"
Cruisin'" is a 1979 single written, produced, and recorded by
Smokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
for
Motown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
' Tamla label. One of Robinson's most successful singles outside of his work with
The MiraclesThe Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
, "Cruisin'" was a Top 10
BillboardThe Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
Pop hit, peaking at number four not only on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
but on the soul chart as well. The song was co-written by fellow Miracle
Marv TarplinMarvin "Marv" 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 2007 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted "The Tracks...
. "Cruisin'" was an even bigger hit in New Zealand, reaching No. 1 on that country's chart. It is included on Robinson's ninth studio album,
Where There's Smoke...-Track listing:All tracks composed by Smokey Robinson; except where indicated#"It's a Good Night" 5:46#"I Love The Nearness of You" 4:30#"Hurt's On You" 4:16...
.
Charts
| Chart (1979) |
Peak
position |
| New Zealand Singles Chart |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles |
4 |
D'Angelo version
Neo soulThe term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
musician
D'AngeloMichael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
recorded a cover of the song for his 1995 album
Brown Sugar.
Charts
| Chart (1995) |
Peak
position |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
53 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles |
10 |
Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis version
Gwyneth PaltrowGwyneth Kate Paltrow is an American actress and singer. She made her acting debut on stage in 1990 and started appearing in films in 1991. After appearing in several films throughout the decade, Paltrow gained early notice for her work in films such as Se7en and Emma...
and
Huey LewisHuey Lewis is an American musician, songwriter and occasional actor.Lewis sings lead and plays harmonica for his band Huey Lewis and the News, in addition to writing or co-writing many of the band's songs...
performed a cover of the song in the 2000 film
DuetsAn original motion picture soundtrack CD was released on September 12, 2000 by Hollywood Records. The CD contained twelve tracks including the original music composed for the film by David Newman....
. The song is included on the soundtrack of the film. The duet spent one week at number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.
Charts
| Chart (2000) |
Peak
position |
| Australian ARIA Singles Charts |
1 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Charts |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles |
9 |
Other covers
In 2001, saxophonist
JaaredJaared is a Washington, DC-based contemporary jazz saxophonist.In 2002 he was nominated the Best New Artist of the Year for 2002 by The National Smooth Jazz Association...
covered this song from the album "Foreward." 3 years later, the late bassist
Wayman TisdaleWayman Lawrence Tisdale was an American professional basketball player in the NBA and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma, he was elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.-Early life:Tisdale was born in Fort Worth, Texas...
also covered the song off the album "Hangtime."
In 2011, former
Jackson 5The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
member
Tito JacksonToriano Adaryll "Tito" Jackson is an American singer and lead guitarist and original member of The Jackson 5. He is the older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson.-Early life and rise to stardom:...
recorded a cover of the song. The release date of the cover has yet to be announced.