The Miracles (known from 1965 to 1972 as
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rhythm and bluesRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
group from
DetroitDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
,
MichiganMichigan is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. It was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, notable as Motown royalty, the first successful group act for
Berry GordyBerry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
's
Motown RecordsMotown Records was a group of record labels originally based in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. on January 12, 1959 as Tamla Records, the company was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of the words motor and town, is also a...
. The Miracles went on to become one of Motown's signature acts of the 1960s, during which time their original lead singer and founding member
Smokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
became one of the most successful
songwriterA songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics, as well as the musical composition or melody to songs. One who writes only lyrics is a lyricist, while one who writes only music is a composer.-History and background of songwriters:...
s and
record producerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
s of all time.
During their nineteen year run on the American music charts, The Miracles charted over fifty hits and recorded in the genres of doo wop,
soulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
,
discoDisco is a genre of dance music that that had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, psychedelic and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, and R&B. Twenty-six Miracles songs reached the Top Ten of the
Billboard R&B singles chartR&B/Hip-Hop Songs, formerly the Black Singles Chart, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues...
, including four R&B number ones. Sixteen of the Miracles' songs charted within the Top 20 of 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...
, with seven songs charting within the Top Ten and two - 1970's "
The Tears of a Clown"The Tears of a Clown" is a 1967 song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla label, originally released on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in September 1970, where it became a number-one hit on the UK singles chart...
" and 1975's "
Love Machine"Love Machine" is a 1975 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"...
" (Part 1) - reaching number-one.
In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Smokey Robinson & the Miracles #32 on their list of The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Early years
The Miracles began with two young Detroit students,
William RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
and
Ronald WhiteRonald "Ronnie" White was an African American soul singer and songwriter, notable as a founding member of The Miracles, and the only member to survive all of that group's line-up changes...
, who had become friends and started singing together while in the fifth grade. Robinson, nicknamed "Smokey" because of his love of
cowboyA cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century became a figure of special significance and legend. A subtype, called a wrangler,...
movies, started a
doo-wopDoo-wop is a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music, which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. An African-American vocal style known as doo-wop emerged from the streets of northeastern and industrial midwest...
group called
The Five Chimes in 1955 at Northern High School with himself, White,
bassA bass is a type of classical male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second F below middle C to the E above middle C . Its tessitura, or...
singer
Pete MoorePete Moore is an African American soul singer,and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards...
(another childhood friend who Smokey knew since he was age 11), Clarence Dawson, and James Grice. Within a half a year, Dawson and Grice had been replaced by cousins Emerson and
Bobby RogersBobby Rogers is an African American soul singer, notable as a member of Motown Records' first signed act and first million selling group The Miracles from 1956 onwards.-Life:...
, and the group's name had been changed to
The Matadors. Rogers and Robinson were actually born on the same day - February 19, 1940 - in the same Detroit hospital, although they did not meet until they were fifteen years old.
Emerson Rogers was
draftedConscription in the United States has been employed several times, usually during war but also during the nominal peace of the Cold War...
in 1956. He was replaced by his sister Claudette Rogers, who married Smokey Robinson in November 1959. In 1958, the group added guitarist
Marv TarplinMarvin "Marv" Tarplin is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles during the 1950s through the early '70's, and is one of the group's original members.-Career:...
, who had originally been the accompanist for The Primettes (later known as
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
).
In 1958, the Matadors auditioned for the manager of Detroit soul star
Jackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr. was an American singer, and performer, and a 1987 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singer and...
, who turned the group down because he felt their sound and four-man-one-woman lineup were too similar to
The PlattersThe Platters were a successful vocal group of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound was a bridge between the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the burgeoning new genre...
, a popular vocal group. On their way out the door, the group ran into one of Wilson's chief songwriters, Berry Gordy, Jr. Gordy took a liking to the group, and eventually became the group's manager. In addition, Gordy worked closely with Robinson, the Matadors' chief songwriter, helping him to improve his songcraft.
