View source for The Way You Do the Things You Do

{{short description|1964 single by The Temptations}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = The Way You Do the Things You Do
| cover      = The Way You Do the Things You Do by the Temptations Australian single side-A.png
| alt        = side-A label by Stateside Records
| caption    = Side A of the Australian single
| type       = single
| artist     = [[The Temptations]]
| album      = [[Meet the Temptations]] & [[The Temptations Sing Smokey]]
| B-side     = [[Just Let Me Know]]
| released   = January 23, 1964
| recorded   = [[Hitsville USA]] (Studio A) <br> January 9, 1964
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Soul music|Soul]]<ref name= "Marsh 1989">{{cite book|first=Dave|last=Marsh|title=The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Heart_Of_Rock_Soul.html?id=5t5DYDniSHEC|date=1989|publisher=[[Plume (publisher)|Plume]]|isbn=0-452-26305-0|page=346}}</ref><ref name="Breihan 2022">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: UB40’s “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You|website= [[Stereogum]] |date= February 11, 2022|url= https://www.stereogum.com/2175090/the-number-ones-ub40s-i-cant-help-falling-in-love-with-you/columns/the-number-ones/|accessdate= November 17, 2024}}</ref>
| length     = 2:42
| label      = [[Motown|Gordy]]<br><small>G 7028</small>
| writer     = [[Smokey Robinson]] <br /> [[Bobby Rogers|Robert Rogers]]
| producer   = Smokey Robinson
| prev_title = [[Farewell My Love]]
| prev_year  = 1963
| next_title = [[I'll Be in Trouble]]
| next_year  = 1964
}}
"'''The Way You Do the Things You Do'''" is a 1964 hit single by [[the Temptations]] for the Gordy ([[Motown]]) label. Written by [[The Miracles|Miracles]] members [[Smokey Robinson]] and [[Bobby Rogers]], the single was the Temptations' first charting single on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], peaking in the Top 20 at number eleven; it also went to number one on the ''[[Cash Box]]'' R&B chart.<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=571}}</ref> The song has been an [[Billboard Hot 100|American Top 40]] hit in four successive decades, from the 1960s to the 1990s. A version by [[Hall & Oates]] featuring Temptation members Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1986.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/hall-and-oates|title=Hall and Oates|website=Recording Academy Grammy Awards}}</ref> A cover version by British [[reggae]] band [[UB40]] hit number six in the U.S. in 1990.
==Temptations version==
===Background===
Falsetto [[Eddie Kendricks]] sings lead on the record, composed by Robinson and Rogers while on the road with the Miracles as part of the [[Motortown Revue]] tour. Its plethora of pick-up lines ("You got a smile so bright/you know you coulda been a candle/I'm holding you so tight/You know you coulda been a handle") began as a light-hearted joke between Robinson and Rogers to pass time on the long bus rides. Realizing they had something they could work with, the Miracles kept the lyrics in mind and prepared the song for the Temptations, who at this time had had only one single that had ever made it onto a Billboard chart (1962's "[[(You're My) Dream Come True|Dream Come True]]" at number 22 on the [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks|R&B singles chart]]) and six flopped singles. This version of the song actually appears on two of their mid 1960s albums: 1964's ''[[Meet The Temptations]]'' and 1965's ''[[The Temptations Sing Smokey]]''.
The recording was done on January 9, 1964, a mere two weeks after founding Temptation Elbridge Bryant had been fired, and [[Jimmy Ruffin]]'s younger brother [[David Ruffin]] had taken Bryant's place. While Ruffin would sing lead on stage he would remain a background singer on the singles for most of 1964, but after Smokey Robinson heard him sing lead during the Temptations' Motortown Revue performance, Ruffin was assigned to sing lead on what would become the Temptations' first number-one hit, "[[My Girl (The Temptations song)|My Girl]]".
The Temptations learned about the success of "The Way You Do the Things You Do" after returning home to [[Detroit, Michigan]], and hearing nonchalantly from a Motown executive that "oh, you guys got a hit." After reading the number 76 ("with a bullet") listing in [[Billboard magazine|''Billboard'' magazine]], Temptations members [[Otis Williams]] and [[David Ruffin]] immediately began crying with joy. During this period the group's baritone [[Paul Williams (The Temptations)|Paul Williams]] was still considered the main lead singer; but due to the success of this single, Kendricks would be given the lead on the next two following singles.
