My World Is Empty Without You
"My World Is Empty Without You" | ||||
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Single by the Supremes | ||||
from the album I Hear a Symphony | ||||
B-side | "Everything Is Good About You" | |||
Released | December 29, 1965 | |||
Recorded | 1965 | |||
Studio | Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A) | |||
Genre | Baroque pop, soul | |||
Length | 2:33 | |||
Label | Motown M 1089 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Holland–Dozier–Holland | |||
Producer(s) | Brian Holland Lamont Dozier | |||
The Supremes singles chronology | ||||
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I Hear a Symphony track listing | ||||
12 tracks
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"My World Is Empty Without You" is a 1965 song recorded and released as a single by the Supremes for the Motown label.
Overview
[edit]Written and produced by Motown's main production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song's fast tempo accompanies a somber lyric which delves into the feelings of depression which can set in after a breakup.
"My World Is Empty Without You" was one of the few songs written by the team for the Supremes to not reach number 1, peaking at number 5 on the US pop chart for two weeks in February 1966[1] and at number 10 on the R&B chart; the single failed to chart on the UK Singles Chart. The group performed the song on the CBS hit variety program The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday, February 20, 1966.[2]
Billboard described the song as being "right in their pulsating rhythm groove of 'I Hear a Symphony' with even more excitement in the performance".[3] Cash Box described it as a "throbbing, rhythmic soulful tearjerker about a love-sick girl who spends her days carrying the torch for her ex-boyfriend".[4]
In the view of pop historian Andrew Grant Jackson, the Rolling Stones' later song "Paint It Black" bears a strong resemblance to "My World Is Empty Without You".[5]
Personnel
[edit]- Lead vocals by Diana Ross
- Background vocals by Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard
- Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra:[6]
- Earl Van Dyke – organ
- James Gittens – piano
- James Jamerson – bass
- Benny Benjamin – drums
- Joe Messina – guitar
- Jack Ashford – vibraphone
- Mike Terry – baritone saxophone
- Paul Riser – string arrangements
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
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Year-end charts[edit]
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Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States | — | 1,000,000[18][19] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 78, no. 10. 1966. p. 18. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ^ "The Supremes, Dave Clark Five, Richard Kiley". The Ed Sullivan Show. Season 19. Episode 23. New York City. February 20, 1966. CBS. WCBS.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. January 8, 1966. p. 18. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 15, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
- ^ Jackson, Andrew Grant (2015). 1965: The Most Revolutionary Year in Music. New York: Macmillan Publishers. p. 222. ISBN 978-1-250-05962-8. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Liner notes. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965, Hip-O Select – B0006775-02, USA August 4, 2006
- ^ "Every Unique AMR Top 100 Single of the 1966". Top 100 Singles. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ a b "Billboard Hits of the World". Billboard. March 5, 1966. p. 34.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5703." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "The Supremes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "The Supremes Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". Cashbox. February 26, 1966. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ "The Cash Box Top 50 In R&B Locations". Cashbox. March 5, 1966. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ "100 TOP POPS: Week of February 19, 1966" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. February 19, 1966. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ "TOP 40 R&B: Week of February 19, 1966" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. February 19, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
- ^ "Top Records of 1966" (PDF). Billboard. December 24, 1966. p. 34. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 9, 2022.
- ^ "The Cash Box Year-End Charts: 1966". Cashbox. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Jay Warner (January 20, 1973). "Announcing Motown's Yesteryear Series: two million-selling singles on one record". Billboard. Vol. 85, no. 3. p. 63. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ Joseph Murrells (1984). "The Supremes". Million Selling Records from the 1900s to the 1980s: An Illustrated Directory. London: B.T. Batsford. p. 233. ISBN 0-7134-3843-6.