The song was composed by Clark and McGuinn in early 1964 at a time when the pair were performing as a duo at The Troubadour and other folk clubs in and around Los Angeles.[1][4] Critic Matthew Greenwald has described "You Showed Me" as "a minor-key romantic ballad", while also commenting that "the song has a near-Beach Boys feel and ends up being an effervescent piece of moody pop."[5] Music historian Richie Unterberger has remarked that "You Showed Me", like many of the songs that Clark had a hand in writing during the 1960s, contains a mix of major and minor chords arranged in unexpected progressions.[2] He also stated that the song recounts the tale of a lover who is being tutored in the ways of love by a more experienced partner.[2]
Soon after writing "You Showed Me", Clark and McGuinn formed a trio with David Crosby and named themselves the Jet Set.[4] The trio began rehearsing at World Pacific Studios under the guidance of their manager Jim Dickson, with Michael Clarke and Chris Hillman joining the group soon afterward.[6] Dickson recorded many of the Jet Set's rehearsal sessions at World Pacific and it was during this time that demos of "You Showed Me" were recorded by the band.[1][7] The song was soon abandoned by the group, who had now changed their name to the Byrds, and was not included on their debut album, Mr. Tambourine Man.[8][9] However, recordings of "You Showed Me" by the Byrds, dating from 1964, were released on the archival albums Preflyte, In the Beginning, The Prefylte Sessions, and Preflyte Plus.[1][10]
"You Showed Me" had been introduced to the Turtles by their producer and former bass player, Chip Douglas, who had first become acquainted with the song after hearing Clark, McGuinn, and Crosby perform it at The Troubadour in 1964.[14] Douglas had also performed the song with Clark during 1966, while he was a member of Gene Clark and the Group.[2] Although the song had originally been an uptempo number, Douglas first demonstrated it for the Turtles' vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman on a harmonium with a broken bellows, requiring him to play the song slowly.[15] The slower tempo impressed Kaylan and Volman and consequently, the Turtles' recording of the song uses this slower arrangement. Their version features an accompaniment of strings, including violins, violas, and cellos.
American rap trio Salt-N-Pepa incorporated parts of the song into their version, also called "You Showed Me", on their 1990 album, Blacks' Magic. It was released as the sixth and final single from that album. This single charted on the US Hot 100 and also reached No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart when it was released as a single in 1991.[24]
Critical reception
Ian Gittins from Melody Maker wrote, "The always vaguely-likeable Salt 'N' Pepa return with a sharp and sassy track which uses the same farty horn motif as their "Tramp" debut of three years back."[25]
Madison Beer covered the song, in a version with noticeable lyrical and musical differences to the original, and released it under the title of "Showed Me (How I Fell in Love with You)" (also known as just Showed Me) on October 14, 2022 through Epic Records. It was the ninth track on Beer's second studio album, Silence Between Songs, and was the third single to be taken from the album.
In 1996, the song was covered in a trip hop style[49] by British alternative rock band the Lightning Seeds and released as a single. It was originally intended to be a B-side to their previous single, "What If...", and utilises loops and samplers from the Turtles original. The song became the Lightning Seeds' most successful chart release (not including the two versions of "Three Lions") reaching No. 8 in the UK.[50] By the time the single was released, drummer Chris Sharrock had left the band to join Robbie Williams' backing group, and new percussionist Zak Starkey took his place in its music video. Additionally, it peaked at No. 4 in Iceland and No. 42 on the Eurochart Hot 100. It was also included on the Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery soundtrack.[49]
Critical reception
Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report wrote, "One of the Turtles' biggest hits comes out of its shell to be artfully re-invented by the Lightning Seeds. A gigantic hit in 1969, it plays well in Mike Myers' newest comedy, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The film, like the song, doesn't disappoint."[51] A reviewer from Music Week rated it four out of five, adding, "Remixed and reshaped from the version included on Dizzy Heights, it's a moody, atmospheric offering."[52] David Sinclair from The Times viewed it as a "workmanlike version of the song written by Gene Clark and James McGuinn of the Byrds, complete with strings and "scratches"."[53]
Music video
The accompanying black-and-white music video for "You Showed Me" was directed by Pedro Romhanyi.[54]
The American hip hop group De La Soul also sampled the Turtles' recording of "You Showed Me" for their song "Transmitting Live From Mars (Interlude)" on their 1989 album, 3 Feet High and Rising, but did not ask permission or clear the sample. The Turtles took litigation against the group, suing them for $1.7 million. An out-of-court settlement was reached for an undisclosed sum. It is said to be the first time that a hip hop act was ever sued for unethical use of another artist's music.[2]
Other cover versions
The song was covered by Québécois singer Claude Steben in French under the title "Vous" in 1972. The song has also been covered by Lutricia McNeal on her 2002 album, Metroplex.[61] In addition, Kanye West based his song Gorgeous, from his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, on elements derived from "You Showed Me".[62] In 2011, the alternative country duo the Watson Twins offered a free download of their cover of "You Showed Me" on their website.[63]
References
^ abcdRogan, Johnny. (1998). The Byrds: Timeless Flight Revisited (2nd ed.). Rogan House. pp. 49–50. ISBN0-9529540-1-X.
^Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
