"Little Darling (I Need You)"
Single by Marvin Gaye
from the album Moods of Marvin Gaye[1]
B-side"Hey Diddle Diddle"
ReleasedJuly 26, 1966
RecordedMarch 22, April 2 and May 6, 1965
StudioHitsville U.S.A., Detroit, Michigan
GenreRhythm and blues, soul, pop rock
Length2:35
LabelTamla
Songwriter(s)Holland-Dozier-Holland
Producer(s)Brian Holland
Lamont Dozier
Marvin Gaye singles chronology
"Take This Heart of Mine"
(1966) 		"Little Darling (I Need You)"
(1966) 		"It Takes Two"
(1966)
"Little Darling (I Need You)"
Single by The Doobie Brothers
from the album Livin' on the Fault Line[2]
B-side"Losin' End"
ReleasedJuly 1977
StudioSunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California
GenreBlue-eyed soul, pop rock
Length3:24 (album version)
2:58 (single version)[3]
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Holland-Dozier-Holland
Producer(s)Ted Templeman
The Doobie Brothers singles chronology
"It Keeps You Runnin'"
(1976) 		"Little Darling (I Need You)"
(1977) 		"Echoes of Love"
(1977)

"Little Darling (I Need You)" is a 1966 single written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland and recorded and released by Marvin Gaye on the Tamla label.

Background

This song was released after the modest success of the Miracles-produced single "Take This Heart of Mine" in hopes that Gaye's work with the hit-making trio Holland-Dozier-Holland would bring him back to the pop top ten.

Similarly conceived with the same musical background as their previous collaboration, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", the song has the singer declaring to his woman to stay beside him promising her that he'll be "(her) number-one fool".

Billboard described the song as a "swinger that should have no trouble making a rapid chart climb," with "strong material and performance."[4] Cash Box said that it is a "wailing throbber with a built-in zoom quality."[5] Record World said that "The song has danceable beat and is just irresistible."[6]

While it reached the top forty of the Billboard Top R&B Singles chart peaking at number sixteen, it did not perform as well as "Take This Heart of Mine" on the pop charts, peaking at number 47.[7][8]

Chart performance

Chart (1966) Peak
position
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[9] 50
US Billboard Hot 100 47
US Billboard Top Selling R&B Singles 16


Marvin Gaye personnel

Doobie Brothers recording

In 1977, The Doobie Brothers, included their recording on their Livin' on the Fault Line LP. In the US, this recording went to No. 48 on the Hot 100.

Chart performance

Chart (1977) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[10] 48


The Doobie Brothers personnel

Additional musicians

References

  1. ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  3. ^ "The Doobie Brothers – Little Darling (I Need You)".
  4. ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. August 13, 1966. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-03-03.
  5. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 13, 1966. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  6. ^ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 13, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  7. ^ The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 6: 1966 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 225.
  9. ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955–2012. Record Research. p. 251.
  11. ^ Templeman, Ted; Renoff, Greg (2020). Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer's Life in Music. ECW Press. p. 210. ISBN 978-1770414839.
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