| The Season for Miracles | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 23, 1970 | |||
| Genre | Soul, Christmas | |||
| Length | 37:41 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| The Miracles chronology | ||||
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The Season for Miracles is a 1970 studio album by American soul group The Miracles. The Christmas album has received positive reviews and has been a strong seller for Motown, being reissued on compact disc in 1992. [1]
A brief review in Billboard recommended this release as being a "joyous" and "delightful holiday package". [2] The editors of AllMusic Guide scored this album three out of five stars, but do not have a detailed review. [3] The publication does review the 1973 various artists compilation A Motown Christmas , which includes tracks from this album and critic Jason Ankeny calls that an "outstanding sampler" of music that includes a "beautifully soulful vibe". [4] In 2011's The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, this album received three out of five stars. [5]
Although this release did not sell well enough to chart, [6] a 1987 review of the best-selling Christmas albums by Ebony notes that this is one of the best-selling from Motown. [7]
The Miracles
Additional personnel
William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief songwriter and producer. He led the group from its 1955 origins, when they were called The Five Chimes, until 1972, when he retired from the group to focus on his role as Motown Records vice president. Robinson returned to the music industry as a solo artist the following year. He left Motown in 1999.
"My Girl" is a soul music song recorded by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) record label. Written and produced by the Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, it became the Temptations' first U.S. number 1 single, and is currently their signature song. Robinson's inspiration for writing "My Girl" was his wife, Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson. The song was included on the Temptations 1965 album The Temptations Sing Smokey. In 2017, the song was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant".
"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. The track 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 a partially re-recorded and completely remixed version 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.
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.
"Shop Around" is a song originally recorded by the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla subsidiary label. It was written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. It became a smash hit in 1960 when originally recorded by the Miracles, reaching number one on the Billboard R&B chart, number one on the Cashbox Top 100 Pop Chart, and number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the Miracles' first million-selling hit record, and the first-million-selling hit for the Motown Record Corporation.
The Temptations Christmas Card is a 1970 Christmas album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. The album was released on October 30, 1970. It's also the group's first holiday release, it features each Temptation leading on various popular Christmas standards and original Christmas songs.
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.
Going to a Go-Go is a 1965 album by the Miracles, the first to credit the group as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. It includes four of the Miracles' Top 20 hits: "Ooo Baby Baby", "The Tracks of My Tears", "Going to a Go-Go", and "My Girl Has Gone". It was produced by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, along with Frank Wilson and William "Mickey" Stevenson.
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.
A Glen Campbell Christmas is the fifty-sixth album by American singer/guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1998 on the TNN Classic Sessions label. In 1999 the album was repackaged and released on the Unison/TNN label.
A Motown Christmas is a Christmas music compilation album, originally released as a 2-LP set by Motown Records on September 25, 1973. It contains various seasonal singles and album tracks recorded by some of the label's artists from the 1960s and early 1970s. Some of the music had previously been released on the 1968 compilation Merry Christmas from Motown.
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,.
A Pocket Full of Miracles (TS306) is a 1970 album by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles, issued on its Tamla subsidiary label, one of three albums the group released that year. This album charted at #56 on the Billboard pop albums chart, and reached the top ten of the magazine's R&B albums chart, peaking at #10. It was released on September 30 of that year. Hit singles on the album included "Point It Out" and the topical Ashford & Simpson written-and-produced song "Who's Gonna Take the Blame", a sad, dark song about a girl that is turned out as a prostitute. Also included is the charting flip side "Darling Dear", B-side of "Point It Out", which reached #100 on the Billboard pop chart, and spawned a cover version by The Jackson Five.
12 Songs of Christmas is the twenty-second studio album and the first Christmas album by American blues singer Etta James. Private Music released the album in October 1998. Produced by John Snyder, the album includes standards arranged mostly by pianist Cedar Walton and solos by Walton, George Bohanon on trombone, and Red Holloway on tenor saxophone. Critical reception of the album was positive overall. Following its release, 12 Songs reached a peak position of number five on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart.
A Merry Mancini Christmas is a 1966 album by Henry Mancini of orchestral and choral arrangements of Christmas music. In addition to traditional Christmas songs, it also contains the original Mancini composition "Carol for Another Christmas", the theme of the 1964 television film of the same name.
Indestructible is a studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops. The album was released on August 25, 1988, their sole release on Arista Records.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is a Christmas extended play (EP) by Canadian singer Diana Krall, released on November 3, 1998, by Impulse! Records and GRP Records.
Live: The Loom's Desire is a posthumous live double album from American singer-songwriter Laura Nyro released by Rounder Records in 2002. The recordings are made up of Christmas Eve shows that she performed in 1993 and 1994 at The Bottom Line and received positive reviews from critics.
Soul Spin is a 1969 studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released by Motown.
Christmas Here with You is a 1995 studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released on Motown.
