Freddie Scott - "(You) Got What I Need"

It never ceases to amaze me how a simple riff or melody can seemingly transcend space and time. In 1968, Freddie Scott released the song "(You) Got What I Need." Somehow, it wasn't a hit for Scott, who had already scored a top-ten single with "Hey, Girl."  However, twenty-one years later, as a reinterpreted by hip-hop comedian Biz Markie, the song would reach #9 on the Billboard charts and become an indelible cultural touchstone for an entire generation of MTV-watching youths. It's the same piano hook and largely the same chorus, simply re-imagined with Biz's verse-by-verse story of finding his girlfriend kissing a man she'd told him was "just a friend." That simple hook now stirs up countless memories over various decades, including actor Jeff Goldblum's recent Harry Caray-inspired take on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Freddie Scott - "(You) Got What I Need"
Jeff Goldblum, Biz Markie, and The Roots - "Just A Friend" (Live on Late Night)