===Personnel===
* Lead vocals by [[Eddie Kendricks]]
* Background vocals by [[Melvin Franklin]], [[Paul Williams (The Temptations)|Paul Williams]], [[David Ruffin]], and [[Otis Williams]]
* Instrumentation by [[the Funk Brothers]]<ref>Liner notes. ''The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 4: 1964'', Hip-O Select – B0005946-02, USA, 24 Feb 2006</ref>
**Bass: [[James Jamerson]]
**Drums: [[Richard "Pistol" Allen]]
**Guitar: [[Eddie Willis]]
**Piano: [[Earl Van Dyke]]
**Tenor saxophone solo: [[Henry Cosby]]
===Chart history===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1964)
! style="text-align:center;"|Peak<br />position
|-
|US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref>Whitburn, Joel (2007). ''Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006''. Record Research. p. 836.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|11
|-
|US [[Cash Box (magazine)|''Cash Box'']] Top 100 <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19640418.html |title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 18, 1964 |access-date=March 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313044413/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/60s_files/19640418.html |archive-date=March 13, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|align="center"|10
|-
|US [[Cash Box (magazine)|''Cash Box'' R&B Singles Chart]]
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|Canada [[CHUM Chart]] Top 50 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/64-04-06-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - March 6, 1964}}</ref>
|align="center"|43
|}
==Rita Coolidge version==
{{Infobox song
| name       = The Way You Do the Things You Do
| cover      = The_Way_You_Do_the_Things_You_Do_-_Rita_Coolidge.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Rita Coolidge]]
| album      = [[Anytime...Anywhere]]
| B-side     = I Feel the Burden (Being Lifted Off My Shoulders)
| released   = June 1978
| recorded   = 1977
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Soft rock]]
| length     = 3:35
| label      = [[A&M Records]]
| writer     = [[Smokey Robinson]] <br /> [[Bobby Rogers|Robert Rogers]]
| producer   = David Anderle
| prev_title = [[We're All Alone#Rita Coolidge version|We're All Alone]]
| prev_year  = 1977
| next_title = [[You (Marcia Hines song)#Rita Coolidge version|You]]
| next_year  = 1978
}}
[[Rita Coolidge]] covered "The Way You Do the Things You Do," and it was released in 1978 as the third single from her most successful album, ''[[Anytime...Anywhere]]''.  In the U.S., the single reached number 20 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Hot 100, number 20 on the Record World Singles Chart and number 18 on the ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Top 100.  It also reached number 16 in Canada.  It is ranked as the 151st biggest Canadian hit of 1978.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0070b&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=9snl1dunehmk80ck2vq1aavsh3 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161001190746/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0070b&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=9snl1dunehmk80ck2vq1aavsh3 |archive-date=2016-10-01 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== Chart performance ===
==== Weekly charts ====
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1978)
! style="text-align:center;"|Peak<br />position
|-
|Canada [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'']] Top Singles <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5529a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=9snl1dunehmk80ck2vq1aavsh3 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160316043652/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5529a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=9snl1dunehmk80ck2vq1aavsh3 |archive-date=2016-03-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|16
|-
|Canada [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'']] Adult Contemporary<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5552&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5552.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5552 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=July 17, 2013 |access-date=2016-12-12}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|-
|[[Billboard Hot 100|U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100]]
| style="text-align:center;"|20
|-
|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]]<ref>{{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |author-link= Joel Whitburn |year= 1993 |title= Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993 |publisher= Record Research |page=58}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|9
|-
|[[Cash Box|U.S. ''Cash Box'' Top 100]]
| style="text-align:center;"|18
|}
==== Year-end charts ====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1978)
! style="text-align:center;"|Position
|-
|Canada <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0070b&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=vubv548fsosch5mkfv2e0dj4v5 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817075240/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.0070b&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=vubv548fsosch5mkfv2e0dj4v5 |archive-date=2016-08-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|151
|}
==Hall & Oates version==
