Baby I'm For Real

Infobox Single
Name = Baby I'm For Real
Artist = The Originals
from Album = Green Grow the Lilacs
Released = 1969
Format = 7" single
Recorded = 1969, Hitsville USA (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan
Genre = Soul
Length = 3:22
Label = Soul
Writer = Marvin Gaye
Anna Gordy Gaye
Producer = Marvin Gaye
Last single = "You're the One"
(1969)
This single = "Baby I'm For Real"
(1969)
Next single = "The Bells"
(1970)

"Baby I'm For Real" is a soul ballad written by Marvin Gaye and Anna Gordy Gaye, produced by Marvin and recorded and released by American Motown vocal group The Originals for the Soul label issued in 1969.

History

The Originals version

By the late sixties, male vocal quintet the Originals had been recording mostly background vocals for Motown artists most notably backing up brothers Jimmy Ruffin ("What Becomes of the Brokenhearted") and David Ruffin ("My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)") respectively. They also were as known for providing background vocals to some of Marvin Gaye's late sixties recordings such as "You" and "Chained". But their own singles up until then had failed to generate interest. Having befriended Gaye during recording sessions, the singer promised the group that he'll find them the hit they were searching for. With music written by his wife Anna, Marvin wrote the lyrics to what would be "Baby I'm For Real". Different from most Motown recordings of the period, directed by the psychedelic soul productions of Norman Whitfield, the song was a return to a back-to-basics doo-wop inspired approach which was championed by Gaye, who took creative control of the recording as the song's producer. The singer would also produce another song titled "You're the One". While that song failed to chart, he pushed ahead for "...Real". Gaye had protested to Motown CEO Berry Gordy that he wanted to produce his own material and he used the Originals to help get his point across that he can provide a hit as he eventually did for the Originals as "Baby I'm For Real" reached number one on the Billboard Top Black Singles chart and reached number fourteen on the Pop Singles chart eventually selling over a million copies and putting the Originals on the map for a brief period as recording artists. The song's success paved the way for two more successful Gaye-helmed productions: 1970's similar "The Bells" and "We Can Make It".

After 7 version

In 1992, R&B group After 7 sought to revive this song while recording their "Takin' My Time" album. Issued as the first release off that album, they also covered parts of Bloodstone's "Natural High". The song returned to the upper reaches of the R&B charts some twenty-three years after it was first recorded, eventually peaking at number five.

Credits

The Originals version

*Lead vocals by C.P. Spencer and Henry Dixon
*Background vocals by The Originals: Freddie Gorman, Walter Gaines, Henry Dixon and C.P. Spencer
*Additional background vocals by Marvin Gaye
*Produced by Marvin Gaye
*Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

After 7 version

*Lead and background vocals by Melvin Edmonds, David Mitchell and Kevon Edmonds