Why Was Jimmy Over Shadowed By David

[KevLo]

Hi this is Kev-Lo

I don't if this was asked before, Well Jimmy made several jams aside from his big hit WHAT BECOMES OF THE BROKENHEARTED that were very good. And he had a fantastic voice. So the question is Why was he overshadowed by his brother?

[juicefree20]

Aside from a more versatile voice, most likely a thing called charisma.

[jaybs]

By the pop/soul fans in the UK Jimmy was much better known than David and Jimmy Ruffin singles still get a lot of radio play on the stations that play music we call "Magic"

[theboyfromxtown]

Kev-Lo

I agree with Jay. In the UK, the Temptations paled significantly against the Four Tops. No question about that.

I recall that David only came to the forefront with the general UK public with Walk Away From Love. His solo releases beginning with "My Whole World Ended" were not hits and hardly ever got played at the time. I never hear them on the radio these days

[luke]

Was Jimmy a big star in UK? I mean significant.

[radionixon]

Was Jimmy a big star in UK? I mean significant.

Yeah, for a while. He had a string of three straight Top Ten singles here [[four including a mid-70s reissue of ...Brokenhearted), and was quite the media personality in the early Seventies. By contrast, the Temptations had just two Top Ten hits in total on original release, Ball of Confusion and Just My Imagination [[Running Away With Me) - My Girl didn't even reach the top 40 [[the main UK indicator of chart success) until a reissue in 1992.

Jimmy Ruffin's UK Top 40 hit singles:

What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted [[#10, Oct 1966)
I've Passed This Way Before [[#29, Feb 1967)
Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got [[#26, Apr 1967)
I've Passed This Way Before [[re-issue) [[#33, Aug 1969)
Farewell Is A Lonely Sound [[#8, Feb 1970)
I'll Say Forever My Love [[#7, Jul 1970)
It's Wonderful [[To Be Loved By You) [[#6, Oct 1970)
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted [[re-issue) [[#4, Jul 1974)
Farewell Is A Lonely Sound [[re-issue) [[#30, Nov 1974)
Tell Me What You Want [[#39, Nov 1974)
Hold On To My Love [[#7, May 1980)

[mikey]

Didn't artists like Major Lance,Tommy Hunt,Edwin Starr etc benefit from spending extended lengths of time performing in the UK?

[jakaa]

I always felt that Jimmy was a better vocalist than David, as far as vocal tone and quality is concern. David got most of the attention because of his association with the Temps. If Jimmy was promoted and pushed more by Motown, there is no doubt in my mind that he would have been considered as one of Motowns great male vocalist. IMHO!

[juicefree20]

Mikey

A lot of artists enjoyed tremendous success across the pond & while not as lauded here, made a very nice living for themselves in the UK.

[jakaa]

Hey RadioNixon...Did "As Long As There Is L-O-V-E" Chart in the UK?

[jakaa]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLWULo7yvHM

[[I hope this work...my first time posting a youtube video..smile)

This is an example of Jimmy's early vocal dynamics..[[Even though I know ya'll done heard this before) Smile.

[radionixon]

Hey RadioNixon...Did "As Long As There Is L-O-V-E" Chart in the UK?

Nope - it wasn't even released here by the British Tamla-Motown label. His first UK single was "...Brokenhearted" in 1966, which went straight into the Top Ten.

[tomato tom]

Jimmy is much loved by the Brits. But then we do have impecable taste. His Motown Anthology gave us some previously unreleased gems. Jimmy has often said in the press that U.S. Motown never got behind him promotion wise. I often wondered why songs that were huge in the U.K. like Its Wonderful to be loved by you, were not even released in the U.S. as 45s. Im sure they would have done better than the likes of Dont let him take your love from me...Paulo XXX

[tsull1]

Guess I'll be the lone dissenting voice here. Wow, I don't think Jimmy is in David's league, not even close. I think "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" is a marginal tune with so-so vocals.

