| "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Dutch picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by the Young Rascals | ||||
| B-side | "Slow Down" | |||
| Released | November 22, 1965 | |||
| Recorded | September 20, 1965 | |||
| Studio | A&R, New York City | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 2:43 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| The Young Rascals singles chronology | ||||
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"I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" is a song written by Pam Sawyer and Laurie Burton in 1965. Originally envisioned to be recorded by a British Invasion artist, the song was extremely well liked by the American rock group the Young Rascals, and they subsequently recorded the song and released it as their debut single in November 1965 through Atlantic Records. Though only a marginal hit, reaching number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100, it largely established the band on the American music scene. It has since been included on several albums by the band, including their eponymous debut album, and several compilation albums, including Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits, on which it was the opening track.
The song is heavily characterized by lead vocalist Eddie Brigati's spoken word during the verses, and is one of the only songs by the band to feature their initial lineup with Brigati on lead vocals; subsequent releases primarily feature Felix Cavaliere on lead vocals. Upon release it received primarily positive reviews in the American press and charted internationally as well. Retrospectively, the song has also been praised, with many critics noting it to have fallen into obscurity thanks to its relatively low charting compared to their later singles. "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" has since been covered by several notable bands, including The Jackson 5 and the Primitives. Australian band Divinyls and American group Angel both had commercial success with their versions.