#USHER YOU WERE MY GIRLFRIEND SERIES#

'My Girl' was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. Over time, 'My Girl', with its signature introduction and unrestrained expression of joy, would become one of Motown's best-known and most successful singles. The single also gave the Gordy label its first number 1 on the Hot 100. The single was also the first number 1 hit on the reinstated Billboard R&B Singles chart, which had gone on a fifteen-month hiatus from 1963 to 1965. pop charts on January 16, 1965, after its Christmas time 1964 release, making it the Temptations' first number 1 hit. 'My Girl' was later sampled for 'Stay', a single from the Temptations' 1998 album Phoenix Rising, which reached #28 on the US R&B Charts. It did not reach the Billboard charts, but did reach number 2 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was re-released in 1992, following the November 1991 release of the film of the same name, which featured the song. Both versions were later included on two various Motown artists compilation albums, the one-CD Motown Around the World (1987) and the two-CD Motown Around the World: The Classic Singles (2010), as well as on the Temptations' compilation album 50th Anniversary – The Singles Collection (1961–1971) (2011). The Temptations also recorded German- and Italian-language versions of the song, 'Mein Girl' and 'Solamente Lei', released in 19 respectively.

This part can be heard without vocals on the 2004 deluxe edition of the soundtrack from the 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. 'Bah bum-bum, bah bum-bum, bah bum-bum.'' The signature guitar riff heard during the introduction and under the verses was played by Robert White of the Funk Brothers. As Smokey Robinson says, 'I can be in a foreign country where people don't speak English and the audience will start cheering before I even start singing 'My Girl.' They know what's coming as soon as they hear the opening bass line.

#USHER YOU WERE MY GIRLFRIEND SERIES#

Consequently, the Temptations came up with boosts like 'hey hey hey' and a series of 'my girls' that echo David's vocal.' The opening bass notes are recognized around the world. According to Robinson, he allowed the group to create their own background vocals 'because they were so great at background vocals'. Īfter some persuasion from Ruffin's bandmates, Robinson had the Temptations record 'My Girl' instead of the Miracles, who were originally going to record the song, and recruited Ruffin to sing the lead vocals. The composition was to be something that Ruffin could 'belt out' yet something that was also 'melodic and sweet'. Robinson thought that if he could write just the perfect song for Ruffin's voice, then he could have a smash hit. Robinson saw Ruffin as a 'sleeping giant' in the group with a unique voice that was 'mellow' yet 'gruff'. Impressed, Robinson decided to produce a single with Ruffin singing lead. For their set, the group had included a medley of soul standards, one of which, the Drifters' ' Under the Boardwalk', was a solo spot for Ruffin. 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. 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. The recorded version of 'My Girl' was the first Temptations single to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals. In 2017, the song was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being 'culturally, historically, or artistically significant'. The song was included on the Temptations 1965 album The Temptations Sing Smokey.

Robinson's inspiration for writing 'My Girl' was his wife, Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson. number 1 single, and is currently their signature song. Written and produced by the Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, it became the Temptations' first U.S. ' My Girl' is a soul music song recorded by the Temptations for the Gordy ( Motown) record label. From the album The Temptations Sing Smokey

Usher you were my girlfriend