Timeline
A chronology of the different lineups in the history of Motown singing group The Miracles .
(same members; group name changed to spotlight lead singer)
The Miracles were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups in the history of pop, soul, R&B and rock and roll music. The group's international fame in the 1960s, alongside other Motown acts, led to a greater acceptance of rhythm & blues and pop music in the U.S., with the group being considered influential and important in the development of modern popular music.
Claudette Annette Rogers Robinson is an American singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson "Sonny" Rogers was a founding member of the group, which before 1957 was named "The Matadors". Claudette replaced her brother in the group after he was drafted into the U.S. Army.
Ronald Anthony White was an American baritone singer, best known as the co-founder of the Miracles and its only consistent original member. White was also known for bringing Stevie Wonder to the attention of Motown Records, and writing several hit singles for the Miracles as well as other artists including the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, and Mary Wells. White died of leukemia in 1995, at 57 years old. In 2012, White was a posthumous inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Miracles.
Robert Edward Rogers was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a founding member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Miracles to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to singing, he also contributed to writing some of the Miracles' songs. Rogers is the grandfather of R&B singer Brandi Williams from the R&B girl group Blaque and is a cousin of fellow Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson.
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 is the second greatest hits album for the Miracles, released in 1968 on Motown Records' Tamla label. It contained the most popular singles from the successful Going to a Go-Go, Away We A Go-Go and Make It Happen albums of the 1965–1967 period. It also featured the 1964 non-album single "Come On Do The Jerk", and two B-sides, "Choosey Beggar" and "Save Me". The hit single "I Second That Emotion" was new to the album. This album reached the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, peaking at #7, and peaked at #2 on Billboard's R&B album chart. Ten of the albums' 12 songs were written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin, Bobby Rogers, and Ronnie White.
Christmas with The Miracles is a seasonal favorites' album by Motown soul group the Miracles which was recorded in 1963. The album charted for 6 weeks, peaking at number 15 on Billboard's Christmas Record album chart on December 11, 1965. It features traditional Christmas songs, with one Smokey Robinson original, "Christmas Everyday". The album was produced by Miracles member Ronnie White. Miracle Pete Moore was serving in the U.S. Armed Services at the time the cover photograph was taken, and was not on the cover photograph, nor was Miracle Marv Tarplin.
I'll Try Something New is the third album by the Miracles. It was released on the Tamla label, a subsidiary of Motown. The title track was an important early single for the group, featuring Smokey Robinson's lead voice, a chorus led by his wife Claudette and an orchestra of strings. Other hits like "What's So Good About Goodbye" and "I've Been Good To You" are included, plus three covers of easy listening standards: "I've Got You Under My Skin" written by Cole Porter, "On the Street Where You Live" from the Broadway musical My Fair Lady, and "Speak Low" by Ogden Nash and Kurt Weill, on which both Smokey and Claudette Robinson sing lead. I'll Try Something New also features a rare lead by Miracles baritone Ronnie White on "A Love That Can Never Be", and a lead by Claudette Robinson on "He Don't Care About Me".
Cookin' with the Miracles is the second Tamla album by American soul vocal group the Miracles, and their second of 1961. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson co-wrote most of the songs, including the two charting singles "Ain't It Baby" and "Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues". Another single, "Mighty Good Lovin’" b/w "Broken Hearted", was issued in between those two. However, only "Broken Hearted" appears on the album, featuring a different vocal take to the single version. The album is composed mostly of upbeat R&B tunes with steady string riffs, like "Determination" and "Broken Hearted". A cover of the jazz standard "Embraceable You" by George & Ira Gershwin is also included. "That's The Way I Feel", also from this album, was chosen for the soundtrack of the award-winning 1964 Ivan Dixon film Nothing But a Man.
The Definitive Performances (1963–1987) is an anthology of performances by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. It was produced by Reelin' in the Years Productions and the Universal Music Group International, in conjunction with Motown. In addition to the musical performances, this DVD also features the first – ever in depth interview with original Miracles members Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, and Pete Moore. Strangely, original members Marv Tarplin & Claudette Robinson are not present, but are mentioned throughout the disc. The disc also features 2 hit songs by the group featuring Smokey's replacement, Billy Griffin, and three of Smokey's Post- Miracles solo hits. During the interview, the three Miracles discuss the history of the group, the formation of Motown, and detailed stories behind the creation of some of their greatest hits. According to David Peck, producer of the disk for Reelin' In The Years, The Miracles' "Definitive DVD" has been awarded Certified Gold status by the RIAA.