Gordy and his colleague
Billy DavisRoquel Billy Davis of Detroit was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Davis is best known as a songwriter for a number of soul musicians label, and as a writer/producer of commercial jingles, mostly for Coca-Cola.Early in his career, Davis worked with an early version of The Four...
had written a song called "Got a Job" as an
answer songAn answer song is, as the name suggests, a song made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s through 1950s...
to "Get a Job", a recent hit by
The SilhouettesThe Silhouettes were an American doo wop/R&B group whose single "Get A Job" was a #1 hit on the Billboard R&B singles chart and pop singles chart in 1958. The doo-wop revival group Sha Na Na derived their name from the song's lyrics. "Get A Job"' is included in the soundtracks of the movies,...
. The Matadors recorded the single, and Gordy arranged a record deal for them with
End RecordsEnd Records was a record label founded by George Goldner. It was acquired by Morris Levy and incorporated into Roulette Records. Among its more successful recording acts were The Flamingos, The Chantels, and Little Anthony and the Imperials....
. At this time, they changed their name to
The Miracles, as "Matadors" had a masculine sound to it, and the group now included a woman. Gordy became the group's main outside collaborator, and he and Robinson wrote another Miracles single, "
Bad Girl"Bad Girl" was a 1959 Doo Wop hit single by Motown Records group The Miracles , issued locally on the Motown Records' label , and nationally on Chess Records...
". Issued on
Chess RecordsChess Records was an American record label based in Chicago, Illinois. It specialized in blues, R&B, gospel music, early rock and roll, and occasional jazz releases....
, "
Bad Girl"Bad Girl" was a 1959 Doo Wop hit single by Motown Records group The Miracles , issued locally on the Motown Records' label , and nationally on Chess Records...
" became the group's first national charting single on the
BillboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100, peaking at #93. Other early songs that brought regional attention to the group included "
Way Over There"Way Over There" is a 1960 Motown soul song and single, written by William "Smokey" Robinson, produced by Berry Gordy, and first performed by The Miracles for the Tamla label...
"( which eventually charted nationally at #94 Pop), "I Need A Change", "I Cry", "Whatever Makes You Happy", "Would I Love You", "Mama Done Told Me", "Happy Landing", and "
(You Can) Depend on Me" Depend on Me" was a 1959 song by Motown Records group The Miracles, taken from the group's first album, Hi... We're The Miracles . It also appeared as the "B" side of the group's hit single, Way Over There. It was written by Motown Records' President and founder Berry Gordy and Miracles member...
".
Frustrated by low financial returns due to the group's practice of selling their masters to various labels, Robinson suggested Gordy start his own record label. Thus, in 1959, Gordy founded Tamla Records (later Motown), and signed The Miracles as one of his first acts. By 1961, Robinson would be appointed vice-president of the corporation.
Success at Motown: 1960 - 1967
After three unsuccessful singles, The Miracles' fourth Tamla single, "
Shop Around"Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100....
" backed with "
Who's Lovin' You"Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles ,who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Terence Trent-D'arby, Brenda and The Tabulations, John Farnham,...
" (1960), became their first Motown hit. "Shop Around" was the first Motown song to reach #1 on the national R&B charts, and the first to sell over a million copies. Both sides of this record became standards for R&B and rock musicians for several decades afterwards. In the wake of this success, the Miracles became the first-ever Motown act to perform on Dick Clark's
American BandstandAmerican Bandstand was a television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. "Shop Around" was followed by many more hits, including "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (Top 10) (1962), "
What's So Good About Goodbye"What's So Good About Goodbye" was a 1961 single recorded by R&B group The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label, later included on their 1962 album I'll Try Something New. The single was a Top 40 Pop hit, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States during the winter of...
" (1962), "
I'll Try Something New"I'll Try Something New" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and first recorded by Robinson's popular group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1962. Considered one of The Miracles' most beautiful tunes, it is still fondly remembered today. The song would later be re-recorded by The...
(1962)" "Mickey's Monkey" (Top 10) (1963), "
I Gotta Dance to Keep From CryingI Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying was a 1963 hit by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was a Billboard Top 40 Pop hit,reaching # 35 on that chart,and a Top 20 hit on its R&B chart, peaking at # 17...
" (1963), "
I Like It Like ThatNote: This article is about the song. For The Miracles' deleted 1964 album of the same name, see "I Like It Like That "I Like It Like That was a 1964 hit song by Motown Records...
