Operator (Motown song)

"Operator"
Single by Mary Wells
from the album Vintage Stock
A-side	Two Lovers
Released	1963
Format	7" single
Recorded	1962
Genre	Soul/pop
Length	2:46
Label	Motown M 1035
Writer(s)	Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)	Smokey Robinson

"Operator"
Single by Brenda Holloway
B-side	I'll Be Available
Released	1965
Format	7" single
Recorded	1964
Genre	Soul
Length	3:08
Label	Tamla T 54115
Producer(s)	Smokey Robinson
Brenda Holloway singles chronology
"When I'm Gone" (1964) "Operator" (1964) "You Can Cry On My Shoulder" (1965)

"Operator" is a Motown song recorded by Motown vocalists Mary Wells and Brenda Holloway. The Wells version was the b-side to her top ten hit, "Two Lovers" while Holloway's was issued as a single in 1965.

Overview

Song information

In the song, written by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the narrator talks of wanting the phone operator to reach her boyfriend, who is supposedly on the other end of the line, but much to her chagrin, the operator is having problems reaching the other line, which reports static and throughout the difficulties, the narrator begs the operator to "put him on the line".

Chart status

Brenda Holloway's version of the song, which is produced under a more soulful rendition than Wells' teen pop-styled version from three years before, reached number 78 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 36 on the R&B singles chart.

Chart	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	78
U.S. Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles	36

Credits

Mary Wells version

• Lead vocal by Mary Wells
• Background vocals by The Love Tones
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

Brenda Holloway version

• Lead vocal by Brenda Holloway
• Background vocals by The Andantes
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers