A Breathtaking Guy
{{Short description|Song by The Supremes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox song
| name = A Breathtaking Guy
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Supremes
| album = Where Did Our Love Go
| B-side = (The Man with the) Rock And Roll Banjo Band
| released = June 12, 1963
| recorded = Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); 1962
| studio =
| venue =
| length = 2:26
| label = Motown
M 1044
| writer = Smokey Robinson
| producer = Smokey Robinson
| prev_title = My Heart Can't Take It No More
| prev_year = 1963
| next_title = When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
| next_year = 1963
| misc = {{Extra track listing
| album = Where Did Our Love Go
| type = single
| tracks = {{Where Did Our Love Go track listing}}
}}
}}
{{Infobox song
| name = A Breathtaking Guy
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Marvelettes
| album = Return of the Marvelettes
| B-side = You're the One for Me Bobby
| released = 1972
| recorded = Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World; 1970
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soul
| length =
| label = Tamla
T 54213
| writer = Smokey Robinson
| producer = Smokey Robinson
| prev_title = Marionette
| prev_title2 = After All
| prev_year = 1970
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"A Breathtaking Guy" is a 1963 song written and produced by Smokey Robinson and released first by Motown singing group The Supremes (1963)The Complete Motown Singles Vol 3: 1963 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records. and later by The Marvelettes (1972). The single was originally released under the title "A Breath Taking, First Sight Soul Shaking, One Night Love Making, Next Day Heartbreaking Guy" by The Supremes, but was shortened after its official release. All three Supremes members - Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson - sang the chorus with the original title together.
:Diana: Are you just a breathtaking...
:Florence: First sight soul-shaking...
:Diana: One night love-making...
:Mary: Next day heartbreaking...
:Group: ...Guy?
Overview
One of the rare singles to feature the Supremes singing all lead vocals, it also was their highest charting single at this point, reaching number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100.{{Cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=the-supremes-mn0000477875/awards|pure_url=yes}}|title=US Charts > The Supremes|publisher=Allmusic|access-date=2015-10-01}}[https://books.google.com/books?id=cAsEAAAAMBAJ&dq=A+Breathtaking+Guy+Billboard+1963&pg=PA30 Billboard Sept. 7, 1963] The group was jokingly referred to at this time as the "no-hit Supremes" by the Motown staff. However, their next single, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", would break the group's "no-hit" streak. It would also mean that, with the exception of Ballard's and Wilson's ad-libs on the 1964 single "Baby Love", this would be the last time any member other than Ross would have a lead part on a single for the rest of the decade.
Much like their earlier single, "Your Heart Belongs to Me", Smokey Robinson produced the song with the same sound that had provided hit singles for early Motown star Mary Wells. The Supremes would sing background for Wells on her hit "You Lost the Sweetest Boy" with The Temptations. This would be the last single Robinson would produce for the group until 1969; this is due to the production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland having a very strong hold on the Supremes' released material from late 1963 to early 1968.
In 1972, song was issued as the final single credited to The Marvelettes.{{cite book|last1=Clemente|first1=John|title=Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World|year=2013|publisher=AuthorHouse|isbn=978-1-4772-7633-4|pages=334, 335|edition=Paperback|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iV4sGvUChJoC&q=the+return+of+the+marvelettes&pg=PA334|access-date=January 16, 2015}} The single failed to chart.
Personnel
=The Supremes version=
- Lead and background vocals by Diana Ross (verses; choruses), Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson (choruses)
- Produced and written by Smokey Robinson
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
=The Marvelettes version=
- Lead vocals by Wanda Young Rogers
- Background vocals by The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps
- Produced and written by Smokey Robinson
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Chart history
=The Supremes version=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Chart (1963) !scope="col"|Peak |
| scope="row" {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|75|artist=The Supremes}} |
|---|
| scope="row" |US Cashbox Top 100{{cite web |url=https://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19630831.html |title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles|work=Cashbox|date=August 31, 1963|access-date=31 December 2020}}
| style="text-align:center;"|75 |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Supremes}}
{{The Marvelettes}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Breathtaking Guy, A}}
Category:The Marvelettes songs
Category:Songs written by Smokey Robinson