What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" | ||
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| Single by Jimmy Ruffin | ||
| from the album Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten | ||
| Released | June 3, 1966 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Recorded | Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1966 | |
| Genre | Soul | |
| Length | 3:41 | |
| Label | Soul S 35022 |
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| Writer(s) | William Weatherspoon Paul Riser James Dean |
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| Producer(s) | William Weatherspoon William "Mickey" Stevenson |
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| Chart positions | ||
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| Jimmy Ruffin singles chronology | ||
| "As Long As There Is L-O-V-E" (1965) |
"What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" (1966) |
"I've Passed This Way Before" (1966) |
"What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is a hit single recorded by Jimmy Ruffin and released on Motown Records' Soul label in the summer of 1966 (see 1966 in music). The song was written by William Weatherspoon, Paul Riser, and James Dean, and the recording was produced by Weatherspoon and William "Mickey" Stevenson. "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" was Jimmy Ruffin's only Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, and remains one of the most-revived of Motown's hits.
Composers Weatherspoon and Riser and lyricist Dean had originally written "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" with the intention of having The Spinners, then an act on Motown's V.I.P. label, record the tune. Jimmy Ruffin, older brother of Temptations lead singer David Ruffin, persuaded Dean to let him record the song, as its anguished lyric about a man lost in the misery of heartbreak resonated with the singer.
Ruffin's lead vocal on the recording is augmented by the instrumentation of Motown's on-house studio band, The Funk Brothers, and the joint backing vocals of Motown session singers The Originals and The Andantes. "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, and at number six on the Billboard R&B Singles chart.
The song was covered by Paul Young in 1991 and featured in the film Fried Green Tomatoes. It was also planned to be covered by Whitney Houston for the soundtrack to the 1992 film The Bodyguard, starring Houston and Kevin Costner. However, after Young's cover surfaced in Fried Green Tomatoes, the Dolly Parton song "I Will Always Love You" was selected in its place, becoming a record-breaking hit for Houston. Another cover of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" was recorded by The Funk Brothers and Joan Osbourne for the Funk Brothers documentary film Standing in the Shadows of Motown.
In 1996., Robson and Jerome covered the song and topped the UK singles chart with it
In 1998, the original version of the song played out at the end of the final episode of the British TV comedy Drop the Dead Donkey, over a montage showing the fate of the main characters after the closure of the newsroom.
[edit] Credits
- Lead vocals by Jimmy Ruffin
- Background vocals by The Originals (Freddie Gorman, Walter Gaines, Hank Dixon, Joe Stubbs) and The Andantes (Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, Louvain Demps)
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
[edit] References
- Ritz, David (1992). "Jimmy Ruffin". Liner notes from Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection: 1959 - 1971. Motown Record Company, L.P./PolyGram.
