tony Orlando and Dawn singles chronology
"Skybird" (1975) "Cupid" (1976) "Midnight Love Affair" (1976)

"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 (1980-05)
Genre	R&B, disco
Length	3:55 (single version) 5:32 (album version)
Label	Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Sam Cooke ("Cupid"), Michael Zager ("I've Loved You for a Long Time")
Producer(s)	Michael Zager
The Spinners singles chronology
"Working My Way Back to You" (1979) "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time" (1980) "Now That You're Mine Again" (1980)

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.

"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]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1961 - Sam Cooke) Peak position UK Singles Chart[2] 7 US Billboard Hot 100[3] 17 US Cash Box Top 100[4] 16 US Hot R&B Sides (Billboard)[5] 20

Year-end charts Chart (1961) Rank UK [6] 74

Chart (1969–70 – Johnny Nash) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles[7] 30 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[8] 32 Ireland (IRMA)[9] 19 US Billboard Hot 100 39

Chart (1976 – Tony Orlando and Dawn) Peak position Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[10] 5 Canada RPM Top Singles[11] 27 New Zealand (RIANZ)[12] 22 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] 22

Chart (1976) Rank Canada [13] 190

Chart (1980 – The Spinners) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 17 Canada RPM Top Singles 20 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[14] 1 Ireland (IRMA)[9] 11 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] 4 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary[15] 3 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles 5 UK Singles Chart 4

Chart (1980) Rank Australia 132 UK 74 US Billboard Hot 100[16] 29 US Billboard R&B [17][deprecated source] 55 US Cash Box [18] 32

Chart (2008)	Peak position
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	49

Cover versions

• In 1964, Johnny Rivers covered the song on his live album In Action.^[19]
• In 1965, The Supremes covered the song on their tribute album We Remember Sam Cooke.^[20]
• 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.^[21] 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.^[22]
• 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.

Other

• This song's melody is interpolated in Carly Rae Jepsen's song "Tiny Little Bows" from her second studio album, Kiss (2012).^{[23][importance?]}

References

1. Janovitz, Bill. "Cupid - Sam Cooke". AllMusic. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
2. "Sam Cooke - Artist - Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
3. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
4. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 5, 1961
5. "Sam Cooke – Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved February 28, 2014.
6. The 100 Best-Selling Singles of 1961
7. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. January 17, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
8. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. January 31, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Cupid". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
10. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. April 17, 1976. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
11. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. April 17, 1976. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
12. Flavour of New Zealand, 11 June 1976
13. "Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
14. RPM Adult Contemporary, August 2, 1980
15. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 225.
16. Musicoutfitters.com^{[permanent dead link]}
17. 1980: The Top 100 Soul/Funk/Disco Singles
18. Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 27, 1980
19. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
20. "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
21. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 333. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
22. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 545.
23. "Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Tiny Little Bows' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled. Retrieved June 2, 2021.

External links

• Sam Cooke - Cupid on YouTube
• Johnny Nash - Cupid on YouTube
• Tony Orlando & Dawn - Cupid on YouTube
• Spinners - Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time on YouTube