“My Girl” earns The Temptations a deserved Hot 100 No.1 in 1965
An absolute classic and landmark of Soul and Pop music that earned a first Grammy to a Motown act
“My Girl” earns The Temptations a deserved Hot 100 No.1 in 1965
It’s one of the most recognizable and absolute music classics of all time, “My Girl”, by The Temptations was first released in late 1964. Written and produced by the Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, Robinson’s inspiration for writing this song was his wife, Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson. Robinson had the Temptations record “My Girl” instead of the Miracles, who were originally to record the song after he got impressed with singer David Ruffin vocals. He saw Ruffin as a “sleeping giant” in the group with a unique voice that was “mellow” yet “gruff”, and thought that if he could write just the perfect song for Ruffin’s voice, then he could have a smash hit. That’s when he decided to talk to The Temptations to let Ruffing sing the lead. 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 Bryant. It was a winning bet, as “My Girl” quickly rose to the top of the charts, and on March 6, 1965 peaked to No.1 on the US Hot 100, earning not only The Temptations but also their label Motown the first Hot 100 No.1 and the group became the first Motown act to earn a Grammy. A success worldwide, “My Girl” has been covered extensively by several artists over the decades, among the early and most notable versions of the songs are the 1965 ones from Otis Redding and the Rolling Stones. Additionally, it was included on the Temptations 1965 album “The Temptations Sing Smokey”. In 2018, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant.”
Look back at The Temptations performing “My Girl” in 1965
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