"Whisper You Love Me Boy" is a song written and composed by

Holland–Dozier–Holland Holland–Dozier–Holland was a songwriting and production team consisting of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland. The trio wrote, arranged and produced many songs that helped define the Motown sound in the 1960s. Du ...

and recorded by at least three Motown female acts: early Motown star

Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with The Supremes, The Miracles, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...

, popular Motown singing group

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

and blue-eyed soul Motown label mate Chris Clark in 1964, 1965 and 1967 respectively.

Song information

The song was first scheduled to be released as a single in 1964 by

as the proposed follow-up to Wells' popular "

My Guy "My Guy" is a 1964 hit single by Mary Wells for the Motown label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's rejection of a sexual advance and affirmation of her fidelity to her boyfriend, who is her ideal and ...

" (catalogue # M-1056), but the singer was embroiled in a controversial lawsuit with Motown arguing for release from the label. Because of her abrupt exit from Motown in 1965, her version of the single was shelved for release. The song is featured on Wells' final Motown studio album released in 1966, '' Mary Wells Sings My Guy'' (catalogue # MT 617/S 617). In 1965

recorded it for their popular album, '' More Hits by The Supremes'' (catalogue # MT 627/S 627). The song was also placed on the b-side of their number-one hit, " Back In My Arms Again" (catalogue # M-1075). In 1967, Chris Clark recorded the song for her Motown album '' Soul Sounds'' (catalogue # M 664/S 664) and in 1968 it was also issued as a single (catalogue # M-1121) on the same label but failed to chart. Also recorded by Cindy Gibson on Artic Records 104 (Philadelphia) circa 1965/66

Credits

Mary Wells version

*Lead vocal by

*Background vocals by

The Andantes The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Ma ...

*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 ...

The Supremes version

*Lead vocal by Diana Ross *Background vocals by

Florence Ballard Florence Glenda Chapman (''née'' Ballard; June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten number-o ...

and Mary Wilson *Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers

Chris Clark version

*Lead vocal by Chris Clark *Background vocals by

*Instrumentation by

References

{{Reflist 1964 songs 1965 singles 1968 singles Motown singles Mary Wells songs The Supremes songs Songs written by Holland–Dozier–Holland Song recordings produced by Brian Holland Song recordings produced by Lamont Dozier