Posted on 12/21/2024 1:07:54 PM PST by nickcarraway
With The Smokey Robinson-penned ‘My Girl,’ The Temptations created a keystone soul song that put the group on the map, adding to Motown’s winning streak.
With The Smokey Robinson-penned ‘My Girl,’ The Temptations created a keystone soul song that put the group on the map, adding to Motown’s winning streak.
Dub der-nern, dub der-nern… That little guitar lick is not remotely emphatic. It’s not loud, not heavy. There is nothing about it that is gimmicky, and it uses just two notes of a major scale. Yet the moment you hear it, you just know what the song is. It’s “My Girl” – and it’s wonderful.
A keystone soul song
“My Girl,” written by Smokey Robinson and Ronnie White from The Miracles, and introduced by that beautiful guitar phrase from Motown session player Robert White, is one of the keystone soul records of the 60s. It made The Temptations, a gifted vocal quintet that had been cutting records since 1961, major stars. Before “My Girl,” the group had scored just one placing in the US singles Top 20. After “My Girl,” they scored a further 23. It was their first single to feature David Ruffin as lead vocalist, who had joined the group in January 1964.
The Temptations’ founder and last original member, baritone singer Otis Williams, remembered: “Our real big one, our first million-seller, was “My Girl,” which came out in ’65. The way that came about was that we had recently appeared at the 20 Grand [nightclub] in Detroit, and Smokey Robinson of The Miracles saw David Ruffin sing a tune by The Drifters [“Under The Boardwalk”] and he was astounded by the way he handled himself when it came to the lead vocal. So Smokey came up with a tune, ‘My Girl’.”
A song that had hit written all over it
Smokey saw Ruffin as an untapped major resource for The Temptations. He wrote “My Girl” as a kind of answer record to his own song “My Guy”, which had been a smash for Mary Wells in 1964, and its lyrics were inspired by his wife, Claudette, who also sang in The Miracles.
Their song had “hit!” written all over it, and there was a chance Smokey could have kept it for his own group, but he took it to The Temptations. He already knew how well they handled his material, having written for them since 1963, and their biggest hit so far, “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” was written by Smokey and another Miracles member, Bobby Rogers.
“We were at the Apollo in New York and Smokey came and ran the track down and we rehearsed it,” recalls Otis Williams. ‟At the time when he ran the track down, I said, ‘That sounds like it might be something.’ But it really didn’t hit me until we came all the way home [to Detroit], recorded it, and then Smokey put the strings on it. We sat there listening to the playback, and it really sounded like a No. 1. But, you know, it’s very seldom that you can predict a No.1 tune. But at that time, we really felt it would be more of a record that would be a No. 1 than the songs we had recorded before then. And luckily enough, it was.”
Great tenderness, controlled power
Robinson’s understanding of what David Ruffin was able to deliver was key to the song’s success: capable of great vocal tenderness, yet with impressive controlled power, “My Girl,” released on December 21, 1964 enabled him to deploy both aspects of his singing talent. Billboard rated the song as the tenth biggest hit of 1965, and it was a pivotal track on group’s magical The Temptations Sing Smokey, their second album, and an all-time Motown classic.
“My Girl” was far from done. Otis Redding gave it a rawer approach and his version made No. 11 in the UK. The Rolling Stones cut it in 1965 in a version released on 1967’s Flowers compilation. Al Green tackled it on his first album for the Hi label, Green Is Blues (1969). The Whispers scored a hit with a disco version in 1979. These are serious artists, and there are more than 150 other recordings of the song, but the poise and soul of The Temptations’ version still reigns supreme. Otis Williams’ original assessment of “My Girl” was right. It really is something.
Fabulous song. Thanks for posting.
Brings back great memories.
It’s a great song, yes.
I find I often listen to the music of the early sixties. The groups back then were really melodic and the songs were great. Everything now seems to lean heavily on electronics to bolster a weak voice. I don’t know why more people don’t point this out.
That era very much appreciated a good singing voice and this song had that in David Ruffin.
Great song. One of the first songs I learned to play on my guitar.
I agree. Videos ruined music too. Sometimes I wonder if the songs were created to fit the video, or vice versa.
I’ll take the 60s any day. Lot of turmoil and upheaval back then, but the music was the greatest!
I had to pull up that song and reminisce.
I was in GITMO when that one came out. I remember hearing it on our only radio station WGBY.
I recently discovered Smokey Robinson is still alive. I thought all the soul stars of that era got caught up in problems with drinking, drugs and women, but evidently Robinson stayed out of trouble....relatively speaking.
Love your music threads. Our life memories are set by music like this.
Motown is the best! This song is wonderful.
We ended a cruise yesterday, and one of the trivia games was 100% Motown. We did surprisingly well.
Frankly, I like the Stones’ version best.
So fortunate to have lived during America’s best years.
And the Stones version of another Temptations song “Just My Imagination”, love that song.
Romance songs sucker men into rose colored legal traps.
Some songs however tell the truth.
Jerry Reed “She got the gold mine, I got the shaft”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyqe8n-pbqQ
Guns and Roses “I used to love her, ...”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDIvIb06abI
.. they split it down the middle
But she got the better half.
Stuck with me for decades
I’ve probably heard that song about 500 times as a low estimate...the guitar licks, the strings, the harmonies, and Ruffins raw voice make the song timeless.....almost 60 years later...still sounds great.
Well, it all sounds kinda funny
But it hurts too much to laugh
She got the gold mine
And they give me the shaft
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