What Love Has Joined Together

1963 song

"What Love Has Joined Together"
Song
Released	1963 (1963)
Genre	R&B
Label	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Smokey Robinson Bobby Rogers

"What Love Has Joined Together" is a song written and composed by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, and was recorded by six Motown acts: Mary Wells, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Barbara McNair, Syreeta, and Queen Latifah (after her years at Motown) and was issued as B-sides to hits by Wells and The Temptations; "Your Old Standby" for Wells, released in 1963,^[1] and "It's Growing" by The Temptations, released in 1965.^[2]^[3]

Song information

The song talks about a person professing their love to their loved one regardless of people's comments trying to separate them, with the person stressing the point that "what love has joined together can nobody take it apart". The song was originally recorded by the Miracles in 1962. Wells would record her version a year later while the Temptations covered it for their The Temptations Sing Smokey album in 1965. Barbara McNair recorded her version in 1968 for a proposed album "Barbara McNair Sings Smokey." It remained unreleased until 2004. Syreeta's version appeared on her debut album for Motown's MoWest label which was released in 1972. The Miracles also would record a special extended version of the song in 1970, as the title cut from their album of the same name. (See What Love Has...Joined Together ) . Queen Latifah's version appeared on her 2007 "Trav'lin Light" CD.

Personnel

Mary Wells version

Lead vocals by Mary Wells
Background vocals by the Love Tones
Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers

The Temptations version

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

Barbara McNair version

Lead vocals by Barbara McNair
Background vocals by the Andantes
Instrumentation by LA musicians

The Miracles version

Lead vocals by Smokey Robinson
Background vocals by Claudette Rogers Robinson, Ronnie White, Pete Moore and Bobby Rogers
Guitar by Marv Tarplin
Other instrumentation by the Funk Brothers

Syreeta version

Vocals by Syreeta
Instrumentation by Stevie Wonder

Queen Latifah version

Vocals by Queen Latifah
No further information available

External links

Mary Wells' version on YouTube
Temptations' version on YouTube
Barbara McNair version on YouTube
What Love Has Joined Together- by The Miracles on YouTube
Syreeta version on YouTube
Queen Latifah version on YouTube

References

^ The Complete Motown Singles Vol 3: 1963 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.
^ The Complete Motown Singles Vol 5: 1965 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.
^ Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. ISBN 0-8154-1218-5.

The Miracles (1955–1964) / Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1965–1972) / The Miracles (1973–2011)

Smokey Robinson
Ronnie White
Pete Moore
Bobby Rogers
Claudette Robinson
Marv Tarplin
Billy Griffin
Donald Griffin
Carl Cotton
Mark Scott
Dave Finley
Sydney Justin
Alphonse Franklin
Tee Turner

Studio albums

Hi... We're the Miracles (1961)
Cookin' with the Miracles (1961)
I'll Try Something New (1962)
The Fabulous Miracles (1963)
Christmas with The Miracles (1963)
The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey (1963)
I Like It Like That (1964)
Going to a Go-Go (1965)
Away We a Go-Go (1966)
Make It Happen (The Tears of a Clown) (1967)
Special Occasion (1968)
Time Out for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1969)
Four in Blue (1969)
What Love Has Joined Together (1970)
A Pocket Full of Miracles (1970)
The Season for Miracles (1970)
One Dozen Roses (1971)
Flying High Together (1972)
Renaissance (1973)
Do It Baby (1974)
Don't Cha Love It (1975)
City of Angels (1975)
The Power of Music (1976)
Love Crazy (1977)
The Miracles (1978)

Live albums

The Miracles Recorded Live on Stage (1963)
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles LIVE! (1969)
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957–1972 (1972)

Compilations

Greatest Hits: From the Beginning (1965)
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1968)
Anthology (1974)
Anthology '86 (1986)
Anthology: The Best of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1995)
The Ultimate Collection (1998)
Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (2002)
Depend On Me: The Early Albums (2009)