" (1964), "
That's What Love Is Made OfThat's What Love Is Made Of was a 1964 hit song by Motown Records' original vocal group ,The Miracles, issued on the label's Tamla records subsidiary...
" (1964), "
Come On Do The JerkCome On Do The Jerk was a 1964 song recorded by R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label subsidiary. A single-only release, it did not appear on any original Miracles studio album....
"
(1964), "
Going to a Go-Go"Going to a Go-Go" is a 1965 single recorded by The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. Issued in December 1965, "Going to a Go-Go" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States the following spring...
" (1965), "
My Girl Has Gone"My Girl Has Gone" is a 1965 R&B single recorded by The Miracles for Motown Records' 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".Written by Miracles members...
" (1965), "
The Tracks Of My Tears"The Tracks of My Tears" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. It is considered among their best recordings, and is listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll...
" (1965), and their signature song, "
Ooo Baby Baby"Ooo Baby Baby" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, today considered the group's signature song. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song #262 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Song Information:...
" (all Top 20-1965). The Miracles had become a national sensation.
During this period, The Miracles were the most popular group on the label. The Miracles' success paved the way for all future Motown stars, and, as a result, the group was the headlining act of the Motor Town Revue, a nationwide package concert touring show which showcased Motown artists. Their exciting live performances earned them the nickname, "The Showstoppers". The group also influenced a significant number of outside performers as well, particularly
The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
, who covered The Miracles' "You Really Got a Hold on Me" on their second album,
With the BeatlesWith The Beatles is The Beatles' second UK album, recorded four months after the band's first album and released on 22 November 1963, the same day President John F...
.
John LennonJohn Winston Ono Lennon, MBE was an English rock musician, singer-songwriter, author, and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles...
of the Beatles acknowledged Smokey Robinson as one of his favorite writers, and named the Miracles' "
I've Been Good To YouI've Been Good To You was a 1961 R&B song by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was released as the "B" side of their Billboard Top 40 hit, "What's So Good About Goodbye", and was included on their album "I'll Try Something New" the following year. This sad, melancholy ballad charted...
" as one of his favorite songs. Another Beatles song,
Ask Me Why"Ask Me Why" is a song by The Beatles originally released in the United Kingdom as the B-side of their hit single "Please Please Me" . It was also included on their first UK album, Please Please Me.-Composition:...
, also written by Lennon, was influenced by The Miracles' hit "
What's So Good About Goodbye"What's So Good About Goodbye" was a 1961 single recorded by R&B group The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label, later included on their 1962 album I'll Try Something New. The single was a Top 40 Pop hit, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States during the winter of...
".
George HarrisonGeorge Harrison MBE was an English rock guitarist, singer-songwriter and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist in The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian mysticism, and helped broaden the horizons of the other Beatles, as well as...
also greatly admired Robinson and paid tribute to him in his 1976 song 'Pure Smokey', while
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
covered their hit "
Going to a Go-GoGoing To A Go-Go is a 1965 album by The Miracles, the first to bill the group as Smokey Robinson & 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"...
".
The HolliesThe Hollies are an English rock group from Manchester formed in the early 1960s. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style they became one of the leading British groups of the era, and they enjoyed considerable popularity in many other countries although they did not achieve major US chart...
covered the group's 1963 smash "
Mickey's Monkey"Mickey's Monkey" was a 1963 song recorded by the R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. One of the group's most powerful singles, it was written and produced by Motown's main songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, who later went on to write 2 more...
".
The ZombiesThe Zombies are an English rock band. Formed in 1959 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent on piano and Colin Blunstone on vocals, the band scored US hits in the mid- and late-1960s with "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season"...
also covered "You've Really Got a Hold On Me", while
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
covered The Miracles' hit, "
I Gotta Dance to Keep From CryingI Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying was a 1963 hit by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was a Billboard Top 40 Pop hit,reaching # 35 on that chart,and a Top 20 hit on its R&B chart, peaking at # 17...
