Songfacts®:

• This doo-wop single by The Miracles was issued locally on the Motown Records label, which did not, at that time, have national distribution. The song possessed chart potential so both Philadelphia's Cameo–Parkway label and the Chicago–based Chess Records bid for it. Chess won and the song became The Miracles' first national chart hit, reaching #93 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• It was the first song to be released by Motown, which was originally a second label formed by Tamla Records owner Berry Gordy to avoid accusations of payola should DJs play too many records from one label.
• The song was written by Smokey Robinson of the Miracles and Berry Gordy. Smokey recalled to Mojo magazine January 2014. "I can't tell you where the inspiration for 'Bad Girl' came from because I get inspired all the time. I know I was humming that melody to myself. I'm not a mood or a situation writer. I can be sad and write a happy song, or happy and write a sad song. Or see something that inspires an idea, I don't know where it comes from. I just look at it as a blessing."
• Mary Wells covered this on her debut album, Bye Bye Baby I Don't Want to Take a Chance. Her version was called "Bad Boy."