Love Machine (The Miracles song)
Encyclopedia
"Love Machine" is a 1976 number-one single recorded by Motown group The Miracles
, taken from their album City of Angels
. This single was one of two Billboard Hot 100
Top 40 hits recorded by The Miracles with Billy Griffin
as lead vocalist; the other is 1973's "Do It Baby". Griffin had replaced Miracles founder Smokey Robinson
as lead singer in 1972. The song features a growling vocal by Miracle Bobby Rogers
.
Engineered and mixed by Kevin Beamish
, "Love Machine" was produced by Freddie Perren
, a former member of The Corporation brain trust in charge of the early Jackson 5 hits. It was written by Billy Griffin and his Miracles bandmate Pete Moore
, who wrote the rest of the City of Angels tracks as well. The song's lyrics, delivered over a disco
beat, compare a lover to an electronic device such as a computer or a robot. The seven-minute song was split into two parts for its release as a single, with "Part 1" receiving most notoriety.
"Love Machine" was a multi-million selling Platinum single, and a number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
, and was one of the best-selling singles of The Miracles' career .The single went to #5 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and went to #20 on Record World
's National Disco file Top 20 chart. It was also a Top 10 hit in England, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart
.
By 1979, the song saw its first cover version
, performed by Thelma Houston
. Houston's version became a popular song with club DJs at the time in the United States
, although it did not chart. In Asia, and especially in Japan
, "Love Machine" became Houston's most successful single, topping the Japanese charts. The success prompted her album Ride to the Rainbow
to be reissued as Love Machine for the Japanese release.
Wham!
performed a cover version of "Love Machine" on their 1983 album, Fantastic.
The song was featured in the 1995 Disney film Heavyweights
and the 1997 crime film Donnie Brasco
, also it was featured in the 2002 film The New Guy
. Lil Wayne uses the hook in his verse in Drakes "Miss Me".
The Miracles
The 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...
, taken from their album City of Angels
City of Angels (album)
City of Angels is an album by the Motown soul group The Miracles, released on Motown Records' Tamla label in September 1975. The group's fourth album recorded after replacing lead singer Smokey Robinson with Billy Griffin in 1972, City of Angels is a concept album, depicting of a man from "Anytown,...
. This single was one of two Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The 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...
Top 40 hits recorded by The Miracles with Billy Griffin
Billy Griffin
Billy Griffin is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known for replacing Smokey Robinson as lead singer of The Miracles in 1972.-Biography:...
as lead vocalist; the other is 1973's "Do It Baby". Griffin had replaced Miracles founder Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "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...
as lead singer in 1972. The song features a growling vocal by Miracle Bobby Rogers
Bobby Rogers
Bobby Rogers is an American soul singer and songwriter, notable as a member of Motown Records' first signed act and first million selling group The Miracles from 1956 to present. He is also the grandfather of R&B singer Brandi Williams from R&B girl group Blaque-Life:Rogers is the son of the late...
.
Engineered and mixed by Kevin Beamish
Kevin Beamish
Kevin Beamish is an American record producer, sound engineer and mixer.He was the producer and engineer of REO Speedwagon #1 album Hi Infidelity and of the hit single "Keep on Loving You", with 15 million albums and 4 million singles sold worldwide....
, "Love Machine" was produced by Freddie Perren
Freddie Perren
Frederick "Freddie" Perren was an American songwriter, record producer, arranger, and orchestra conductor best known for as a co-songwriter and co-producer of such mega-hits as "Boogie Fever" by the Sylvers, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, and "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches &...
, a former member of The Corporation brain trust in charge of the early Jackson 5 hits. It was written by Billy Griffin and his Miracles bandmate Pete Moore
Pete Moore
Pete Moore is an African American soul singer, record producer, and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards, and is one of the group's original members...
, who wrote the rest of the City of Angels tracks as well. The song's lyrics, delivered over a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
beat, compare a lover to an electronic device such as a computer or a robot. The seven-minute song was split into two parts for its release as a single, with "Part 1" receiving most notoriety.
"Love Machine" was a multi-million selling Platinum single, and a number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The 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...
, and was one of the best-selling singles of The Miracles' career .The single went to #5 on the Hot Soul Singles chart, and went to #20 on Record World
Record World
Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade publications in the United States, along with Billboard and Cash Box magazines. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but since 1964 changed it to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin, both...
's National Disco file Top 20 chart. It was also a Top 10 hit in England, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
By 1979, the song saw its first cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
, performed by Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston
Thelma Houston is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She scored a number-one hit in 1976 with her cover version of the song "Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the 1978 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.-Early life & career:Houston is the daughter of a cotton picking mother...
. Houston's version became a popular song with club DJs at the time in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, although it did not chart. In Asia, and especially in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, "Love Machine" became Houston's most successful single, topping the Japanese charts. The success prompted her album Ride to the Rainbow
Ride to the Rainbow
Ride to the Rainbow is Thelma Houston's eighth studio album. The album was not the commercial success it deserved to be initially because the albums' most compelling songs never were released as singles. Lax promotion also played a role in the albums' slow sales upon its original release...
to be reissued as Love Machine for the Japanese release.
Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
performed a cover version of "Love Machine" on their 1983 album, Fantastic.
The song was featured in the 1995 Disney film Heavyweights
Heavyweights
Heavyweights is a 1995 comedy-drama film, directed by Steven Brill and co-written by Brill with Judd Apatow. Heavyweights is about a fat camp for kids that is taken over by a fitness guru named Tony Perkis .-Plot:...
and the 1997 crime film Donnie Brasco
Donnie Brasco (film)
Donnie Brasco is a 1997 crime drama film directed by Mike Newell, starring Al Pacino, Johnny Depp and Michael Madsen. It is loosely based on the real-life events of Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI agent who infiltrated the Bonanno crime family, one of the Mafia's Five Families based in New York City...
, also it was featured in the 2002 film The New Guy
The New Guy
The New Guy is a 2002 American teen comedy directed by Ed Decter. The film tells the story of high school loser Dizzy Gillespie Harrison. Dizzy is an unpopular, high school band geek going through a hellish senior year...
. Lil Wayne uses the hook in his verse in Drakes "Miss Me".