Who Did It Better? My Guy

Who Did It Better?

My Guy

Today, we take a look at a true Motown classic. 

My Guy was written by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles.

During the session for the recording of the backing track, the musicians - collectively known as The Funk Brothers - struggled to find an intro that worked. Having played all day and with a half hour of time in the studio left, trombonist George Bohanon suggested to keyboardist/bandleader Earl Van Dyke that the opening measure of Canadian Sunset worked perfectly with what was already laid down. Van Dyke then took the opening of Candian Sunset along with the  "left hand notes" from that song and incorporated parts of Eddie Haywood's rendition of Begin The Beguine. Van Dyke would later recall: "We were doing anything to get the hell out of that studio. We knew that the producers didn't know nothing 'bout no Canadian Sunset or Begin The Beguine. We figured the song would wind up in the trash can anyway".

With Smokey Robinson producing, Mary Wells became the first artist to record it. When she recorded her vocal she sang over the song's outro with a huskiness evoking the line delivery of Mae West. "I was only joking but the producers said 'Keep it going, keep it going'." 

My Guy broke big, becoming a #1 hit in the US for Wells, Motown Records' first female star. It also went #1 on the R&B chart and #5 in the UK. In addition it hit #1 in New Zealand, #3 in Australia, #7 in Canada, and #9 in Ireland.

It would remain Wells biggest hit and her last for the label. Other than a few duets with Marvin Gaye which she was obligated to record, she never recorded another song for Motown because her contract had a release clause she could option on her 21st birthday. Believing the grass was greener over at 20th Century Fox, with visions of bigger song royalties and roles in movies, she left Motown on May 13, 1964. Unfortunately for Wells, she never reached the heights of My Guy again.
 

The song would return the Billboard's Hot 100 three times.

Petula Clark recorded a version for her 1971 album, Now. Released as a single, the song peaked at #70 while snagging the #12 spot on the Easy Listening chart. 

Amii Stewart, who had a #1 with her powerhouse version of Knock On Wood, recorded the song with duet partner Jonny Bristol in a medley of My Guy and the Temptations classic, My Girl. It peaked at #63 in the US, #76 R&B, and #39 in the UK. In 1985, Stewart revisited the medley, with Deon Estus replacing Bristol. That version went to #63 in the UK.

Sister Sledge, who'd enjoyed a pair of huge hits in 1979, were in the midst of recording their sixth album. As lead singer Kathy Sledge recalled: "I had very little input, but I did push for My Guy." She got her wish; it was included on the act's self-produced 1981 album, The Sisters. Released as the lead single, it climbed to #23 in the US and hit #14 on the R&B chart and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In addition it hit #5 in New Zealand. The group even performed the song as part of an episode of the CBS sitcom, The Jeffersons.

In addition the song has been covered by many artists including: Melba Moore, Margo Smith #43 C&W), Lynda K. Lance (#46 C&W), Aretha Franklin, Dara Sedaka, Claudine Longet, Barbara McNair, Nancy Holloway and Helen Shapiro.

To commemorate the song's long-lasting appeal, My Guy  was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. 

And that's the whole story.

Now? On to the competition.

The Song: My Guy

The Competitors: Wells vs. Clark vs. Stewart/Bristol vs. Sister Sledge

My Guy - Mary Wells

My Guy - Petula Clark

My Guy / My Girl - Amii Stewart / Johnny Bristol

My Guy - Sister Sledge

Mary Wells

Like a train coming into the station with that intro. Wells is well on top of the mix and sounds... older than her years. There's that slow vibrato she's got to fight, most evident when she tries to hold out the word 'guy'. As for her tone, it's lovely; reminiscent of Marilyn McCoo of the 5th Dimension. 

Honestly? This arrangement strikes me as a bit cheesy. It's the combination of the vibes and the horn section right in the middle of the mix. It gets a bit messy sounding.

LOVE those backing vocals. How fun is that. Slammed out, boom. Nice contrast to the wavering in Wells vocals. And then they individually do that trail of echoes... cute. Had I produced, I would have put that a bit more in focus, it's a clever bit.

I am enjoying the vintage sound of this. 

Not sure what she does on the word 'gonna' - but it ends up sounding pitchy, which is also true of her overall performance. It's not consistently, but every once in a while she wavers beneath a note and it snags my ear. 

"my opinion is he's..." Weirdly hollow and breathy. This is not a dynamic performance in my book. 

The song is cute as hell. Wells vocals... naw.

"he may not be a movie star" - Again, what? It's like her throat is being jostled or she's singing on a city bus.

The playout is cute. She's fun when she's sassy. And the backing vocals are a hoot. 

Yes... tell me more!

Petula Clark

Big old whirl of strings! What a weird 'Tijuana Brass' intro... like we're on the lone trail. I dislike it a great deal. 

Petula sounds bright and lovely. I also like the acoustic piano in the drivers seat. When that bed of strings swells beneath its... well, Hollywood. And Petula just goes with it. What a great attitude. 

I suppose it's of the time - this sort of clean sheen, sort of Vegas without the brassiness. It's pretty standard variety show stuff. 

I just sort of bops along. The strings are highly animated. The piano is still in there, too. On the C-section she sounds like Wayne Newton.

Hammy horns playing counter to the main. Oh, dear, on "yeah, my guy" those backing vocals get a little unfocused. Not in keeping with everything else. 

This is very presentational and a bit too cute. Take that echoed "movie star." Really? How stagey. 

