Beauty Is Only Skin Deep

"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep"
Single by The Temptations
from the album Greatest Hits
B-side	"You're Not an Ordinary Girl"
Released	August 4, 1966
Format	7" single
Recorded	Hitsville USA (Studio A); April 14, 1964 and May 11, 1966
Genre	R&B
Length	2:23
Label	Gordy G 7055
Writer(s)	Norman Whitfield Edward Holland, Jr.
Producer(s)	Norman Whitfield
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
The Temptations singles chronology
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966) "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" (1966) "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (1966)

"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" is a 1964 song, that became a 1966 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr., and produced by Whitfield, the song was a number three pop hit and a number one R&B hit in the United States.^[1]

The song's theme is inner beauty, and its value over physical appearance. David Ruffin sings lead on this song, relating the story of a man who's become frustrated with dating pretty women with "ugly" attitudes. He now praises his current girl, whom he does not find as physically beautiful, but feels that her personality more than makes up for it. "She may be fine on the outside/but so untrue on the inside", is a typical lyric from the song.

Norman Whitfield recorded the song's instrumental track in 1964, two years before he got together with Eddie Holland to have lyrics written for the song. Several artists recorded "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" before the Temptations, including David Ruffin's older brother Jimmy Ruffin, and The Miracles, who were actually the first to record it in 1964, but their version was not released as a single. It was later included on their 1966 Away We a Go-Go album.^[2] After Whitfield's previous production for the Temptations, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", hit number-one on the Billboard R&B singles chart, he prepared "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" as a showcase for Ruffin and the Temptations.

It was chosen as a single by Billie Jean Brown, head of Motown's quality control department. The group appealed the decision to Motown head Berry Gordy, who preferred it to the group's choice.^[3] The record proved much more successful than the group members expected: "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" was an R&B number-one hit, the Temptations' fifth, and reached number-three on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart.^[4][1][5] It was also a hit in the United Kingdom, making it to #18 on the UK Singles Chart in late 1966.

The song never appeared on a regular Temptations studio LP, but was featured on the group's first Greatest Hits album.

Personnel

• Lead vocals by David Ruffin
• Background vocals by Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, and Otis Williams
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

References

1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 571.
2. "Tempts Go More Than Skin Deep - uDiscover". Udiscovermusic.com. 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
3. White, Adam; Fred Bronson (1993). The Billboard Book Of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits. New York: Billboard Books. pp. 22–23. ISBN 0-8230-8285-7.
4. The Temptations - 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961-1971 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
5. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 6: 1966 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records