What Becomes of the Brokenhearted explained

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Cover:What_Becomes_of_the_Brokenhearted_-_Jimmy_Ruffin.jpg
Caption:Cover of the single released in the Netherlands
Type:single
Artist:Jimmy Ruffin
Album:Jimmy Ruffin Sings Top Ten
B-Side:Baby, I've Got It
Released:June 3, 1966
Recorded:February 1966
Studio:Hitsville USA (Studio A)
Genre:Soul
Length:3:00
Label:Soul
S 35022
Prev Title:As Long As There Is L-O-V-E
Prev Year:1965
Next Title:I've Passed This Way Before
Next Year: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. It is a ballad, with lead singer Jimmy Ruffin recalling the pain that befalls the broken-hearted who had love that's now departed.

The tune 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" 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 it. Jimmy Ruffin, older brother of Temptations lead singer David Ruffin, persuaded Dean to let him do the tune, as its anguished lyric about a man lost in the misery of heartbreak resonated with the singer.

Ruffin's lead vocal is augmented by the instrumentation of Motown's in-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 No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at No. 6 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart, as well as No. 8 on the UK Chart. Eight years later, the song was reissued (with a B-side of Ruffin's minor US hit "Don't You Miss Me a Little Bit Baby"), and surpassed its original UK chart position, reaching No. 4, and thus making it his highest-placed chart single in the UK.

The song originally featured a spoken introduction by Ruffin, similar in style to many of Lou Rawls' performances at the time. The spoken verse was removed from the final mix, hence the unusually long instrumental intro on the released version. The spoken verse is present on the alternative mix from the UK 2003 release Jimmy Ruffin – The Ultimate Motown Collection, and as a new stereo extended mix on the 2005 anthology, The Motown Box:

A world filled with love is a wonderful sight.

Being in love is one's heart's delight.

But that look of love isn't on my face.

That enchanted feeling has been replaced.

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1966)!scope="col"
Peak
position
Canada RPM Top Singles18
France2
UK Singles Chart8
US Billboard Hot 1007
US Billboard R&B6
US Cash Box Top 1009
US Record World7
Chart (1974)!scope="col"
Peak
position
UK4

Year-end charts

Chart (1966)!scope="col"
Rank
US Billboard Hot 100[2] 14
US Cash Box Top 10036
Chart (1974)!scope="col"
Rank
UK[3] 44

Licensed uses

Film and television

In 1990, the song was used in The Wonder Years Season 3 Episode "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre" where Kevin Arnold picks up a Valentine's Day card meant for Winnie Cooper realizing he has genuine feelings for her.

In the JAG series, (Season 3, Episode 15 – February 1998) this song was used at the end of the episode, as Mac, Harm and Bud all sing this song together at the pub.

In 2009, the song was used during the closing credits of the French film La Famille Wolberg.

In 2019 HBO's Big Little Lies, used the song in the first episode of the second season.[4]

In 2019 Apple TV+’s For All Mankind, used the song during the first episode of the first season.[5]

Paul Young version

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Cover:What becomes of the broken hearted by paul young US retail cassette.png
Caption:US retail cassette single; the US CD release was promo-only
Type:single
Artist:Paul Young
Album:Fried Green Tomatoes Soundtrack
B-Side:Ghost Train (Main Title)
Genre:Pop, blue-eyed soul
Label:MCA
Prev Title:Oh Girl
Prev Year:1990
Next Title:Now I Know What Made Otis Blue
Next Year:1993

A 1991 cover by Paul Young was featured in the film Fried Green Tomatoes. During the winter of 1992, his version reached No. 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 Cash Box,[6] becoming Young's third No. 1 song on the US adult contemporary chart (following "Everytime You Go Away" and "Oh Girl").[7] It was a bigger hit in Canada, reaching No. 6 pop[8] and No. 1 Adult Contemporary.[9]

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1992)Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 1
Canada RPM Top Singles 6
New Zealand (RIANZ)46
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 22
US Billboard Adult Contemporary1
US Cash Box Top 100 8

Year-end charts

Chart (1992)Rank
Canada RPM-100 Singles [11] 65
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[12] 18
US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual) [13] 114

Other versions

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 6: 1966 [liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
  2. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1966/Top 100 Songs of 1966. musicoutfitters.com. 24 September 2016.
  3. Web site: Top 100 1974 - UK Music Charts. top-source.info. 24 September 2016.
  4. Web site: Big Little Lies Soundtrack . /www.what-song.com . October 22, 2021.
  5. Web site: For All Mankind Soundtrack . . January 13, 2021.
  6. Web site: U.S. Cash Box Chart Entries – 1990 – 1996 . 2018-05-31 . 2018-07-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180722235226/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/popmusichistory/Charts/Cash%20Box%201990s%20(By%20Artist).pdf . dead .
  7. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Joel Whitburn . 2002 . Record Research . 264.
  8. Web site: Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 1992-03-28 . 2018-05-31.
  9. Web site: Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada . Collectionscanada.gc.ca . 1992-03-07 . 2018-05-31.
  10. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
  11. Web site: Top 100 Singles of 1992 in Canada. Musiccanada.wordpress.com. 24 March 2016. 22 April 2021.
  12. 1992 The Year in Music. Billboard. 104. 52. YE-38. December 26, 1992. August 13, 2021.
  13. Book: Whitburn, Joel . 1999 . Pop Annual . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . Record Research Inc. . 0-89820-142-X.
  14. Web site: Cover versions of What Becomes of the Brokenhearted written by James A. Dean, Paul Riser, William Weatherspoon SecondHandSongs . 2023-09-14 . secondhandsongs.com.
  15. Book: Roberts, David. 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited. London. 1-904994-10-5. 599–600.
  16. Web site: What Becomes of the Brokenhearted by Joan Osborne starring The Funk Brothers . SecondHandSongs.