"Operator" is a Motown song recorded by vocalists

Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with the Supremes, the Miracles, the Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...

and

Brenda Holloway Brenda Holloway (born June 26, 1946) is an American soul singer who was a recording artist for Motown Records during the 1960s. Her best-known recordings are the hits " Every Little Bit Hurts", " When I'm Gone", and " You've Made Me So Very H ...

. The Wells version was the b-side to her top ten hit, " Two Lovers" while Holloway's version was issued as a single in 1965.

Overview

Song information

In the song, written by Smokey Robinson of

The Miracles The Miracles (later known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1955. They were the first successful recording act for Motown Records and are considered one of the most ...

, the narrator expresses her desire for the phone operator to connect her with her boyfriend, who is supposedly on the other end of the line. However, to her dismay, the operator encounters difficulty reaching him, resulting in static. Throughout the difficulties, the narrator pleads with the operator to "put him on the line".

Charts

Brenda Holloway version

Brenda Holloway's version of the song, which is produced under a more

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

ful rendition than Wells'

teen pop Teen pop is a sub genre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards Preadolescence, preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop". About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Often, the artists themselves are teenagers during their break ...

-styled version from three years before, reached number 78 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 36 on the R&B singles chart. Whitburn, Joel (2004). ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits'', 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 289.

Credits

Mary Wells version

*Lead vocal by

*Background vocals by The Love Tones *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 ...

Brenda Holloway version

*Lead vocal by

*Background vocals by

The Andantes The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by M ...

*Instrumentation by

References

{{Mary Wells 1963 singles 1965 singles Mary Wells songs Brenda Holloway songs Songs written by Smokey Robinson Songs about telephone calls Motown singles Song recordings produced by Smokey Robinson 1963 songs