MY GIRL (THE TEMPTATIONS SONG)

"'My Girl'", released December 21 1964, is a 1965 number-one single recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written and produced by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, the song became the Temptations' first U.S. number-one single, and is today their signature song. Robinson's inspiration for writing this song was his wife, Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson, and he originally intended to have his group record the song.

Contents

History

Recording and success

Covers and other uses

Credits

Notes

History

Recording and success

The recorded version of "My Girl" was the first Temptations single to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals. Previously, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams had performed most of the group's lead vocals, and Ruffin had joined the group as a replacement for former Temptation Elbridge "Al" Bryant. While on tour as part of the Motortown Revue, a collective tour for most of the Motown roster, Smokey Robinson caught the Temptations' part of the show. The group had included a medley of soul standards in the show, one of which, The Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk", was a solo spot for Ruffin. Impressed, Robinson decided to produce a single with Ruffin singing lead. After some persuasion from Ruffin's bandmates, Robinson had the Temptations record "My Girl" instead of The Miracles, and recruited Ruffin to sing the lead vocals.
"My Girl" climbed to the top of the U.S. pop charts after its Christmastime 1964 release, making it the Temptations' first number-one hit. The single was also the first number-one hit on the reinstated ''Billboard'' R&B Singles chart, which had gone on an eighteen-month hiatus from 1963 to 1965. The success of this single launched a series of Ruffin-led hits, including "Since I Lost My Baby" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". The former background figure quickly became the group's main (and, excepting irregular leads by Kendricks and Williams, only) lead singer by the end of the year. Unfortunately, after this hit as well as Ain't Too Proud to Beg, Ruffin started to develop a large ego. He was later fired from the group (see the Temptations main article for more details).
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Covers and other uses

The following year, Otis Redding brought more of a traditional blues flavor to the song in his cover of "My Girl". This version, produced by Steve Cropper, was featured on Redding's critically acclaimed album ''. The album featured a number of classic soul and R&B covers, as well as several original songs (including the future Aretha Franklin hit "Respect"). "My Girl" wasn't released as a single.
In 1977, Dolly Parton included a country version of the song on her album ''New Harvest - First Gathering''. The Mamas & the Papas featured this song on the third album ''Deliver'' (1967), and released it as a single that reached 15 on the U.S. pop charts. It has also been a hit for Jamaican ska rocksteady legend, Prince Buster.
Now considered a classic Motown tune, "My Girl" has been frequently covered since the 1960s, including versions by other Motown stars such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, and bands such as The Rolling Stones and the Irish band Westlife. It has also been featured in a number of films, including the 1991 ''My Girl'', which was also named after the tune. To promote the film ''My Girl'', a music video of the Temptations song was produced. The clip, directed by Dominic Orlando in Los Angeles, combined footage from an archived 1965 television performance, clips from the film, and new footage of the 1991 Temptations lineup--original members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin alongside newer members Richard Street, Ron Tyson, and (wearing glasses to look like David Ruffin) Ali-Ollie Woodson--performing a cover of the tune alongside ''My Girl's co-stars Anna Chlumsky and Macaulay Culkin. The first half of the music video used the original soundtrack. In 2007, Eve of Summer recorded a version, My Girl 07 (Va va Voom remix).
Filipino-American star, Sam Milby recorded a version of the song which became the main theme song of the hit Korean comedy-drama series, My Girl.
On the series Full House, Danny Tanner is heard singing this song in the episode "Ol' Brown Eyes".
On the series Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Uncle Phil sings the song to Will to explain love to him.
On the series Boy Meets World, on the Season 3 episode "Rave On", the song is performed by The Monkees' Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork guest starring as Gordy, Reginald and Jedidiah.
Japanese singer, Miliyah Kato, released the song featuring Japanese boy-band,COLOR, as a single on May 30,2007.

Credits

★ Lead vocals by David Ruffin

★ Backing vocals by Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Otis Williams

★ Written and produced by William "Smokey" Robinson and Ronald White

★ Arranged by Paul Riser

★ Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

Notes

1. The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time