"My Girl Has Gone" is a 1965 R&B single recorded by

The Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...

for Motown's Tamla label. Included on their 1965 album ''

Going to a Go-Go ''Going to a Go-Go'' is a 1965 album by the Miracles, the first to credit the group as ''Smokey Robinson and the Miracles''. It includes four of the Miracles' Top 20 hits: "Ooo Baby Baby", "The Tracks of My Tears", " Going to a Go-Go", and "My G ...

'', "My Girl Has Gone" was the follow-up to the group's number 16 ''Billboard'' Hot 100 million-selling hit "

The Tracks Of My Tears "The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, The Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-sell ...

". Written by Miracles members

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

Ronnie White Ronald Anthony White (April 5, 1939 – August 26, 1995), usually referred to as Ronnie White, was an American singer, best known as the co-founder of The Miracles and its only consistent original member. White was also known for bringing Stevi ...

, Pete Moore, and

Marv Tarplin Marvin Tarplin (June 13, 1941 – September 30, 2011) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their bigges ...

, the single was a Top 20 Pop hit, peaking at number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, and was also a Top 5 R&B hit, peaking at number three on ''Billboard's''

R&B singles chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs record chart, chart ranks the most popular Contemporary R&B, R&B and Hip hop music, hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of rad ...

. According to Robinson, Moore, and

Bobby Rogers Robert Edward Rogers (February 19, 1940 – March 3, 2013) was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Miracles to t ...

, the inspiration behind "My Girl Has Gone" was the guitar riffs of Miracles member

, who also inspired "

The Tracks of My Tears "The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, The Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-sell ...

". Marv employed a 12 string guitar on the song, accompanied by the other Miracles' gospel-inspired harmonies, arranged by Miracle Pete Moore (who was, for years, the group's uncredited vocal arranger). As with many Miracles songs, the lyrics of "My Girl has Gone" describe the end of the narrator's relationship with his lover: :''My girl has gone, and said goodbye'' :''Don't you cry, hold your head up high'' :''Don't give up, give love one more try,'' :'' 'Cause there's a right girl for every guy.'' ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as a "plaintive, slow moving rhythmic lament which sez that broken romances aren’t so serious ’cause there’s plenty of fish in the sea." "My Girl Has Gone" has been covered by artists such as Etienne Daho,

Edwyn Collins Edwyn Stephen Collins (born 23 August 1959) is a Scottish musician, producer and record label owner from Edinburgh, Scotland. Collins was the lead singer for the 1980s post-punk band Orange Juice, which he co-founded. After the group split in ...

, Ken Parker, and Motown labelmate Bobby Taylor. The Miracles can be seen performing "My Girl Has Gone" on the Motown DVD release, '' Smokey Robinson & The Miracles :The Definitive Performances 1963-1987''.

Personnel Credits

Personnel-The Miracles

-lead vocals, co-writer, producer *

Claudette Rogers Robinson Claudette Annette Rogers Robinson ( Rogers; born June 20, 1938) is an American singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson "Sonny" Rogers was a founding member of the group, which befor ...

-background vocals * Pete Moore-background vocals, co-writer, vocal arrangements *

-background vocals, co-writer *

-background vocals *

-guitar, co-writer

Other Personnel

*Other instrumentation by

The Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

Footnotes

{{authority control The Miracles songs Motown singles 1965 songs 1965 singles Songs written by Marv Tarplin Songs about loneliness Songs written by Smokey Robinson Songs written by Warren "Pete" Moore Songs written by Ronald White