In 1985, a live version (part of a medley with "My Girl") was released by [[Hall & Oates]] featuring [[David Ruffin]] and [[Eddie Kendricks]], reaching number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 12 on the Adult Contemporary chart, number 40 on the R&B chart,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/daryl-hall-john-oates/chart-history/hsi/|title=Daryl Hall & John Oates Chart History|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> and number 24 on the pop chart.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gghunt.utasites.cloud/charts/Songruns/H/HallandOates/way_you_do_the_things_you_do.htm|title=The way you do the things you do|website=Gghunt.utasites.cloud|access-date=June 1, 2021}}</ref> The single was nominated for a Grammy Award.<ref name=":0" />
===Reception===
[[John Leland (journalist)|John Leland]] at ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' said, "This record is pretty wonderful and it's definitely better than most H & O or [[The Temptations|Temps]] fare, but it also bores me in ways it shouldn't. If there was any emoting going on in the performance, it didn't translate onto wax."<ref>{{cite magazine| magazine= [[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] | title=Singles|author=John Leland | date=December 1985|issue=8|page=32}}</ref>
==UB40 version==
{{Infobox song
| name       = The Way You Do the Things You Do
| cover      = The_way_you_do_the_things_you_do.jpg
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[UB40]]
| album      = [[Labour of Love II]]
| released   = 1989 <br> July 1990 <small>[[France]]</small> <br> September 11, 1990 [[US]]
| recorded   = 1989
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Reggae]]<ref name="Breihan 2022"/>
| length     = 3:03
| label      = [[Virgin Records]]
| writer     = [[Smokey Robinson]] <br /> [[Bobby Rogers|Robert Rogers]]
| producer   = [[UB40]]
| prev_title = [[Here I Am (Come and Take Me)#UB40 version|Here I Am (Come and Take Me)]]
| prev_year  = 1989
| next_title = Groovin
| next_year  = 1991
}}
"The Way You Do the Things You Do" was covered in 1989 by the band [[UB40]].  It was the sixth [[Single (music)|single]] from their 1989 album ''[[Labour of Love II]]''. The song was released in 1989 in the majority of European countries (in July 1990 in France), and was featured in the [[Ridley Scott]]–[[Michael Douglas]] film ''[[Black Rain (American film)|Black Rain]]''.
===Track listings===
; 7"-Single
# "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (3:03)
# "Splugen" (4:41)
; CD-Single
# "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (3:03)
# "Splugen" (4:41)
; CD-Maxi
# "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (Jazzy Club Mix) (6:11)
# "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (Paradise Mix) (4:07)
# "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (3:00)
# "Splugen" (4:42)
===Charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1990–1992)
!Peak<br>position
|-
|Australia ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name=ryan>{{cite Ryan|page=288}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|78
|-
|Canada (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')
| style="text-align:center;"|42
|-
{{singlechart|Dutch100|15|artist=UB40|song=The Way You Do the Things You Do}}
|-
{{singlechart|France|11|artist=UB40|song=The Way You Do the Things You Do}}
|-
{{singlechart|Germany|53|songid=14001|artist=UB40|song=The Way You Do the Things You Do}}
|-
|Ireland ([[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]])<ref>Irish Single Chart [http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement Irishcharts.ie] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721125210/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |date=July 21, 2011 }} (Retrieved April 10, 2008)</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|26
|-
|United Kingdom ([[The Official Charts Company]])<ref>UK Singles Chart [http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=18533 Chartstats.com] (Retrieved April 10, 2008)</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|49
|-
|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name="Billboard">Billboard [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5724/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} allmusic.com] (Retrieved April 20, 2008)</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|-
|US ''Billboard'' Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks<ref name="Billboard"/>
| style="text-align:center;"|21
|-
!Chart (1992)
!Peak<br>position
|-
|Australia (ARIA)<ref name=ryan/>
| style="text-align:center;"|63
|}
{| class="wikitable"
!align="left"|Year-end chart (1991–1992)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
|-
|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1991|title=Billboard Top 100 - 1991|accessdate=2009-09-15|archive-date=July 7, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707155835/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1991|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|71
|}
===Certifications===
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=UB 40|title=The Way You Do the Things You Do|type=single|award=Silver|certyear=1990|access-date=May 22, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://secondhandsongs.com/work/20399/versions List of cover versions of "The Way You Do the Things You Do"] at SecondHandSongs.com
{{The Temptations}}
{{The Temptations singles}}
{{The Supremes}}
{{Rita Coolidge}}
{{UB40}}
{{Hall & Oates}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Way You Do the Things You Do}}
[[Category:1964 songs]]
[[Category:1964 singles]]
[[Category:1978 singles]]
[[Category:1990 singles]]
[[Category:The Temptations songs]]
[[Category:The Supremes songs]]
[[Category:UB40 songs]]
[[Category:Hall & Oates songs]]
[[Category:Rita Coolidge songs]]
[[Category:Elkie Brooks songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Bobby Rogers]]
[[Category:Songs written by Smokey Robinson]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Smokey Robinson]]
[[Category:A&M Records singles]]
[[Category:Gordy Records singles]]
[[Category:Virgin Records singles]]