Singles

"Bad Girl"
"Way Over There"
"Shop Around"
"Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues"
"What's So Good About Goodbye"
"I've Been Good to You"
"I'll Try Something New"
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me"/"Happy Landing"
"A Love She Can Count On"
"Mickey's Monkey"
"I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying"
"(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You"
"I Like It Like That"
"That's What Love Is Made Of"
"Come On Do the Jerk"
"Ooo Baby Baby"
"The Tracks of My Tears"
"A Fork in the Road"
"My Girl Has Gone"
"Going to a Go-Go"
"Choosey Beggar"
"Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You)"
"(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need"
"The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage"
"More Love"
"I Second That Emotion"
"If You Can Want"
"Yester Love"
"Special Occasion"
"Baby, Baby Don't Cry"
"Here I Go Again"
"Doggone Right"
"Abraham, Martin and John"
"Point It Out"
"The Tears of a Clown"
"I Don't Blame You at All"
"We've Come Too Far to End It Now"
"Give Me Just Another Day"
"Do It Baby"
"Love Machine"

Videography

The Definitive Performances (1963–1987) (2006)

v t e The Temptations
Otis Williams Ron Tyson Terry Weeks Tony Grant Jawan Jackson Melvin Franklin Eddie Kendricks Paul Williams Elbridge Bryant David Ruffin Dennis Edwards Ricky Owens Richard Street Damon Harris Glenn Leonard Louis Price Ali-Ollie Woodson Theo Peoples Harry McGilberry Barrington "Bo" Henderson Ray Davis G. C. Cameron Joe Herndon Bruce Williamson Larry Braggs Willie Green Mario Corbino
Studio albums	Meet the Temptations The Temptations Sing Smokey The Temptin' Temptations Gettin' Ready The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul The Temptations Wish It Would Rain Cloud Nine Puzzle People Psychedelic Shack Sky's the Limit Solid Rock All Directions Masterpiece 1990 A Song for You House Party Wings of Love The Temptations Do the Temptations Hear to Tempt You Bare Back Power The Temptations Reunion Surface Thrills Back to Basics Truly for You Touch Me To Be Continued... Together Again Special Milestone Phoenix Rising Ear-Resistible Awesome Legacy Still Here Temptations 60
Cover albums	The Temptations in a Mellow Mood For Lovers Only Reflections Back to Front All the Time
Live albums	Temptations Live! Live at the Copa Live at London's Talk of the Town The Temptations in Japan
Other albums	Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations TCB The Temptations Show Together On Broadway The Temptations Christmas Card Give Love at Christmas Lost and Found: You've Got to Earn It (1962–1968)
Compilations	Greatest Hits Greatest Hits II Anthology Emperors of Soul The Ultimate Collection My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations Psychedelic Soul
Singles (US/UK Top 10)	"My Girl" "Get Ready" "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" "(I Know) I'm Losing You" "All I Need" "You're My Everything" "I Wish It Would Rain" "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" "Cloud Nine" "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" "Run Away Child, Running Wild" "I Can't Get Next to You" "Psychedelic Shack" "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "Masterpiece" "Let Your Hair Down" "Happy People" "Shakey Ground" "Treat Her Like a Lady" "The Motown Song" "My Girl" (reissue)
Related	Band members The Temptations (miniseries) Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations Discography The Supremes The Undisputed Truth Smokey Robinson Norman Whitfield Barrett Strong Sly Stone George Clinton
Category

v t e Mary Wells
Studio albums	Bye Bye Baby I Don't Want to Take a Chance (1961) The One Who Really Loves You (1962) Two Lovers and Other Great Hits (1963) Mary Wells Sings My Guy (1964) Mary Wells (1965) The Two Sides of Mary Wells (1966) Servin' Up Some Soul (1968) In and Out of Love (1981) Keeping My Mind on Love (1990)
Other albums	Recorded Live On Stage (1963) Together (1964) Love Songs to the Beatles (1965) Greatest Hits (1966) Vintage Stock (1966) Easy Touch (1982) The Old, The New & The Best of Mary Wells (1983)
Singles (US Top 40)	"I Don't Want to Take a Chance" "The One Who Really Loves You" "You Beat Me to the Punch" "Two Lovers" "Laughing Boy" "Your Old Standby" "What's Easy for Two Is Hard for One"/ "You Lost the Sweetest Boy" "My Guy" "Once Upon a Time" "What's the Matter with You Baby" "Use Your Head"
Related articles	Discography Albums Songs Smokey Robinson Marvin Gaye Cecil Womack Meech Wells