Cover versions and influence

Ruby & The Romantics were known throughout the music industry for their smooth, rich, full-range harmonies-from high tenor, to deep, abyssal bass. In a 2011 interview with Ruby, Tom Meros of Rock and Roll Universe revealed that, according to Damon Harris, David Ruffin, and Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations, the background harmonies of Ruby & The Romantics on "Our Day Will Come", actually served as the original model for The Temptations' background harmonies in 1963.^[6] In this, The Romantics proved very influential. The group was also very influential on the music of The Carpenters, who recorded three of their tunes, and Donny and Marie Osmond, who also covered several of their songs.

Several of the songs they recorded went on to become hits or important recordings for other artists, such as "Hey There Lonely Boy" (which was covered by Eddie Holman as "Hey There Lonely Girl" and peaked in the US at No. 2 in February 1970). It was also covered by Martha & The Vandellas, Stacy Lattisaw, Donny Osmond, Will Downing, The Softones, Shaun Cassidy, Barry Biggs, and Robert John. "Hurting Each Other" recorded for A&M in 1969 which became a No. 2 hit for The Carpenters three years later; The Carpenters also covered their song "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore", which reached #12 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, and also their hit "Our Day Will Come".^[8] The group's hit "Young Wings Can Fly" has been covered by Titus Turner, The Essex, Johnny & The Attractions, Tähti Kaukainen, and a cappella group Windsong.^[9] The Romantics' hit, "When You're Young and in Love" was covered by the Motown group The Marvelettes which peaked at No. 23 in the US in May 1967. It was also covered by Ralph Carter (of the TV series Good Times), and The Choice Four, both of whom reached the Pop & R&B Charts with their versions in the autumn of 1975. Stacy Lattisaw also covered the song in 1979. The song has also been recorded by Donny & Marie – as "(When You're) Young and in Love" – and the Jets. British a cappella band The Flying Pickets also took the song to No. 7 in the UK Singles Chart in 1984).^[10] Additionally, "Our Day Will Come" has had over 60 recorded cover versions by other artists, including Frankie Valli (whose version peaked at No. 11 in the US in the fall of 1975), Cher, Donny & Marie, Bobby Darin, Patti Page, Dee Dee Sharp, Pat Boone, Amy Winehouse,^[11] Nancy Wilson, Trini Lopez, The Supremes, Cliff Richard, James Brown, The Slackers and numerous others. The Searchers covered their song "Does He [She] Really Care for Me".

The "Romantics" were:

• Ruby Nash (lead singer)
• Ed Roberts (second tenor) – died of cancer on August 15, 1993.^[12]
• George Lee (first tenor) – died of cancer in 1994.^[5]
• Ronald Mosely (baritone) – died on December 3, 2011, at age 72.^[13]
• Leroy Fann (bass) – died of an apparent heart attack in New York in November 1973.^[14]

Ruby & The Romantics had remained intact, with all five original members, throughout their entire 10-year recording career, (1961–1971), as confirmed by Ruby in an interview in 2008 with Marv Goldberg (R&B Notebooks).^[15] She returned to the Akron, Ohio area after the break-up and remained there as of 2012. As of 2017, Ruby is the only surviving original member of the Romantics. Neither she nor any of the descendants of The Romantics receive any royalties for the group's hit records.^[16]

In August 2013, Ruby & The Romantics became charter inductees into the new Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.^[4]

Albums

• 1963 Till Then – Kapp KS3341
• 1963 Our Day Will Come
• 1966 Greatest Hits – Kapp KS3458 (stereo), 1980 MCA 541
• 1967 Ruby & the Romantics – Kapp KS3526
• 1968 More Than Yesterday – ABC ABCS638
• 1991 The Very Best of Ruby & the Romantics – Taragon TARCD-1000

Singles

• ^A"When You're Young And in Love" also peaked at No. 25 on RPM Top Tracks
• ^B"Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore"-Charting "B" side to non-charting "A" side, "We'll Meet Again" (Kapp K-665).^[21]