Originally Posted by
motownjohnny
Thanks for your comments TomatoTom123. They aroused my curiosity and caused me to delve a little deeper into the history of this song, and following some further research I'm pleased to say you're partly correct, though sadly not completely.
There are in fact three versions and not two. So bear with me and I'll give you a quote taken directly from the liner notes by Keith Hughes in The Monitors "Say You" CD from 2011, which will, I hope, clarify the relationship between all three versions of "Too Busy Thinking.......", and in turn, how "Smooth Sailing" came about.
"The first version of "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" appeared on The Temptations "Getting Ready" LP. Jimmy Ruffin dubbed vocals onto the track, and his version eventually came out on the CD "Motown Sings Motown Treasures" in 1998. This, the second version, was started as a re-make for Jimmy, though he never added his vocals; instead The Monitors added theirs, whereupon the track was canned. A third version was made just for Marvin Gaye, and was a 1969 hit for him. The final chapter in the story came when the second version [[this one i.e. The Monitors' one) was rescued from the vaults, Barrett Strong wrote new lyrics and The Temptations recorded it as "Smooth Sailing [[From Now On)............".
Now, I hope that's the full story of how "Smooth Sailing" came about and that there isn't a yet to be discovered fourth version lurking somewhere in the Motown Vaults! LOL.
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