David, meanwhile, blows me away time and time again on most of his Tempts leads. Jimmy is a solid singer, David is one in a million, in my opinion. I don't even think it's close between the two. Put on Jimmy's 20th Century Masters CD and then play the Tempts, "Ain't to Proud to Beg" or "I Wish It Would Rain" and you'll notice the difference, in my opinion.

I think there are very few singers in any genre who can match David Ruffin, though I think in the same Motown building, Levi Stubbs was better. Still, I think David was much better than his brother.

[sunset_traveler]

tsull -

No, you are not a lone dissenting voice. Jimmy has a pleasing quality and warmth to his voice which David lacks, but for sheer vocal virtuosity there are few singers outside of gospel who can touch David Ruffin. His awesome vocal range alone makes him stand out from the crowd. Add to this his undoubted charisma and extraordinary stage presence and for me it's no contest.

I agree that Jimmy was more popular than David in the UK, but that says more for the commercial appeal of his individual solo records than for his ability as a vocalist. He was also better able to promote them via his UK TV appearances and live shows. That isn't to say that Jimmy isn't a good singer, he is, but David was a great one.

[jaybs]

I could not say that Jimmy was better than David, but I can't knock Jimmy, I was only fortunate to see David live once with The Temptations and solo sadly it was the last tour he did in the UK with Eddie and they both looked so tired.

While Jimmy had the major success because as others have stated he spent so much time in the UK and the singles he released we good radio singles, I know I played so many of them! The Temptations received air play with David, but again they did not have the profile here as the Four Tops. Walk Away From Love was played on radio when released but you never hear it now.

[tomato tom]

I would say that David was a much more dynamic and explosive singer than Jimmy' But they both had their different Groove going on.. David was too Gosplesque for British tastes, thats probably why The Temptations never reached the sucess like the 4Tops did in the UK. Jimmy had that wonderful Dean & Weatherspoon sound going on that the Brits loved. Hence The Marvelettes When Your Young & in Love by them, becoming their only major British hit. David COULD sing anyone under the table, thats for sure. Jimmy, sometimes sounded, dare I say it, a bit off key at times....Still love em both..Paulo XXXX

[Sotosound]

Comparing the Ruffin brothers is a helluva thing to try to do since the brothers were different personalities with different styles who followed different career paths and appealed to slightly different audiences.

Jimmy stayed solo throughout his career with intermittent success, and even wrote and produced for himself. [[Check out "Tell Me What You Want". It´s a really cool 1970s track with a strong melody and great dance groove.)

David built his career up as lead singer of a vocal group but was unable to sustain consistent success after he left that group.

Sadly, David is no longer with us but happily Jimmy is.

Each carved his own niche and I enjoy listening to tracks by both artists.

Perhaps David´s voice is stronger and more distinctive than Jimmy's, but ".. It's not what you've got, it´s the way that you use it..."

Would David have nailed Jimmy's songs the way that he did or vice versa?

I just think that this is comparing apples and pears and that the answer to the thread's title is that Jimmy wasn't overshadowed - if you look at the bigger picture.

Then again, I guess that this has all been said in the posts above mine!

[jobeterob]

They are very different talents and have different but very good and very distinctive voices.

It looks like Jimmy was a bigger success in the UK than David, much like the Tops being bigger than the Tempts in the UK; and of course, that was not the case for either in the USA.

But I believe the main reason David overshadowed Jimmy in the USA was the Tempts were a huge success in the USA; they are the #1 R & B Group of all time, chart wise. They had a huge string of hits only matched by Diana & the Supremes, the Beatles, Elvis and maybe Aretha. And David did have some charisma and a strong, very distinctive voice.

Again, like so many questions, it may not be great to compare. It's like comparing the two versions of Ain't No Mountain High Enough - barely the same song, both great, wonderful songs by great wonderful artists ~ as were the Ruffins.

[captainjames]

Hmmm I think in my opinion that david was more of an entertainer than Jimmy when on stage that may be why you proposed the question.

[topdiva1]

Jimmy Ruffin's presence can be compared to a nice comfy campfire - while David Ruffin was the fire out of control.

They are both great - but very very different in vocal approach and stage presence.