My Girl

The Temptations cut the track at Motown’s Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit on September 25, 1964, with David Ruffin on lead vocals and the group overdubbing their harmonies there on November 10, 1964. Smokey Robinson supervised the session, with the Funk Brothers providing the instrumental backing. Released on Gordy in late 1964, the single became the Temptations’ first U.S. number-one hit and the first No. 1 for the Gordy label on the Billboard Hot 100. It also established David Ruffin as the group’s lead voice and became one of Motown’s defining records. The song became the Temptations’ signature recording and remained a durable standard through decades of covers, soundtrack use, and advertising placements. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and selected for the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.