The Miracles "Bad Girl" & "Bad Boy"

[Graham Jarvis]

"Bad Boy" by the Gleams 1960. The Miracles "Bad Girl" in 1959 we all know and love that record. Check out "Bad Boy" [It's not 1961 as some think but 1960 as per Cat45, Discogs & The Gleams]
http://whitedoowopcollector.blogspot.com/2014/05/group-history-21.html

Who's a Bad Boy?

https://images.45cat.com/the-gleams-bad-boy-jv-ny-s.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4TRP84Q75c

[BayouMotownMan]

Mary Wells does a credible cover of this on her first Motown lp. Sounds like the Supremes backing her as well.

[mysterysinger]

I just love Syreeta's "Bad Boy"

[PauloRich]

That Bad Boy/Girl been playing relationship havoc for a few decades…These are the Motown versions alone;

1959 - ‘Bad Girl’ by The Miracles ft Bill Smokey Robinson, Motown
1961 - ‘Bad Boy’ by Mary Wells with The Andantes backing?, Motown
1969 - ‘Bad Girl’ by Marv Johnson [[recorded 1967), Motown
1970? - ‘Bad Boy’ by Syreeta Wright, MoWest [released 2016)
1973 - ‘Bag Girl’ by Jackie Jackson, Motown
1983 - ‘Bad Girl’ Dazz Band, Motown

And also live recordings of ‘Bad Girl’ by The Miracles in 1972 and Smokey Robinson in 1978, both on Tamla.

Berry Gordy’s strategy to make the most of a song has to be one of Motown’s most endearing legacies matched by no other label.

Other than the commontried and tested practice by stalwart established long-term artists, what a joy it must be for a more short term signed artist to flick through the songbook and say “I’m gonna record me that one!”.

Usually though you'd find the covers spread arounf the labels; Gordy, Tamla, VIP , Soul etc. Unusually, this composition was covered amlost exclusively on by the Motown lablel signed artists.

Marv Johnson version;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6S8NQHXvc