"Since I Lost My Baby" is a 1965 hit single recorded by the Temptations for the Motown Records' Gordy label. Written by the 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.

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.

Cash Box described it as a "tender, slow-shufflin’ pop-r&b tearjerker about a lad who has been singing the blues since his romance went kaput."

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 Chart (1965)PeakpositionU.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart17U.S. Billboard R&B Singles4

Luther Vandross cover

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.

Personnel Luther Vandross – lead and background vocals, rhythm arrangement, vocal arrangement Nat Adderley Jr. – keyboards, rhythm arrangement Marcus Miller – bass Yogi Horton – drums Doc Powell – guitar Paulinho da Costa, Sammy Figueroa – percussion Paul Riser – string and horn arrangement Cissy Houston, Tawatha Agee, Phillip Ballou, Brenda White, Norma Jean Wright, Paulette McWilliams, Fonzi Thornton – background vocals

Charts Chart (1983)PeakpositionU.S. Billboard R&B Singles17

References

Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. . 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