I've Been Good to You

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"I've Been Good to You"
Single by The Miracles
from the album I'll Try Something New & The Fabulous Miracles
A-side "What's So Good About Goodbye"
ReleasedDecember 14, 1961
Recorded Hitsville USA (Studio A);
October 14 and 29, 1961
Genre Doo-Wop/Soul/Pop
Length3:00
Label Tamla
T 54053
Songwriter(s) Smokey Robinson
Producer(s) Berry Gordy Jr.
The Miracles singles chronology
"Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues"
(1961)
"What's So Good About Goodbye" / "I've Been Good to You"
(1961)
"I'll Try Something New"
(1962)
"I've Been Good to You"
Single by The Temptations
from the album Gettin' Ready
A-side "You're My Everything"
ReleasedJune 13, 1967
Recorded Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1964
Genre Soul
Length3:00
Label Gordy
G 7063
Songwriter(s) Smokey Robinson
Producer(s) Smokey Robinson
The Temptations singles chronology
"All I Need" / "Sorry is a Sorry Word"
(1967)
"You're My Everything" / "I've Been Good to You"
(1967)
"(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need"
(1967)

"I've Been Good to You" is a 1961 R&B song by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. [1] It was released as the B-side of their Billboard Top 40 hit, "What's So Good About Goodbye", and was included on their album I'll Try Something New the following year. This sad, melancholy ballad charted #103 on the Billboard Pop chart. [2] [3] Despite its relatively modest chart placing, this song has been hugely influential, and is noted as Beatle John Lennon's favorite Miracles tune, and was the inspiration for The Beatles' songs "This Boy" and "Sexy Sadie". Written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, the song begins with the lyric, "Look what you've done...You've made a fool out of someone..." which Lennon later paraphrased in Sexy Sadie song as, "What have you done...You've made a fool of everyone."

Contents

The song was performed live by the group on their album, The Miracles Recorded Live on Stage , and has inspired cover versions by Marshall Crenshaw, Joe Meek, The Temptones, Ray, Goodman & Brown (The Moments), The Ones, and fellow Motown artists, Brenda Holloway, and The Temptations. The Temptations' version would also be released as a "B" side and would chart at #124 on the Pop charts in 1967 (as well be released on their 1966 album Gettin' Ready ). [4] [5] [6] In addition to being on their first Live album, The Miracles' original version of "I've Been Good to You" actually appears on two other of their early 1960s albums; 1962's I'll Try Something New , and 1963's The Fabulous Miracles .

During a 2009 appearance by Robinson on the Internet/television show Live from Daryl's House, hosted by Daryl Hall, the duo performed "I've Been Good to You" (video on YouTube), among other songs. During some playful, improvisational singing at the end, Robinson sang, "I don't know where you came up with this song... I haven't heard it in so long..."

Personnel – The Miracles

Personnel – The Temptations

Additional instruments

Related Research Articles

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<i>The Fabulous Miracles</i> 1963 studio album by The Miracles

The Fabulous Miracles is a 1963 album by The Miracles featuring the million-selling Grammy Hall of Fame hit, "You've Really Got a Hold on Me", one of the group's most popular singles. It also features the chart hits "A Love She Can Count On" and "I've Been Good To You", which The Beatles' John Lennon has identified as his favorite Miracles song. Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson was the principal writer on all tracks, while Miracles members Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers co-wrote with him on several of the album's songs. Although two of the album’s songs, “Won’t You Take Me Back” and “Your Love”, were taken from their debut album Hi... We're the Miracles, all eight new songs were released as either singles or b-sides.

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Ill Try Something New (song)

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Four In Blue is a 1969 album by the Motown R&B group The Miracles, issued on the label's Tamla Records subsidiary in the U.S., and the Tamla-Motown label elsewhere in the world,, and was the final Miracles album of the 1960s. It reached #78 on the Billboard pop album chart, and reached the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B Album chart, peaking at #3, despite the fact that no singles were released from this album in the U.S. or the UK.

"Happy Landing" is a 1962 R&B recording by Motown Records singing group The Miracles, issued on that label's Tamla Records subsidiary label (T54073). It was recorded in November 1962, and appeared on their album The Fabulous Miracles. The group also recorded a live version of this song on their first live album, 1963's The Miracles Recorded Live on Stage.

References

  1. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The 35th Anniversary Collection (1994)Discography: "The Miracles' Albums" [CD liner notes]. Motown Records
  2. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (21 April 1962). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. via Google Books.
  3. Hackel, Stu. The Miracles:Depend On Me-The Early Albums [CD Liner Notes]. Motown Records/Hip-O Select
  4. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 7: 1967 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
  5. 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961-1971 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
  6. Wynn, Ron. "Gettin' Ready - The Temptations - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic".