In its
mid-60s heyday, Motown Records was almost as famous for its songwriters (Smokey
Robinson, Norman Whitfield / Barrett Strong, Holland-Dozier-Holland) as for its
groups and solo performers. This record, one of the best ballads of its time,
was written by William “Mickey” Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. Although not
nearly as well-known as these big names, the two of them did collaborate on a
number of other Motown tracks, such as “Wild One”, “My Baby Loves Me”, “You’ve
Been In Love Too Long”, and “Dancing In The Street” – all by Martha and the
Vandellas – in addition to quite a bit of production work. Stevenson also
showed his versatility by co-writing “Devil with a Blue Dress On” with Shorty
Long; Long’s original version on Motown disappeared without a trace, but it
became a big hit for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and still remains a
staple of Bruce Springsteen’s live “Detroit Medley”.
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