Still, even if the arrangement is not my cup, Clark is simply charming. What a lovely voice.

Eek, the return of that intro. Ugh.

Clark sure sounds sassy. But too slick, too Vegas.

Again, with the unfocused backing vocals on "yeah, my guy."

I kind of like the shouted, "Yes, we are!" Fun.

But that's the issue. This is adult contemporary thinking. This is not pop smart.

Which explains the playout. As sunny as everything else in this Petula Clark colored world. 

Amii Stewart / Johnny Bristol

Amii Stewart is a great singer. 

This intro is weird. Why is there tension? And Stewart doesn't help matters by trying... yes, trying... to sing breathy. 

The rhythm section is awful. As is this weird pseudo-propulsive tempo. Are those horns grinding in the background? This is a weird arrangement - which isn't working for me. This was a single? This charted? 

Stupid guitar lick. It's competing with Bristol's vocals way too much. This is a stupid arrangement. Wow... Bristol has some major chops. "feel this way..." Outta sight!

And then? At the 1:30 mark, or so... bingo. It comes together. Interesting. Messy. And parts of the arrangement still don't quite work, but... it's now been elevated from weird to interesting. 

What is that midi treatment... that sting - called? I used to overuse it, too... 

This reminds me of St. Elmo's Fire. Same year, too. Hmm. I kept trying to think of what this was trying to sound like. 

Bells? Of St. Mary? Really? Bells?

Wow. 

Just... throw it all in there. Kitchen sink. 

And we still have two minutes left!

The big drop out. This is so odd. I can't imagine putting this thing together. It's held together with scotch tape. 

Bristol was primarily a back up singer... so it doesn't surprise that he subverts his sound anytime he sings with Stewart, who... well, this isn't her best moment. She's a much better singer than this. 

This is so weird and overly-produced, I have a feeling that if I listened to this on a proper system it would end up being a guilty pleasure of mine. I have a thing for bad music. And this... well... yes. It qualifies. 

Sister Sledge

Ooh. A twirling and a whirling. Very bright and clean. A little odd. What is it with that Hop-along Cassidy sounding part? And the sisters enter like butterflies descending... my, my, my, my, indeed. 

Odd rhythm tack. Don't hate it. 

Love Kathy Sledge's voice. It's not for everyone, for it sounds like she's singing with a sore throat. When it catches, I do wince, but it's also part of her charm. 

The arrangement is too slick. The strings are overly sweet. All the more reason to have Kathy sing lead, because that throat thing of hers cuts the treacly stuff. 

I love the sisters. They sound so natural together. Those playing second fiddle to the lead? They are just as talented and together have a personality unlike any other. 

This is not soulful, other than Kathy's edge. It's too clean. It's too perky. I was hoping it would be more grounded and dig just a little deeper. 

This is a Smokey Robinson song... text book. And if they wanted to find a means of bringing this back to life then they should have gone back to his hits - Mickey's Monkey, Shop Around, Tears Of A Clown. 

Authenticity is what this lacks. You can twirl those flutes all you like, but this arrangement is too slick and polished. We need some grit. 

The Verdict

So... the best version of this song has yet to be recorded. 

This is a great song. Charming. Classic Smokey Robinson. 

Wells sounds like when one of your mother's friends starts entertaining at a party by singing the top hits of the day in a warbled voice. I can practically hear her complaining that her girdle is too tight. The arrangement might be fine, but... it is sloppy. It does have a ring of authenticity to it, but it's undermined by a lack of fire on Wells part. 

Petula is bright and breezy and so mired in keeping time with the establishment, she misses the boat. Give her a four-piece band and a bit of echo... she's got the chops to do it - to pull off something real. She's an amazing vocalist. Charming, too. But this musical world she's lost in? Man... that is so not where it's at, babycakes.

I am still trying to figure out the Stewart/Bristol thing. Is it a masterpiece? Or does it not work at all? It's so over-produced. And that medley is either brilliantly scored or pure torture. I'm not sure. I would have to study it more. And... well - that answers it for me. My Guy? Not something that needs to be studied. It's a pop gem. Let it shine. Don't overthink it. It's like a girl sees a nice, pert bob cut in a magazine and goes to her hairdresser and says... "This is cute. Let's do this."  And when the hairdresser does the big reveal, turns out they've teased and muscled it into something worthy of Marie Antoinette. 

Sister Sledge comes close - vocally. The arrangement is too slick and clean. There's no heart. But the girls' vocals are lovely. The producers took a great song and wrung all the earthy fun out of it. 

It's sad. 

I don't want to pick any of them. 

There is a slink and a swagger lacking in all of them.

I feel strange not going all - but Mary Wells is the original and it's a classic - but, Mary Wells is not a great singer. 

So, because I am a fan of Kathy Sledge, I will got with them. 

I tell you... the best version of this song has yet to be done. A pity someone like Amy Winehouse didn't get ahold of this. That would be brilliant. 

I would also accept Mary Well's arrangement as sung by Marilyn McCoo.

Or... maybe Aretha? 

 

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And that's enough of me.

Okay, your turn: you know what to do. Leave your choice and thoughts in the comments section. I love a differing opinion!

And that's all for now. Until next time...

Thanks for reading... and listening!

My Guy - Mary Wells

My Guy - Petula Clark

My Guy / My Girl - Amii Stewart / Johnny Bristol

My Guy - Sister Sledge