Joan Osborne’s version of this classic is a belter. I first saw it when I watched the outstanding documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown and was pleasantly stunned and surprised (given that I had not been a fan of previous songs of hers that I had encountered). It’s one of the few documentaries that I have watched more than once, particularly for the musical performances of so many great songs as well as the fascinating story of The Funk Brothers. The Jimmy Ruffin version is fabulous (and quite different to this cover) but there didn’t seem to be a good clip of him singing it in its original form. (It does find itself on high rotation on my ipod though!). Anyway, this song is a strong, heartbreaking epic and a killer to sing along with (particularly if like me you’ve got a secret dream to be a backup singer!). However, if there are no places for singers I will happily learn to play the vibes. That looks like fun as well.