645. Jimmy Ruffin: “How Can I Say I’m Sorry”
It just doesn’t sound like it’s quite finished, which is a pity. (5)
Category Archives: Jimmy Ruffin
644. Jimmy Ruffin: “As Long As There Is L-O-V-E Love”
Smokey Robinson, who writes and produces here, had by now developed a knack of bringing the best out of underpowered singers, and this is a fine effort; if it’s not exactly top-drawer Smokey (or indeed top-drawer Jimmy, though listeners at the time had no idea what that might sound like), it’s Ruffin Senior’s best single to date, both whistleable and likeable. (7)
444. Jimmy Ruffin: “I Want Her Love”
Motown had made such strides during this Golden Age that even the “filler” (for want of a better word) ends up as classy, highly listenable fare. That it could have obviously been even better is almost a churlish observation in these surroundings. (5)
443. Jimmy Ruffin: “Since I’ve Lost You”
Even if the overall impression is of a pretty record that never quite takes its foot off the brake pedal, there’s more than enough here to suggest Jimmy was one to watch. (6)
52. Jimmy Ruffin: “Heart”
A sparse bit of third-rate pedestrian doo-wop filler which would have been rejected by Motown’s Quality Control meetings had it been recorded even a year later. It doesn’t sound tense, raw, intimate, minimal, low-key, or any of the other adjectives usually applied to pared-down recordings; it just sounds awful. Avoid.
51. Jimmy Ruffin: “Don’t Feel Sorry For Me”
An admirable effort, all told, one which showed enough character and potential – as with Henry Lumpkin before him and Marvin Gaye later down the line – to persuade Motown to keep Jimmy on the books, despite an initial lack of chart success. (6)
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