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 | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Vinyl record (7" 45 RPM) | ||||||||||||||
| Recorded | Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); 1965 | ||||||||||||||
| Genre | Baroque pop, soul | ||||||||||||||
| Length |
2:33 (original release) 3:26 (remastered) | ||||||||||||||
| Label |
Motown M 1089 | ||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Holland–Dozier–Holland | ||||||||||||||
| Producer(s) |
Brian Holland Lamont Dozier | ||||||||||||||
| The Supremes singles chronology | |||||||||||||||
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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.
History
Overview
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; instrumentally, this is showcased with a gothic and dramatic musical arrangement, prominently featuring Earl Van Dyke's Hammond organ shrilly configured to sound like a liturgical pipe organ, in tow with the trend of baroque pop during the mid-1960s.
"My World Is Empty Without You" was one of the few songs written by the team for The Supremes that didn't go to number one, peaking at number five 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]
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Diana Ross
- Background vocals by Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Chart history
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Cover versions and other uses
The song has been covered and reused by a number of different artists, including:
- Stevie Wonder on his album Down to Earth.
- Jose Feliciano on the B-side of his 1968 album Souled.
- Diamanda Galas on her album Malediction and Prayer
- Vanilla Fudge on their 1984 album Mystery.
- MC Lyte sampled the song on her 1991 socially conscious rap ballad "Poor Georgie," from the album Act Like You Know.
- Lee Fields & the Expressions covered the song in 2009. This version was then sampled on J. Cole's "World is Empty" on his The Warm Up mixtape.
- The Afghan Whigs released the song as a single.[3][4]
References
- ↑ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. 78 (10): 18. 1966. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
- ↑ "The Supremes, Dave Clark Five, Richard Kiley". The Ed Sullivan Show. Season 19. Episode 23. New York City. 20 February 1966. CBS. WCBS.
- ↑ "My World Is Empty Without You". summerskiss. Retrieved 2010-08-29.
- ↑ "My World Is Empty Without You". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
