Written by Van McCoy.   I've got but lost (or mislaid ) a cd with this on it.  Who knows who it is and what label is it on?  Many Thanks

Tommy Hunt sang it on Atlantic 2278.  That was released before Marvin Smith's Brunswick release.

I never knew there was another released version of this. Ain't this music great..?!

Jim.

Tommy Hunt's version is very nice, as well.  Naturally, the song is great - having been written by Van McCoy.

Not Tommy's version--but thanks. The version I'm thinking of I'm pretty sure is by a group and is the original.

Van McCoy sang with a group, - The Starlighters.  But, they were together in 1958-60.  I think that was too early for that song.  He also produced a group called The Four Buddies in 1963-64.  But, I don't remember them singing "Hold On".  It was too early for The Spellbinders and Chris Bartley & Group.  Van, himself, did have many releases, with background singers.  But, you'd recognise his voice (sounding very like Chris Bartley).  If it was released, I'm sure I have it.  But he produced so many individual singers and groups on stray labels on so many one-shot projects, and so many other East Coast artists recorded his songs, that it's difficult to remember where to look in my records. It now rings a bell in my mind that there was another released version.

 

Was it a male group?  From the arrangement style and instrumentation, can you tell me a range of years in which it may have been recorded (i.e. 1961-62, or 1959-60)?

I went to Van McCoy's website, and played "Hold On" on his song list.  They have a DIFFERENT song listed as "Hold On", sung by a group, which has those words sung in the song, and sounds like it was written and arranged by Van.  But, the words are so different, you couldn't mistake it for Marvin Smith's song.

 

I still think, now, that I remember another version of the Marvin Smith song.  But can't remember who sang it, so I can't look it up in my records.

Definitely male and definitely the same song. I guess I'll just have to wade thru 000's of cd's to find it