"When She Was My Girl" is a 1981 single released by American vocal group the Four Tops. The song, their first release off Casablanca Records, helped to return the former signature Motown act to the American pop Top 40 charts, peaking at No. 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 10 on the Cashbox chart, and reaching No. 1 on the R&B charts.[1]
| "When She Was My Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Side A of the US single | ||||
| Single by Four Tops | ||||
| from the album Tonight! | ||||
| B-side | "Something to Remember" | |||
| Released | August 1981 | |||
| Genre | R&B, soul | |||
| Length | 3:25 | |||
| Label | Casablanca | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Larry Gottlieb, Marc Blatte | |||
| Producer(s) | David Wolfert | |||
| Four Tops singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Internationally, it reached No. 9 in Canada, No. 6 in New Zealand, and also became their first top 10 hit in the UK in nine years, reaching No. 3. Their top 40 showing made the group one of the few acts to have top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 in three consecutive decades.
Record World called it an "infectious dancer."[2]
"When She Was My Girl" was a Grammy nominee for best R&B song.
Bruce Springsteen recorded the song for his 2022 album, Only the Strong Survive.
Chart performance edit
Weekly charts edit
|
Year-end charts edit
|
Certifications edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Silver | 250,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Credits edit
- Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs and Renaldo "Obie" Benson
- Background vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir and Lawrence Payton
References edit
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 212.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 22, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
- ^ "Item". Library and Archives Canada. 17 July 2013.
- ^ The Irish Charts, November 8, 1981
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. 1982-01-10. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 91.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2005). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research.
- ^ "Chartfile Top 100" Record Mirror 26 December 1981: 27
- ^ "American Top 40 Year-End Survey 1972". Lionking.org. Retrieved 2016-10-25.
- ^ Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 26, 1981
- ^ "British single certifications – Four Tops – When She Was My Girl". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 1, 2022.