Smokey Robinson and the Miracles stayed proper on monitor, pun supposed, after the 1965 success of one in every of their most indelible and timeless songs. With “The Tracks of My Tears” nonetheless within the R&B High Ten that fall, the Motown favorites entered the identical Billboard chart on October 16 with “My Girl Has Gone.”
Intentionally much like “Tracks” in tempo and really feel, the brand new Tamla launch was credited to Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, Ronnie White and common guitarist Marv Tarplin; all however White had collaborated on the its masterful predecessor. Bandmate Bobby Rogers was on the brand new single too, as was Smokey’s then-wife Claudette, nonetheless a bunch member though she had lately been “retired,” to her disappointment, from the touring line-up. Robinson, in fact, was on manufacturing responsibility as traditional, with very good accompaniment by the Funk Brothers. Tarplin added distinctive guitar, simply as he had on “Tracks of My Tears.”
“My Girl Has Gone” generally falls within the shadow of each “Tracks of My Tears” and the equally towering ballad that got here earlier than it, “Ooo Baby Baby”, nevertheless it maintained their sky-high requirements as purveyors of soul music at its most elegant. Debuting at No.38 R&B, it climbed to No.3 – already their eighth High 10 hit on that survey – and went to No.14 on the pop aspect.
Like “Tracks,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” and their subsequent hit, “Going To A Go-Go,” it was included on the LP that shared the title of the latter track. That lengthy participant got here out a couple of weeks later, in November 1965. Little question all of these alternatives had been a part of a residency by the Miracles and Motown labelmates the Marvelettes (together with Wanda Rogers, Bobby’s spouse) and the Contours at Chicago’s Regal Theater, from October 8-14. 4 years on, in 1969, “My Girl Has Gone” can be lined as a single by one other Motown artist, Bobby Taylor.
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