"Back in My Arms Again" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Back in My Arms Again" was the fifth consecutive and overall number-one song for the group on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States from June 6, 1965 through June 12, 1965, also topping the soul chart for a week.

History

Eddie Holland of the Holland–Dozier–Holland wrote the basis sketch for "Back in My Arms Again." "Back in My Arms Again" was the last of five Supremes songs in a row to go number one (the others are " Where Did Our Love Go", " Baby Love", " Come See About Me", and " Stop! In the Name of Love"). The song's middle eight is almost identical to a later Holland-Dozier-Holland hit, The Isley Brothers " This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)". On the album in which this single appeared, '' More Hits by the Supremes'', and on the official single, each member is pictured separately on the front cover, with her signature above it. The Supremes performed the song on '' The Mike Douglas Show'', a syndicated daytime program, on May 5, 1965 and again on November 3. They performed the song nationally on the NBC

variety program Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...

'' Hullabaloo!'' on Tuesday, May 11, 1965, peaking on the music charts in the following weeks. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' said that "Back in My Arms Again" has "a strong teen lyric and a powerful vocal performance pitted against a hard rock backing in full support." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as "a rollicking, pop-r&b romancer about a lucky lass who gets back with her boyfriend after quite a hiatus." Allmusic critic Ed Hogan called the rhythm section provided by the Funk Brothers "tight," the saxophone played by

Mike Terry Mike Terry may refer to: * Mike Terry (recording engineer) * Mike Terry (saxophonist) Andrew Alexander "Mike" Terry (July 18, 1940 – October 30, 2008) was an American saxophonist, songwriter, arranger, producer and musical director. His bariton ...

"rollicking" and the vibraphone played by

James Gitten James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

"dreamy."

Personnel

* Lead vocals by

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

* Background vocals by Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson * All instruments by the Funk Brothers ** Earl Van Dyke – piano ** Joe Messina – guitar ** James Jamerson – bass ** Benny Benjamin – drums **James Gittens – vibraphone **

– baritone saxophone

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Later versions

"Back in My Arms Again" returned in 1978 to the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 via a remake by Genya Ravan: taken from the singer's album release ''Urban Desire'' the track would be Ravan's only Hot 100 entry, with a #92 peak. The song almost returned to the Hot 100 in 1983 via a remake on Motown's Gordy label by High Inergy, a female group whose 1977 debut album '' Turnin' On'' had yielded a Top 20 hit ("

You Can't Turn Me Off "You Can't Turn Me Off (In the Middle of Turning Me On)" is the debut single by R&B girl group High Inergy, released in 1977. The song was written by Pam Sawyer and Marilyn McLeod and was produced by Kent Washburn and arranged by Sylvester Rivers. ...

") and elicited numerous comparisons with the Supremes. Despite the release of a further six albums, High Inergy remained a " one hit wonder" in 1983 when the group recorded what would be their last album: '' Groove Patrol'', from which a near note-for-note remake of "Back in My Arms Again" was released as a single (the group's last) to reach #105 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 in ''

'' (without ranking on the magazine's R&B chart). "Back in My Arms Again" has also been remade by the Michael Stanley Band (album ''Greatest Hints''/ 1979),

Nicolette Larson Nicolette Larson (July 17, 1952 – December 16, 1997) was an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her work in the late 1970s with Neil Young and her 1978 hit single of Young's "Lotta Love", which hit No. 1 on the Hot Adult Contem ...

(as "Back in My Arms": album '' In the Nick of Time''/ 1980), by Michael Bolton (album '' Michael Bolton''/ 1983), by The Forester Sisters (album ''

Perfume, Ribbons & Pearls ''Perfume, Ribbons & Pearls'' is the second studio album by American country music group The Forester Sisters. It was released via Warner Bros. Records Nashville in 1986. Content Only one single was released from the album: "Lonely Alone", which ...

''/ 1986), and by Colin James for the soundtrack of the 1989 film '' American Boyfriends''. Also covered by The Jam live at the

100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...

on 11 September 1977 released on their 6CD live album ''

Fire and Skill – The Jam Live ''Fire And Skill – The Jam Live'' is a six-disc collection of live performances by The Jam, released in 2015, and incorporating six previously unreleased live concerts by the band between 1977 and 1982. The title of the collection refers to a ...

'' (rec. 1977–1982, rel. 2015).

References

External links

* {{authority control The Supremes songs 1965 songs 1965 singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles Songs written by Holland–Dozier–Holland Song recordings produced by Brian Holland Song recordings produced by Lamont Dozier Motown singles