Since I Lost My Baby

"Since I Lost My Baby" is a 1965 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown Records' Gordy label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore and produced by Robinson, the song was a top 20 pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, on which it peaked at number 17. On Billboard's R&B singles chart, "Since I Lost My Baby" peaked at number four.^[1]

Background[]

Longing and melancholy, "Since I Lost My Baby" tells a story about the pain of losing a lover. Temptations lead singer David Ruffin, portrays the song's narrator, bass singer Melvin Franklin is also heard out front after each of Ruffin's first two lines on the first verse. It was Ruffin's third straight lead on a Temptations single.

Personnel[]

• Lead vocals by David Ruffin and Melvin Franklin
• Background vocals by Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Otis Williams
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Charts: The Temptations[]

Cover versions[]

• The Action released their George Martin-produced version in 1966.
• The Jackson 5, with Jermaine Jackson on lead, recorded this song in 1969 during the sessions for their debut album Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5; however their version remained unreleased until 2012's Come And Get It: The Rare Pearls.
• Luther Vandross covered the song for his 1982 album Forever, for Always, for Love. In 1983, Vandross' cover was a top twenty R&B hit, peaking to #17 on Billboards Hot R&B Singles chart.
• In 2005, Angie Stone re-recorded it for the Vandross tribute album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross.
• Also in 2005, Rhino released the only official recording Legion of Mary: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 1 of the band Legion of Mary, fronted by Jerry Garcia, containing an instrumental version from a May 22, 1975 concert.
• On Michael McDonald's 2003 album, Motown (the first of two albums of Motown cover songs), the song was covered as well.
• Engelbert Humperdinck and Cliff Richard recorded a duet of the song for Humperdinck's 2014 album of duets, Engelbert Calling.

Charts: Luther Vandross[]

References[]

• Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. ISBN 0-8154-1218-5.
• Williams, Otis and Weigner, Harry (2002). My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations (Compact disc liner notes). New York: Motown/Universal Records.

External links[]

• List of cover versions of "Since I Lost My Baby" at SecondHandSongs.com