The group signed to Motown Records, but weren't given top priority, as other female vocal groups were attracting audiences and recording hits. While the group awaited their chance at stardom, they recorded backing vocals for more established Motown girl groups, including The Marvelettes, Martha & The Vandellas, and The Supremes.
The Velvelettes got their break in 1964 with "Needle In A Haystack" which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 in mid-1964. The group recorded its follow-up, "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'", and spent time on various Motown-sponsored tours as an opening act.
With a song on the charts and a place on several concert tours, The Velvelettes began recording an album. Despite burgeoning success, the members of the group began to disagree about the music they were recording. Half wanted to record more mature songs and thought the material was trite, while the other half didn't want to rock the boat so early in their career.
Motown became apprehensive about the group's potential, and wary of the expense of the recordings. Not wanting to let good time and money go to waste, the label released two additional singles, "Lonely Lonely Girl Am I" and "A Bird In The Hand," as the group endured several line-up changes. Both singles flopped, and Motown cancelled the scheduled release of the group's eponymous debut album.
The last Velvelettes recordings included "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You," which became their last American single. They officially broke up in early to mid 1970.
The group reunited in 1984, when the Gill sisters and Barbee cousins re-recorded their original hits with some new songs for the album One Door Closes. The group continues to tour today.
These Things Will Keep Me Loving You
The Velvelettes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Say it again
These things will keep me loving you dear
A gentle touch upon my face baby
A tender kiss and a warm embrace honey
Oh a few kind words
Spoken so sincere
These things will keep me loving you dear
These things will keep me loving you dear
Give me your shoulder so I can cry on it baby
Oh give me advice that I can rely on honey
Oh say you love me every day of the year
And I know and I know
These things will keep me loving you dear
Say it again
These things will keep me loving you dear
Oh and I know these things will keep me loving you dear
Oh baby baby
Call me each night on the telephone baby
Oh send me a card when you're far from home honey
Oh hold me close to you baby every time you're near
And I know and I know
These things will keep me loving you dear
Oh, loving you dear
The Velvelettes’ song “These Things Will Keep Me Loving You” is a soulful ballad about the things that sustain a relationship, specifically highlighting actions that make a partner feel loved and appreciated. The songs’ lyrics describe a series of small gestures that are vital to maintaining love between two people. The first verse talks about a gentle touch, a tender kiss, and kind words spoken sincerely, emphasizing the importance of physical touch and verbal affirmation. The second verse mentions the desire for emotional support in difficult times and consistent expressions of love. The final verse suggests the importance of keeping in touch when apart and the need for physical intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh and I know these things will keep me loving you dear
I am aware of the actions that will maintain my love for you, my beloved.
Say it again
Repeat the importance of these actions to sustain our love.
A gentle touch upon my face baby
A tender, loving caress on my face by you, my sweetest.
A tender kiss and a warm embrace honey
A gentle lip-lock and a heartfelt hug, my darling.
Oh a few kind words
Words of endearment spoken with genuine sincerity.
Spoken so sincere
Expressing genuine feelings of affection with heartfelt words.
And I know and I know
I am sure and confident about these actions to preserve our love.
Give me your shoulder so I can cry on it baby
Offer me your shoulder to cry on when I need emotional support, my love.
Oh give me advice that I can rely on honey
Provide me with trustworthy advice, my dearest.
Oh say you love me every day of the year
Declare your love for me every single day of the year, my dear.
And I know and I know
I am certain and convinced that these actions will sustain our love.
These things will keep me loving you dear
These actions are crucial for me to keep loving you, my beloved.
Oh baby baby
An affectionate way of addressing my significant other.
Call me each night on the telephone baby
Contact me every night without fail, my love.
Oh send me a card when you're far from home honey
Mail me a card when you're away from home, my sweetie.
Oh hold me close to you baby every time you're near
Hug me tightly every time you are close to me, my beloved.
And I know and I know
I am assured and confident in these actions to maintain our love.
These things will keep me loving you dear
These actions are indispensable for me to continue loving you, my darling.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARVEY FUQUA, JOHNNY WILLIAM BRISTOL, SYLVIA MOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
steve brindle
Perhaps my favourite Motown track ever and that's saying a hell of a lot. I was born in 1953 and feel so lucky to have been around at the birth of some of the greatest music ever made!
Timothy Bellavia
... it is sublime.
Jenny Brown
I was born in 55 and spent my High School years listening and dancing to Tamla Motown.... Unforgettable.
stuart brixton
You've just said it all.
Kevin Shirt
The best song to come out of Detroit
pat cole
Yep brilliant track .
Hbomb6440
How could ANYONE with an ounce of soul dislike this track ???
toobeedoo2
Totally entrancing this clip. Tamla at its best and performed with such understated elegance. Add to that Cal Gill's breathtaking beauty...
happychappy12
I've got to say this, I think the Velvelettes we're as good as the Supremes. I just don't think they were given the air play but their songs were unforgettable...... thankyou for posting xx
H0270
@happychappy12 Regardless of who was better than who, at the end of the day, The Supremes sounded completely different from The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes, The Vandellas, Kim, Brenda etc etc. They all had incredible voices but had something similar in their sound. Ross might not have had the strongest voice, but she sounded different so she stood out. Gordy’s obsession was secondary and didn’t happen until Diana proved her voice with F&M was what made so many number 1s, along with the Funk Bros (who were the sound of all Motown records anyway) plus the writings of HDH….not to forget The Andantes. Gordy wasn’t looking for R&B-soul. He wanted pop-soul.