". While the
British InvasionThe British Invasion is used to describe rock and roll, beat and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States from 1964 to 1966. The Second British Invasion refers to MTV and New Wave acts of the 1980s...
meant the end of many American artists' recording careers, it had very little effect on The Miracles, who continued having hits throughout this period. In addition, artists of many diverse musical genres have covered their songs, including
JazzJazz is a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
,
Country & WesternCountry music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains...
,
MOREasy listening music is a style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the mid-20th century, evolving out of swing and big band music, and related to Beautiful music and Light music. Easy listening music features simple, catchy melodies, soft, laid-back songs and occasionally rhythms...
,
ReggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based...
, Hip-Hop,
RockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
, and
PopPopular may refer to:*an adjective referring to any people or population*Social status, the quality of being well-liked or well-known*Popularity, the quality of being well-liked.*The mainstream, the quality of being common, well-received, in demand...
, as well as
R&BRhythm and blues is the name given to a wide-ranging genre of popular music created by African Americans in the late 1940s and early 1950s...
/
SoulSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. (See "Cover Versions" section).
Behind the scenes, Robinson (often assisted by the other Miracles), handled most of the songwriting and production for not only the Miracles, but for most of the acts on Motown during this early period. During the first half of the 1960s, Robinson tutored labelmates The Supremes and
The TemptationsThe Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
. Indeed, by the time each group had its breakthrough hit in 1964, the Miracles had already issued a double-LP
greatest hitsA greatest hits album is a compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular music artist or band...
album,
Greatest Hits from the BeginningGreatest Hits from the Beginning is a compilation double LP by The Miracles released in 1965. It covers most of the group's hits from their pre-1965 albums, such as "Shop Around", "Who's Loving You", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Mickey's Monkey" as well as the non-album singles from 1964...
.
In addition to penning their own material, Miracles Robinson, White, Rogers,Tarplin, and Moore wrote for many of their labelmates as well. Motown hits written, but not recorded, by members of the Miracles include songs for the Temptations ("
The Way You Do The Things You Do"The Way You Do the Things You Do" is a 1964 hit single by The Temptations for the Gordy label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, the single was The Temptations' first charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking in the Top 20 at number eleven and also went to...
", "My Girl","
Don't Look BackDon't Look Back usually refers to Dont Look Back, a documentary about Bob Dylan.Don't Look Back may also refer to:-Film and television:* Don't Look Back , an action/thriller television film...
", "
Since I Lost My Baby"Since I Lost My Baby" is a 1965 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown Records' Gordy label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore and produced by Robinson, the song was a top 20 pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, on which it peaked at...
","
It's Growing"It's Growing" is a 1965 hit single by The Temptations for the Gordy label, a follow-up to the hit single, My Girl. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore and produced by Robinson, the song was a top 20 pop single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, on which it...
" ,"
Get Ready"Get Ready" is a Motown song written by Smokey Robinson, which resulted in two hit records for the label: a U.S. #29 version by The Temptations in 1966, and a U.S. #4 version by Rare Earth in 1970...
"), Mary Wells ("
My Guy"My Guy" is a 1964 number-one hit single recorded by Mary Wells for the Motown label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's dedication to the goodness of her man .The single became the biggest hit ever for Wells, Motown's first female star, and reached the...
", "
The One Who Really Loves YouThe One Who Really Loves You is the second album recorded by R&B singer and Motown recording artist Mary Wells, released in 1962 on the Motown label. Released after the runaway success of Wells' first top ten pop singles, the album became Motown's first top ten album peaking at number 8 on the pop...
","
What Love Has Joined Together"What Love Has Joined Together" is a song written and composed by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, was recorded by five Motown acts: The Miracles, Mary Wells, The Temptations, Barbara McNair, and Syreeta, and was issued as b-sides to hits by Wells' and The Tempts; "Your Old...
" "
Two LoversTwo Lovers may refer to:*"Two Lovers," a 1962 single by Mary Wells.*"Two Lovers," a 2007 rock single by The Twang.*Two Lovers, a 2008 romantic drama film....
"),
Marvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960...
("
I'll Be Doggone"I'll Be Doggone" is a 1965 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and released on the Tamla label. The song talks about how a man tells his woman that he'll be "doggone" about simple things but if she did him wrong that he'd be "long gone"....
