"(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (Jackie Wilson)

Jackie Wilson had an affinity for womanizing and bird dogging.  He lost a marriage and almost lost his life after a jealous girlfriend shot him in 1961.
He also had financial troubles galore.  He was notorious for borrowing money from his label and managers to bankroll his lavish lifestyle, thereby digging himself into debt.  
By the same token, his record label screwed him out of royalties to the tune of about $1 million.
His financial troubles necessitated his breakneck touring schedule in the early 70s, which no doubt led to his on-stage heart attack in 1975 while performing his hit "Lonely Teardrops."  (Legend is that he fell to his knees after the line My heart is crying, and onlookers thought it was all part of the performance.)  He fell into a coma for almost nine years, finally passing away in 1984 with barely a penny to his name.
But there's a reason why they called the man "Mr. Excitement."
Check out any footage of Jackie Wilson performing live, and you'll see that the moniker was well earned.  Not only did he have a vocal instrument that was capable of soaring to operatic heights, but his dance moves and swagger also kept audiences right in the palm of his hand.  
If you ever wonder who inspired James Brown's dramatic splits or Michael Jackson's spins, look no further than Wilson.
My favorite track of Wilson's is his 1967 single "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," which was originally written for and performed by The Dells with slightly different lyrics.  
From moment one, Wilson's version is pure electricity.  He delivers a consummate performance, slipping from his pure gospel-tinged tenor to soaring falsetto to impassioned growl, often within the space of a single note.
As for the instrumental backing track: if you don't feel compelled to shake something after hearing that bassline and rhythm guitar drop in, you're either asleep or dead.
Little factoid: members of Motown's Funk Brothers (including drummer Richard "Pistol" Allen and bassist/funk machine James Jamerson) played on the backing track, which explains the song's Detroit feel, even though it was recorded in Chicago.  Although Motown kept these musicians working on a consistent basis, it didn't pay too well.  Consequently, the musicians would take on numerous side gigs, recording for artists like Jackie Wilson and his producer Carl Davis, who paid them well by comparison.