You Got What It Takes — when rock ’n’ roll swagger met reassurance, and youth found its own voice
Few songs capture the raw charm and good-natured confidence of classic rock ’n’ roll quite like “You Got What It Takes” by Showaddywaddy. Released in 1977, at the height of the band’s popularity, the song stormed up the UK charts and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of their most recognizable and enduring recordings. More than just a hit, it became a statement — a reminder that simplicity, rhythm, and sincerity could still move people in an era already drifting toward disco and punk.
“You Got What It Takes” appeared on the album Red Star, a record that perfectly reflected Showaddywaddy’s mission: to revive and celebrate the spirit of 1950s and early 1960s rock ’n’ roll for a new generation. While many contemporaries were experimenting with complex production and layered studio effects, Showaddywaddy leaned into harmonies, hand-claps, upright bass grooves, and the infectious joy of songs that went straight to the heart.
The song itself has an important history. Originally recorded in 1959 by Marv Johnson, “You Got What It Takes” was already a well-loved piece of early soul-tinged rock. By choosing to cover it nearly two decades later, Showaddywaddy weren’t simply recycling nostalgia — they were reconnecting two eras of popular music, proving that the emotional core of a good song never ages. Their version kept the song’s backbone intact while adding a brighter, punchier energy suited to the late 1970s.
What made this rendition so compelling was its confidence. From the opening moments, the rhythm locks in with a sense of certainty, and the vocals arrive not as a question, but as a declaration. When the line “You got what it takes, but it takes more than you got” lands, it feels playful rather than cruel — a teasing challenge wrapped in admiration. It’s a song about attraction, yes, but also about belief: belief that someone special has something rare, something worth waiting for.
For listeners who had grown up with early rock ’n’ roll, the song felt like a familiar friend returning with renewed energy. And for those discovering this sound for the first time in the 1970s, it offered an entry point into a musical tradition rooted in dance halls, jukeboxes, and the thrill of first love. Showaddywaddy understood that nostalgia works best when it feels alive, not preserved behind glass.
The success of “You Got What It Takes” also tells a broader story about Showaddywaddy themselves. Often underestimated because of their retro image, the band were sharp interpreters of classic material. Their harmonies were tight, their sense of rhythm impeccable, and their understanding of audience connection instinctive. This song, climbing to No. 2 in the charts, confirmed that there was still room in popular music for warmth, joy, and unapologetic melody.
Emotionally, the song carries a subtle reassurance. Beneath its upbeat tempo and confident swagger lies a deeper message: recognition. The singer sees something valuable in another person, even if that person hasn’t fully realized it yet. For many listeners, especially those looking back across decades, that idea resonates strongly. It recalls a time when belief came easily, when encouragement mattered, and when music often spoke directly to the heart without irony or disguise.
Today, “You Got What It Takes” endures not because it is flashy or complex, but because it is honest. It reminds us of dance floors filled with laughter, radios turned up just a little louder than necessary, and the feeling that a three-minute song could brighten an entire evening. In the long story of rock ’n’ roll revival, Showaddywaddy’s version stands tall — not as a museum piece, but as living proof that some songs, and some feelings, truly have what it takes.