Marvin Tarplin was an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their biggest hits, including the 1965 Grammy Hall Of Fame-inducted "The Tracks of My Tears". He is also a winner of the BMI Songwriter's Award, and the ASCAP Award Of Merit, and was a 2012 posthumous inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Miracles.
One Dozen Roses is a 1971 album by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, issued on Motown Records' Tamla label. The penultimate album before lead singer Smokey Robinson departed the group for a solo career, One Dozen Roses features the Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit single "I Don't Blame You at All". Also included is the group's number-one smash hit "The Tears of a Clown", which was also made available through the reissue of the 1967 Miracles LP Make It Happen as The Tears of a Clown. Both of these songs were also huge hits in the UK, reaching #11 and #1 respectively.
"My Girl Has Gone" is a 1965 R&B single recorded by the Miracles for Motown's Tamla label. Included on their 1965 album Going to a Go-Go, "My Girl Has Gone" was the follow-up to the group's number 16 Billboard Hot 100 million-selling hit "The Tracks Of My Tears".
1957–1972 is a 1972 double album by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. This two-record set is noted as the group's final series of live concerts with original lead singer Smokey Robinson, recorded over a period of three days, July 14–16, during the 1972 National Parks Centennial, at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, D.C., and charted at No. 75 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, and at No. 14 on its R&B Album chart. During the show, Smokey's wife, original Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson, who stopped touring with the group in 1964, reunited with the Miracles on stage for the first time in eight years. As a celebration of the group's fifteen years together, The Miracles made this an "all request" show, where audience members could choose which of the group's long string of hits they wanted performed. Also, at the end of the concert, Miracles fans were introduced to the group's new lead singer, Billy Griffin. According to Smokey's autobiography, Smokey: Inside My Life, The Miracles' final concert was videotaped in movie form, but was never publicly released. However, 1957–1972 was released on CD originally in 1990, and re-released again in 2004 along with The Miracles' 1969 "Live" album in the 2004 Motown/Hip-O Select release Smokey Robinson and The Miracles: The Live Collection.
Renaissance is a 1973 album by R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was the first album by the group not to feature original lead singer Smokey Robinson on lead vocals, instead featuring him as executive producer. Robinson was replaced by lead singer Billy Griffin.
I Like It Like That is an album by Motown group the Miracles, compiled for the UK market and released on the UK Tamla-Motown label as one of its initial group of six albums in March 1965. There was no equivalent album to this in the USA. It is known as the Miracles' "forgotten album".
"That's What Love Is Made Of" is a 1964 hit song by Motown's original vocal group, the Miracles, issued on the label's Tamla records subsidiary. It was taken from the group's album Greatest Hits from the Beginning, but originally appeared on their abortive 1964 album, I Like It Like That.
"Come On Do the Jerk" was a 1964 song recorded by R&B group the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label subsidiary. It was co-written by Miracles members Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers and Smokey Robinson and drummer Donald Whited. A single-only release, it did not appear on any original Miracles studio album, and was the group's last single release of 1964. Robinson and fellow Miracle Bobby Rogers were the song's producers. The flip side, "Baby Don't You Go", was also a popular regional hit but was not released on CD until The 35th Anniversary Collection in 1994. Both sides of this single received new stereo mixes for the 2002 compilation Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology.
The Ultimate Collection is a compact disc by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, released on Motown Records, catalogue 314530857-2, in February 1998. It is a collection of singles comprising many of the group's greatest hits, with liner notes written by Stu Hackel.
"Point It Out" is a 1969 recording by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles on that label's Tamla subsidiary. This mid-tempo song was a national Billboard Top 40 Pop hit, reaching #37 on the Hot 100, and was a Top 10 R&B hit was well, reaching #4. It was taken from their album "A Pocket Full Of Miracles", and was written by Miracles members William "Smokey" Robinson and Marv Tarplin, along with Motown staff songwriter Al Cleveland.
The Miracles Sing Modern was an unreleased 1963 album by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles. It was given the official catalog number of Tamla T234 and was due for release after The Miracles' 3rd album I'll Try Something New, having been mentioned on the sleeve notes of that album. It was intended for release in March 1963. However it was never given an official release date and Motown later decided to shelve the project.