"Baby, Baby I Need You" is a 1963 song recorded by

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

for the Gordy ( Motown) label. It was written by Smokey Robinson, and was later used as the B-side to their Top 40 1964 hit "

Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" is a 1964 hit single by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. It was the group's first A-side release to be produced by Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote the song with Edward Holland, Jr. of the Holland-Do ...

".Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. . The song is about one's devotion to the one they love; it's narrator telling the girl he's falling for that if she let their “hearts combine” that he vows to always let her know how much he needs, wants, and loves her. A fusion of

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

and Doo-Wop, the song is mostly an

ensemble Ensemble may refer to: Art * Architectural ensemble * Ensemble (album), ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album * Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary * Ensemble cast (drama, comedy) * Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the ...

piece, with all the original members singing most of the song's lead vocal in unison (with

Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptation ...

' higher falsetto voice making him the primary vocal in song). It is on the song’s bridge and outro where Kendricks and Paul Williams each sing a few lead lines out front while Elbridge "Al" Bryant sings harmony vocals behind Kendricks and Williams (and throughout the song's bridge). All the group members get a chance to also be heard outfront when they sing the last word of each of the song's three verses in a five-part harmony (Bryant, Williams, Kendricks,

Otis Williams Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.; October 30, 1941) is an American baritone singer.Ribowsky, Mark (2010). ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Endearing Soul of the Temptations''. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 7–9 He is o ...

, and

Melvin Franklin David Melvin English (October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, or his nickname "Blue", was an American bass singer. Franklin was best known for his role as a founding member of Motown singing ...

respectively). This B-side is the last single released to feature Bryant's vocals (he was fired several months prior), and the last to feature Paul Williams' signing lead that would be released while he was still the group's main lead singer (although he would still record a few more leads). With the release of the single " My Girl", newest member

David Ruffin David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–68) during the group's "Clas ...

would become The Tempts' new main lead (more or less replacing both Williams and Kendricks in the role). '' Cash Box'' described the song as a "slow beat-ballad." Although "Baby, Baby I Need You" did not chart nationally, the song was a regional smash hit in some parts of the country. It was a favorite of fans of the group (and the group itself) and became a part of the Temptations' onstage repertoire. The song was performed by the "classic five" members on the group's first live album, ''

Temptations Live! ''Temptations Live!'' is the first live album to be released by The Temptations. The album was recorded on October 3, 1966, at the Roostertail in Detroit, Michigan. The album cover photograph was taken in March 1966 at The 20 Grand, 14th and Wa ...

'' where it received a standing ovation. In 1966,

The Wailers ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

, featuring

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

, covered the song (retitled "I Need You") which was released as a single and included on the 1966 compilation album, ''

The Wailing Wailers ''The Wailing Wailers'' is the 1965 eponymous debut studio album by the Wailers, later known as Bob Marley and the Wailers. Released on the Studio One label, the album is a compilation of various recordings made between 1964 and 1965 by Nevill ...

''. The Wailers also recorded a different song of the title "I Need You" in 1964, and so recent releases have retitled this cover as "I Need You So".

Personnel

* Lead & background vocals by

(verses; bridge), Paul Williams (verses; bridge), Al Bryant (verses; harmony vocals on bridge),

(verses), and

(verses) * Instrumentation by

The Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

Notes

{{authority control 1963 songs 1964 singles The Temptations songs Songs written by Smokey Robinson Gordy Records singles