", "
Ain't That Peculiar"Ain't That Peculiar" is a 1965 song recorded by American soul musician Marvin Gaye for the Tamla label. The single was produced by Smokey Robinson, and written by Robinson, and fellow Miracles members Ronald White, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin...
"),
The MarvelettesThe Marvelettes were an American singing girl group on the Tamla label. Motown's first successful female vocal group, the Marvelettes are most notable for recording the company's first US #1 pop hit, "Please Mr...
("
Don't Mess With Bill"Don't Mess with Bill" is a 1965 single recorded by The Marvelettes for Motown Records' Tamla label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson, "Don't Mess with Bill" features a lead vocal by Wanda Young. The single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1966, and at number three...
"),
The ContoursThe Contours were one of the early African-American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records.The group is best known for its singular Billboard Top 10 hit, "Do You Love Me," a song that peaked twice in the Top 20....
("
First I Look at the PurseFirst I Look At The Purse was a 1965 song recorded by R&B group The Contours on Motown Records' Gordy label. It was written by The Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, the authors of The Temptations very first hit single, "The Way You Do the Things You Do"...
), and
Brenda HollowayBrenda Holloway is an African-American singer and songwriter, best known as a recording artist for the Motown Records label during the 1960s...
("
When I'm Gone"When I'm Gone" is a song by American hip hop musician Eminem, featured on his 2005 compilation album Curtain Call: The Hits. When released as a single on December 6, 2005, the song charted at number eight on the American Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, number 22 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart,...
").
Despite their success, the Miracles were beset with a number of personal problems during the early and mid-1960s. During the first Motor Town Revue tour, Smokey Robinson caught the
Asian fluAsian Flu may refer to:* The Asian Financial Crisis of 1997, or* Asian Flu, the H2N2 virus...
, requiring Claudette Robinson to take over his role as lead singer until he recovered. In addition, Pete Moore was drafted into the US Army, and remained away from the group for over a year. Smokey and Claudette Robinson made plans to begin a family, but the rough life of touring caused Claudette to have several
miscarriageMiscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
s. In early 1964, Claudette decided to retire from the road and remain at home in Detroit. From this point on, Claudette did not tour with the Miracles or appear in any official group photographs or on television, although she continued to sing backup with the group in the studio until 1972.
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles: 1965 - 1971
After Claudette Robinson's departure, the remaining Miracles appeared in
The T.A.M.I. ShowThe T.A.M.I. Show is a 1964 concert film, released by American International Pictures. It includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England...
, a 1964 concert film recorded live at the
Santa Monica Civic AuditoriumSanta Monica Civic Auditorium is a multipurpose convention center in Santa Monica, California. It was built in 1958.For trade shows, the Civic Auditorium features 11,775 square feet of space, while the stage adds 4,485 square feet more space, for a total of 16,260 square feet...
, and distributed nationally by
American International PicturesAmerican International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer. It was dedicated to releasing independently produced, low-budget...
, which also featured
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
,
Marvin GayeMarvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and instrumentalist with a three-octave vocal range. Starting as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late fifties, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960...
,
The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance...
,
Lesley GoreLesley Gore is an American singer-songwriter of the "girl group era". She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit, "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of 1963-1967...
,
Chuck BerryCharles Edward "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter.Chuck Berry is one of the pioneers of rock and roll music...
,
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
,
Gerry & the PacemakersGerry & The Pacemakers were a British rock and roll group prominent during the 1960s. In common with The Beatles, they came from Liverpool and were managed by Brian Epstein. They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with their first three single...
, and
James BrownJames Joseph Brown , originally James Joseph Brown, Jr., also known as "The Godfather of Soul", was an American entertainer. He is recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th century popular music and was renowned for his vocals and feverish dancing...
&
The Famous FlamesThe Famous Flames was an R&B vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd that performed with James Brown during the early years of his career. On recordings such as "Please, Please, Please", "Try Me", "Think"," I Don't Mind ","Shout and Shimmy", "Bewildered", "Oh Baby, Don't You Weep", and "I'll Go Crazy"...
. The Miracles also appeared on many of the popular variety television programs of the period, including
The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show was a popular American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from June 20, 1948 to June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan.-History:...
