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Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
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Wikipedia article
"'Too Busy Thinking About My Baby'" is a Motown song written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, and Janie Bradford. The song was first recorded by The Temptations as a track on their 1966 album 'Gettin' Ready'. Eddie Kendricks sings lead on the recording, which was produced by Whitfield. Jimmy Ruffin also recorded a version with The Temptations providing background vocals in 1966. It remained unreleased until 1997.
Three years later, Motown artist Marvin Gaye recorded a cover version of "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" as a follow-up single to his 1968 hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", another Whitfield/Strong composition, which was a trans-atlantic top five hit. Whitfield produced Gaye's version as well, which featured background vocals by The Andantes. The song's lyrics feature the male narrator discussing how he has "no time to discuss weather" or "think about what money can buy", because when he thinks about his woman, "I ain't got time for nothing else".
In terms of chart success, "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" was Gaye's second biggest hit of the 1960s, after "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" peaked at number four on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in the United States, and remained at the number one position on 'Billboard's' Black Singles Chart for six consecutive weeks, from the weeks of, June 7 until July 12, 1969, with sales close to two million records. The single was the top-selling R&B single of the year, and also reached No. 14 on Billboards year-end charts. The tune was the first release from Gaye's 1969 studio album 'M.P.G.'. The single also reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart.
'Cash Box' described it as a "medium paced rock effort" with a "solid vocal" and "a phenomenal production using tom-tom effectiveness to stoke up dance fan fires."
Personnel
Temptations version
* Lead vocals by Eddie Kendricks* Background vocals by David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Otis Williams
* Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Jimmy Ruffin version
* Lead vocals by Jimmy Ruffin* Background vocals by David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Otis Williams
* Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Marvin Gaye version
* Lead vocals by Marvin Gaye* Background vocals by The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps
* Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Chart history
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Other cover versions
* Al Kooper recorded the song (as "Too Busy Thinkin' 'bout My Baby") on his 1969 Columbia album 'You Never Know Who Your Friends Are'.
* The Young Vandals recorded the song for the Isley Brothers' T-Neck label. It peaked at #46 on the R&B charts in 1970. On lead vocals was Damon Harris, who would replace Eddie Kendricks in the Temptations the next year.
* "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" was also covered by the New York-based rock group Mardi Gras (music group) in the early 1970s, and released as a single on Map City Records. It climbed high up the charts across Europe in 197172.
* Elkie Brooks recorded the song on her 1981 hit album 'Pearls'.
* Mark Everett recorded a cover of the song for his 1985 debut 'Bad Dude in Love'
* In 1995, the Manhattan Transfer recorded the song for their album 'Tonin' with Phil Collins. This version reached 27 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States. In Canada, the song reached number 58 on the pop singles chart and number six on the Adult Contemporary chart.
* A version performed by Ted Hawkins was included on his 1995 album, 'Songs from Venice Beach'.
* The song was later covered by British pop group, Steps for ITVs MotownMania. It was the second A-side for their 2001 single, "It's The Way You Make Me Feel", and appeared on their album 'The Last Dance'.
* Phil Collins re-recorded a cover during the sessions of his 2010 album 'Going Back'.
References
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