William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American singer,songwriter,record producer,actor and former record executive director. Robinson was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles,for which he was also chief songwriter and producer. He led the group from its 1955 origins as "the Five Chimes" until 1972,when he announced his retirement from the group to focus on his role as Motown's vice president. However,Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. After the sale of Motown Records in 1988,Robinson left the company in 1990.
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 pop,rock and roll,soul and R&B music history.
Claudette Annette Rogers Robinson is an American singer-songwriter. She was a member of 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.
"The Tears of a Clown" is a song written by Hank Cosby,Smokey Robinson,and Stevie Wonder and originally recorded by Smokey Robinson &the Miracles for the Tamla Records label subsidiary of Motown,first appearing on the 1967 album Make It Happen. It was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in July 1970,and it became a #1 hit on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending 12 September 1970. Subsequently,Motown released "The Tears of a Clown" as a single in the United States as well,where it quickly became a #1 hit on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts.
Warm Thoughts is a 1980 album by Smokey Robinson. It features the top 40 hit,"Let Me Be the Clock". The album was arranged by Reginald "Sonny" Burke. This album also featured the semi-autobiographical tune "Wine,Women and Song",which proved to be the closest thing to a Miracles reunion that occurred in the 1980s,with Smokey doing a duet with his then-wife,former Miracle Claudette Robinson,and Miracle Marv Tarplin,with whom he shared songwriting credits,on guitar. The song "Travelin' Thru'" was written by Smokey's real-life sister,Rose Ella Jones,and two songs written by Robinson with fellow Motown artist,Stevie Wonder,and singer,songwriter,and former Starsky and Hutch star,David Soul. This album was a huge success,reaching the Top 20 of The Billboard 200 Pop Album chart,peaking at #14,and the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B Album Chart,peaking at #4.
Away We a Go-Go is a 1966 album by Smokey Robinson &The Miracles. The album features the singles "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need",a Billboard Top 20 Pop hit,written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland;and "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart ",written and produced by Frank Wilson. The album uses a different take of "I'm the One You Need" than what was issued on the single. A third single was planned for release from this album,the tune "More,More,More ",cataloged as Tamla T-54005,but the single was never released. It was later covered by the regional group Bob Brady and The Con Chords. Still another single from this album,the Stevie Wonder/Ivy Jo Hunter composition of "Can You Love A Poor Boy",was released to radio stations as a special Disc Jockey Advanced Single,Tamla T-540,but was never given an official catalog number for general release. It too,inspired cover versions by Gil Bernal and Ronnie Walker.
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 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.
Greatest Hits from the Beginning is a compilation double LP by The Miracles released in 1965. This was the first double album ever released by the Motown Record Corporation. It covers most of the group's hits from their pre-1965 albums,such as "Shop Around","Who's Lovin’You","You've Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Mickey's Monkey",as well as the non-album singles from 1964:"I Like It Like That" and "That's What Love Is Made Of". The album was a success,reaching #21 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart. It was also the first Miracles album to chart on the Billboard R&B Album chart,where it was an even bigger success,peaking at #2.
Time Out for Smokey Robinson &the Miracles is a 1969 album by Motown group The Miracles. It reached #25 on the Billboard Pop Album chart,and contains four pop top 40 singles –"Doggone Right","Abraham,Martin &John","Here I Go Again" and the top ten pop smash hit "Baby,Baby Don't Cry". Time Out also features covers of Motown songs such as "For Once in My Life" and the Robinson-penned songs "My Girl" and "The Composer". Miracles members Marv Tarplin,Pete Moore and Ronnie White were also co-writers on several of the album's tracks,along with Motown staff songwriters Al Cleveland,Ron Miller and Terry Johnson. Miracle Pete Moore also co-produced two of the album's tracks,a prelude to his later production of the Miracles' massively successful platinum-selling City of Angels album of a few years later. The Miracles' Time Out album was originally released on CD in 1986,and again in 2001 coupled with their album,Four in Blue.
Marvin Tarplin was an American guitarist and songwriter,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 England,reaching #11 and #1 respectively.
"(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" is a 1966 hit single by Motown group The Miracles,released on Motown Records' Tamla label.
Anthology is the first compilation album by American rhythm and blues group The Miracles. It was released in 1974 by Motown Records.
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 #75 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart,and at #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.
Flying High Together is an album by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label,released in 1972. It is noted as The Miracles' last studio album with original lead singer Smokey Robinson,who retired from the act to concentrate on his duties as Vice President of The Motown Record Corporation. The album charted at #46 on the Billboard Pop Album chart,and featured two singles:the appropriately named "We've Come Too Far to End It Now",which matched the parent album's chart position on the Billboard singles chart,charting at #46,and reached the Top 10 of the Billboard R&B singles chart,charting at #9,and "I Can't Stand to See You Cry",which charted at #45 Pop,and #21 R&B.
Note:For the song,see "What Love Has Joined Together"
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 (TML11003) as one of its initial group of six albums in March 1965. Known as the Miracles' "forgotten album",few people,outside of Motown insiders,hard-core Miracles fans,and collectors,remember that it had even existed. This album featured a combination of several new-for-1964 songs along with previously issued material from the group's album from the year before,The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey. New for 1964 songs included "I Like It Like That",the Bobby Rogers-led flip side "You're So Fine and Sweet,"(this is the only original Miracles studio album that has that song),"That's What Love Is Made Of",another 1964 hit that the group performed on the American International Pictures release,the T.A.M.I. Show that year,and "Would I Love You",a song that became a popular regional hit tune for the group in Pennsylvania and The Midwest. The album also featured a Claudette Robinson-led cover version of the Orlons' #2 Pop smash,"The Wah-Watusi".,and the group's 1963 Top 40 Hit,"I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying". Several of the group's other 1964 songs,including the chart hits "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You","Come On Do the Jerk",and its "B" side,"Baby Don't You Go",were not included. The new 1964 recordings "I Like It Like That","Would I Love You" and "That's What Love Is Made Of" were included on the only US Miracles 1964 album release "Miracles Greatest Hits From The Beginning" which was the first double album released by Motown Records.
"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.
Smokey Robinson &the Miracles LIVE! (TS289) is a 1969 album by R&B group The Miracles. Issued on Motown's Tamla label,it is the second of three live albums the Miracles recorded during their career. The album was recorded in 1968 at Detroit's famous Roostertail Restaurant,a popular venue where Motown artists appeared during the 1960s and 1970s. Released January 6,1969,it charted at #71 on the Billboard Pop Album Chart and peaked at #7 on the Billboard R&B Album Chart.
The Smokey Robinson Show was a 1970 musical variety special starring Smokey Robinson &The Miracles. It aired on ABC on December 18,1970,and featured guest stars The Supremes,The Temptations,Stevie Wonder,and Las Vegas singer/performer and actress Fran Jeffries. The program was sponsored by Faberge and was produced by Screen Gems. The director was Kip Walton.
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