By Julian (152.163.252.68) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 02:24 am:

Of all the versions, who had the best? (I suppose that this will boil down to the Tempts and the Jackson 5)

By Soul Sister (65.43.148.15) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 02:28 am:

Smokey (the original, man)!

By Eli (151.197.207.94) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:26 am:

SS...You beat me to the punch!!!

By Soul Sister (65.43.148.15) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:54 am:

Bobby;
Yeah Smoke's the man and the talented originator. I kinda like the updated version that EnVogue did today for today.
S.S.

By ~~medusa~~ (68.248.32.2) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 12:01 pm:

Later on, Terrance Trent D'Arby also recorded a version.

By Gary (172.166.115.134) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 12:48 pm:

David Ruffin.

By Soul Sister (65.43.148.15) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 12:57 pm:

Terence Trent D'Árby an amazing cat, he was my pick to play Jimmy in his life story, he looks simmiliar to a young Jimmy but more importantly he's got the emotinal & dramatic stage presentation that Jimmy has, he can project plus he's proven himself as a good actor the way he pulled of the Jacklie Wilson role. Just gotta convince the producers. (Are you listening Mike & Amy)!! ha-ha!

Medusa; Don't think I heard his version but am curious. S.S.

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 01:21 pm:

Although Micheal Jackson sings the hell out of this song I have to give it to David Ruffin and the Tempts.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 07:25 pm:

Sorry, Gang....
Michael & company gets my vote. Michael sounded adorable yet mature in his version. Also, check out the Jackson 5's performance of Who's Loving You on Ed Sullivan (available on DVD!). Classic stuff..
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Thommygirl_70 (205.188.209.109) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 10:15 pm:

I love the Jackson 5 version of this song. And serious props to Smokaaaaayyy! Honeycone also did a version of this song as well.

By Julian (64.12.97.7) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 11:51 pm:

Aww wow, where can I get Honeycone's version?

By Thommygirl_70 (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 12:18 am:

Hey Julian. You can find 'Who's Lovin You' from Honeycone on their Soulful Sugar:The Complete Hot Wax Recordings double cd set. It features Ms. Shellie Clark on lead vocals!

By Julian (64.12.97.7) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 12:19 am:

Thanks!

By Thommygirl_70 (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 12:21 am:

You're welcome

By Lamont (68.154.228.24) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 12:52 am:

The Temptations version of this song is the best in my opinion followed by the Miracles, then the Jackson 5.

By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 03:26 am:

...all of the above...

and props to EnVogue for their little semi-cover of it in the beginning of "Hold On"...

By Nish (66.119.34.39) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 09:13 am:

Tie between the Tempts and the Miracles. You can't beat that ending on the Miracles' version, though.

By Julian (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 09:33 am:

Hope I dont ruffle any feathers, but the Miracle's version doesn't come close to the Tempt's at all! It sounds like a country western song, unless there is another version that I'm not hearing. I've a 45 RPM version by the Miracles that I've never played, maybe it is the one you are speaking of and not the ones that've appeared on all the comps, so I'll go check it out.
You have to put Brenda Holloway's version ahead of the Miracles, and also Brenda and the Tabulations version!

By RD (65.150.229.138) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 10:02 am:

I like the Miracles' version but do think the Tempts' is better, but then they did it later and improved on the original with Smokey producing BTW. "Who's Loving You" and "You Really Got A Hold Of Me" are two Miracles' songs that even the Smokey Robinson's-voice haters liked. Avoid the Honeycone's rendition--it's a snoozer.

By Thommygirl_70 (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 03:23 pm:

RD: You may not like the Honey cone version of that song(which I don't think is the best version I've heard either) but their double disc cd listed above is definitely worth buying, in my opinion!

By RD (65.150.229.138) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 03:41 pm:

ThommyGirl, I'm a Honeycone fan, all except for side one of that album that featured them doing renditions of "Who's..."Stay In My Corner" and "Ooh Baby Baby." IMO they didn't do any of those songs any justice. My favorite by them is "Ace In The Hole" and "The Day I Found Myself."

By Thommygirl_70 (205.188.209.109) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 03:45 pm:

Hey RD! I Love 'Ace In The Hole" and 'The Day I Found Myself' too! Great picks

By Nish (66.119.34.39) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 07:45 pm:

I loved Honey Cone's version of "Ooh Baby Baby", especially that funky middle part!

The Tabulations version isn't really one of my favorites. I do think the Tempts version is very soulful and gritty, courtesy David's smoldering vocal and those churchy harmonies. But something about those Miracles... hmmmm...

By caliluv (63.251.57.2) on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 12:45 pm:

Brenda Holloway's cover of "Who's Loving You" is not to be underestimated.

By stephanie (68.50.216.139) on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 06:14 pm:

the Supremes version was horrible!! That honor goes to Michael and the J5 I dont think anybody sang that song with as much emotion as he did.
Sorry Smokey!!!
Stephanie

By ~~medusa~~ (68.248.14.123) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 08:18 am:

Soul Sista,
U can find it on his first Album, (Can't remember the album title), but it's the same one which includes~
Wishing Well
Sign Your Name Across My heart
Whatever happend 2 Terrance Trent D'Arby anyway?

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 11:04 am:

The Terrence Trent D'Arby album that contains "Who's Loving You" is his debut Columbia release "Introducing The Hardline According To Terrence Trent D'Arby" from 1987.

This is the same album that contains his #1 hit "Wishing Well", his Top Ten smash "Sign Your Name" and his debut single "If You Let Me Stay".

Terrence now lives in Europe (the UK to be exact) and recently made an appearance at B.B. King's Club here in NYC a couple of weeks ago.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Soul Sister (65.43.148.15) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 11:20 am:

Kev-Go;
I just came from L.A. and Terence lives in Malibu. Perhaps he has a house in both locations.

Thanks to both you & Medusa for the 411.

S.S.

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 11:38 am:

Hey RD & Tommygirl - I have the Honeycone 2 disc set too! I like the version of "The Day I Found Myself" on disc 2 better than the version on disc 1.

"Who's Lovin You" is the J5 version all the way! First of all it has to be the mono version(not that I'm a mono purist, but the strings are up way too high in the mix). The Funks are at the peak of their powers and the Wurlitzer EP playing is out of this world. Tack on MJ's vocal & you get the greatest version of the song! In my opinion of course...

I guess it may all come down to the opening line...if you think of it as "When I Had You (Had You)" instead of "When I Had You Here" then I bet you are a fan of the J5 version. BTW T.T. D'Arby sings "When I Had You". I'm not sure what En Vouge sing.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 11:44 am:

Steve:
En Vogue's use of "Who's Loving You" was tagged at the beginning of their first major hit "Hold On" from 1990. The vocal arrangement is based on the stereo version of the J-5's "Who's Loving You".

BTW - The J-5 mono version is superior to the stereo mix. It's punchier, bluesier and it captures the J-5 with the Funks at their best. Too bad the mono version is only available on the Rhino boxed set "Beg Scream & Shout - The Big Ol' Box of 60s Soul" which is sadly out of print.

Kevin Goins - KevGo