New music’s cool but have you ever heard old music? Old music is understandably relative. It can come with baggage, attachments, bias and context. It can be a go-to, a safe space, a place where the feelings you receive are a known quantity, an emotional guarantee. Old music can also bookmark stand out moments in life.
Have you ever heard ‘I Got A Need For You’ by David Ruffin? Imagine you’re in your car and you are zoning out on autopilot, driving home from work. You pull up to a set of lights and in the car next to you is Marvin Gaye and David Ruffin practicing harmonies.
Imagine the sing alongs in that car. Well this was a regular occurrence in 60’s Detroit. The two would often chat into the night about their struggles with fame and the pressure they faced from their label, Motown. Ruffin’s raw, open and emotionally intelligent style is often sighted for inspiring ‘Whats Going On’.
This song comes post Temptations, post singing lead on ‘My Girl’, post being kicked out of the band partly for demanding it was renamed David Ruffin and the Temptations. ‘I’ve Got A Need For You’ has always struck me as a no-brainer, and obvious smash – only to discover that it’s actually widely unknown.
The energy levels from the off are infectious. It bursts open with a huge splash off bass and brass. Visions of Motown session players at the top of their game. The song shows us Ruffin’s fear of being abandoned. It shows us the vulnerability that Gaye was seeing all along. It rattles away into a fully charged chorus, packed with a full band and unfathomable backing vocals.
It leaves you knowing and believing that this time Ruffin has indeed found someone wonderful. Sadly we lost Ruffin to a drug overdose. A man clearly full of ego and spectacle (pun intended), who would purposely arrive late to shows, often in limos or helicopters just to build the drama, indulge the story. Ironically the man who was desperate to be the ‘main man’, actually inspired the main men to become, main men.
Tune in now…
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Words: Owen Cutts
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Old Music Friday: David Ruffin ‘I’ve Got A Need For You’ – clashmusic.com