,
Shindig!Shindig! is an American music variety show which aired on the ABC TV from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966. The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles at the time, who also created the show along with his wife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art...
,
HullabalooThe word hullabaloo is an English noun meaning an uproar or fuss. Hullabaloo may also refer to:*Hullabaloo, a general name for some performance, celebration or other noisy event*Hullabaloo, a children's band based out of San Diego, California,...
,
American BandstandAmerican Bandstand was a television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
,
Where The Action IsWhere the Action Is or ' was a music-based variety show which aired on television in the United States during the 1960s. It was carried by the ABC network and aired each weekday afternoon...
,
The Mike Douglas ShowThe Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982.-Format and production: A former big band singer, Douglas moved to television in the 1950s...
,
The Andy Williams ShowThe Andy Williams Show was a television variety show which ran from 1959 to 1971 , and a short-lived run in syndication, beginning in the fall of 1976...
, and Britain's
Ready Steady Go. Acknowledging Robinson's presence upfront, Motown Records' President and founder
Berry GordyBerry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
changed the Miracles' name to "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles" in 1965, although they were billed as simply "The Miracles" on their 45s until "
The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage"The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" is a 1967 song recorded by American R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Marv Tarplin and produced by Robinson, it is noted for being the first single to bill the group as Smokey Robinson &...
", a Top 20 pop hit, in 1967. On that song's flip side was "
Come Spy with MeCome Spy with Me may refer to:*Come Spy with Me , a 1967 American film*"Come Spy with Me", a song by The Miracles, the B-side of "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage", and the film's title song...
"; The Miracles sang the original theme to the 1967
20th Century FoxTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation , also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox, is one of the six major American film studios...
film of the same name. Very popular in The United Kingdom, in 1968, The Miracles went to England, where they gave a Royal Command Performance for
Queen ElizabethElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
.
http://www.gbelv.com/pete_moore_miracles_facts.html
After scoring a few more major hits such as "
(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need" I'm the One You Need)" is a 1966 single by Motown group The Miracles, released on Motown Records' Tamla label.Unlike most Miracles songs, which were written and produced by the group themselves, "I'm the One You Need" was written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team...
" (1966), the Top 10 "
I Second That Emotion"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 hit single released originally by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Motown label. The song was the group's second Top 5 hit on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart...
" (1967), and "
More Love"More Love" is a 1967 single recorded by the American soul group Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. The single, included on the group's 1967 album Make It Happen, later reissued in 1970 as The Tears of a Clown....
" (1967)the Miracles,along with several classic Motown acts , experienced a slight chart decline during the late '60's. The group still continued to chart hits, however, including "
If You Can Want"If You Can Want" is a 1968 single recorded by R&B group Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. Written and produced by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, "If You Can Want" was the most successful of the three singles included on the group's 1968 album Special Occasion....
" (1968), "
Special OccasionNote: this article is about the song . For The Miracles' album of the same name, see Special Occasion .Special Occasion is a 1968 hit single recorded by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles , issued by its Tamla Records subsidiary and taken from the album of the same name...
" (1968), "
Here I Go Again"Here I Go Again" was a 1969 hit single by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label subsidiary. It was taken from their top-25 Pop album Time Out for Smokey Robinson & The Miracles from that year, and was the flip side of their hit single, "Doggone Right"...
" and the Top 10 "
Baby, Baby Don't Cry"Baby, Baby Don't Cry", released in December 1968, is a 1969 single recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. The composition was written by Smokey Robinson, Motown staff writers Al Cleveland and Terry Johnson, an original member of The Flamingos...
" (1969). Constantly away from home and his family, Smokey Robinson began planning to leave the group for a solo career, which would allow him more time to remain at home and concentrate on his role as Vice-President of Motown Records. Robinson told White, Moore, and Rogers of his intentions in 1969, but Robinson decided to stay for two more years when the group's 1970 single "
The Tears of a Clown"The Tears of a Clown" is a 1967 song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla label, originally released on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in September 1970, where it became a number-one hit on the UK singles chart...
" became their biggest hit to date.
