Betty Everett vs. Cher | Head 2 Head 🗣️

On the 8^th edition of Head 2 Head (2022), Betty Everett and Cher contend for the best rendition of “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss).” 

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elcome to Head 2 Head 🗣️! On Head 2 Head, we pit at least two musicians singing the same song together, comparing their performances.  Then, after much deliberation, we deliver a verdict of which performance was the best, or at least, subjectively, which performance moved us more.  On the 8^th edition of head-to-head (2022), 🎙 Betty Everett and 🎙 Cher contend for the best rendition of 🎵 “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)”. So, without further ado, let the Head 2 Head commence!

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1. Betty Everett, “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)”

💿 The Shoop Shoop Song • 🏷 Concord • 📅 1963

“Does he love me? I wanna know / How can I tell if he loves me so?” That’s a legit question, 🎙 Betty Everett!  Everett is renowned for her cover – yes, you read right – of 🎵 “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)”.  While she was not the original artist, it was her rendition of this 🎼✍ Rudy Clark-penned gem that earned hit status. Is Betty Everett’s version considered the definitive one? I’d say there’s sizable support for that assertion! Worth noting, it peaked at no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100!

“The Shoop Shoop Song” is tongue-in-cheek at its most tongue-in-cheekiest! With its vintage production and playful vocals, this record exemplifies 60s pop and R&B. It’s an incredibly fun record that’s much more innocent than not.  Sure, there’s mention of kisses, which can ultimately lead to S-E-X, but “It’s In His Kiss” never goes down that rabbit hole – it’s the 60s after all.  Throughout, Everett is supported by lit background vocals, which, I’d argue, play an equally important role to her lead.  Of course, arguably, it’s those lyrics that make “The Shoop Shoop Song” so awesome!

“(Is it in his eyes?)

Oh no, you’ll be deceived

(Is it in his eyes?)

Oh no, he’ll make believe

If you wanna know if he loves you so

It’s in his kiss

(That’s where it is, oh yeah).”

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2. Cher, “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)”

💿 Love Hurts • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1991

With a lack of success with the original 🎵 “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” (Poor 🎙 Merry Clayton), 🎙 Betty Everett earned success with her rendition.  How could she not? 🎵 “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” is infectious to the n^th degree.  That said, unless your musical upbringing was in the early 1960s, it’s unlikely you associate “The Shoop Shoop Song” with Everett – sorry girl! There have been a variety of covers, including The Queen of Soul, 🎙 Aretha Franklin (1964, on 💿 Runnin’ Out of Fools) aka the cover queen.  Even so, the one I’m most familiar with as a mid-late 80s baby arrives courtesy of 🎙 Cher.

Worth noting, the iconic, 🏆 Academy Award/Grammy-winner has had bigger hits than “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” (🎵 “Believe”, 🎵 “Half-Breed”, and 🎵 “If I Could Turn Back Time”).  It was moderately successful on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at no. 33.  Regardless, this gem from her 1991 album, 💿 Love Hurts, just feels right. Cher possesses a distinct, powerful voice, and her one-of-a-kind timbre sounds incredibly ear-catching on this novel cut.  Compared to the Everett version which predates nearly 30 years, the Cher edition gets updated production work. Even so, it still captures the charm of the original, including crucial background vocalists.  As the kids like to say today, “The Shoop Shoop Song” in Cher’s hands is a vibe!

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The Verdict 👨🏿‍⚖️

🎙 Betty Everett or 🎙 Cher – “That is the question!” And the answer is…honestly, a matter of preference. Both ladies kill it on this cutesy, novel number. Everett had the bigger hit with iit, taking it to no. 6 on the pop charts – woo! That said, if I had to choose, I’d opt for the version I’m personally most familiar with by the iconic Cher.  Sure, Cher’s sound isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I love her command and tone, particularly on “The Shoop Shoop Song.”

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Betty Everett vs. Cher: Head 2 Head 🗣️ No. 8 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Concord, Layers, The Musical Hype, Pexels, Pixabay, RODNAE Productions, UMG Recordings, Inc., Valentin Tikhonov]

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