The song was one of Motown's earliest hit singles and showcased a much rougher vocal than the singer had during her later years.
In 1960, Wells, then just 17 years of age, was a nightclub singer who was struggling to make ends meet in Detroit.
Reports claim that the teen had to record the song 26 times or more before Gordy had a version he approved for release.
American all-female rock group Goldie and the Gingerbreads recorded their version in December, 1963 but it was not released until the 1990s.
The song was covered in 1965 by soul singer Betty Everett, in 1966 by Tony Jackson and the Vibrations and in 1979 by rock musician Bonnie Raitt.