A 1962 demo recording by Bessie of the song was heard by songwriters and record producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who re-recorded it in late 1963, with arrangement by Gary Sherman and backing vocals from Dee Dee Warwick and Cissy Houston.

The Bessie Banks version is included on the soundtrack of the film Stonewall (1995) and on the "Red Bird Story".

(adding an exclamation mark) was made popular internationally later in 1964 when the Moody Blues, an English beat group from Birmingham, recorded it, with Denny Laine on guitar and lead vocals.

When Laine first heard Bessie Banks's version, he immediately told the rest of the band that they needed to record the song.

"[11] The next chart successes for The Moody Blues were "Nights in White Satin" and "Tuesday Afternoon" in 1968.

[12] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as the Moody Blues' greatest song, saying that "Laine's scorching take on this old Bessie Banks track is as emotionally gripping as it is career-makingly important.

"[13] Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as the Moody Blues' 10th greatest song, saying that it's "catchy yet also calmly intricate.

Hayward sang the song during his first year with the band, and Ray Thomas attempted to sing it a couple of times.

He also sang the song at the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986 raising money for the local children's hospital.

was performed by Denny Laine with The Fab Faux on December 11, 2010, at Terminal 5 in New York City, and February 26, 2011, at the State Theatre in Easton, Pennsylvania.

The version by The Moody Blues was used on the satirical British television show Spitting Image in a scene concerning then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.