"The Tears of a Clown" had, in fact, been recorded in 1967 for the album
Make It HappenMake It Happen is a 1967 album by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. It featured ballads such as the singles "The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage" and "More Love", as well as the up-tempo "The Tears of a Clown" co-written by Stevie Wonder and his producer Hank Cosby.Three years after the album's...
, and became the group's first US number-one hit (and their only number-one hit with Smokey Robinson). Also in 1970, the group was given its own
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. It first broadcast on television in 1948...
television special,
The Smokey Robinson Show, which starred The Miracles, and guest-starred The Temptations, The Supremes, and
Stevie WonderStevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Blind from birth, Wonder signed with Motown Records at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for the label. He has recorded more than thirty U.S...
.
Exit Smokey Robinson, enter Billy Griffin
After one more Top 20 hit in late 1971, "
I Don't Blame You At AllI Don't Blame You At All was a 1971 R&B hit by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was composed and produced by Miracles lead singer ,William "Smokey" Robinson,and was taken from their album, One Dozen Roses...
", Robinson announced that he would indeed leave the Miracles, and the group began a six-month farewell tour of the United States. Coinciding with this tour was the release of the group's final studio album with Robinson,
Flying High TogetherFlying High Together was a 1972 album by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label . 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...
(1972). The lead single, "We've Come Too Far To End It Now", became a Top 10 R&B hit.
Robinson's final performance as a Miracle was at the
Carter Barron AmphitheaterCarter Barron Amphitheatre is a 4,200 seat outdoor performance venue in Washington, DC. Located in Rock Creek Park, the amphitheatre opened in 1950 in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Washington, DC as the nation's capital...
in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
on July 16, 1972. For this performance, Claudette Robinson rejoined the group onstage for the first time in eight years. At the conclusion of the concert, which Motown later released as a live album entitled "
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957-19721957-1972 was a 1972 double- album by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. This 2- 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 14th,15th,&16th, during the 1972 National Parks...
", Robinson introduced the group's new lead singer,
Billy GriffinBilly Griffin , Baltimore, Maryland, United States) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United States for replacing Smokey Robinson as lead singer of The Miracles.-Biography:...
. Griffin was introduced to national television audiences on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices in Burbank,California...
's
The Midnight SpecialThe Midnight Special was the name of a passenger train formerly operated by the Chicago and Alton Railroad and its successor, the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The train ran on an overnight schedule, and in later years carried the last regularly scheduled Pullman sleeping car between Chicago,...
, on an episode guest-starring The Miracles and hosted by Smokey Robinson, broadcast on July 13, 1973.
Griffin's arrival meant the departure of not only of Smokey Robinson, but his wife, Claudette Robinson, and Marv Tarplin from the group as well. Tarplin continued to tour and work exclusively with Smokey Robinson as his guitarist while Claudette retired from recording. Tarplin was replaced by Billy Griffins' brother Donald; Claudette Robinson was not replaced. The group's first post-Smokey album, featuring Billy on lead, was 1973's critically-acclaimed album,
RenaissanceRenaissance was a 1973 album by R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label, noted as the first-ever album by the group not to feature original lead singer Smokey Robinson on lead vocals.Instead, his replacement, new lead singer ,Billy Griffin did the lead chores on this...
. The Miracles continued, scoring two more Top 40 hits: 1973's #13 million - selling hit "
Do It Baby"Do It Baby" is a 1974 single recorded and released by the Motown R&B group The Miracles and marked the soul quintet's first top forty hit over a year and a half after the departure of the group's most important member, former leader Smokey Robinson and the inclusion of Billy Griffin, who took over...
", and 1976's multi-million- selling* #1 Pop smash hit "
Love Machine (Part 1)"Love Machine" is a 1975 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"...
", the group's biggest hit, taken from their Platinum-selling
City of AngelsCity of Angels is an English language romance film directed by Brad Silberling in 1998. The film stars Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan. Set in Los Angeles, California, the film is a remake of Wim Wenders' 1987 German film Wings of Desire , which was set in Berlin.-Story:In Los Angeles, Seth is one of...
album.
http://www.gbelv.com/pete_moore.html The Miracles also scored a Top 10 R&B hit with "Don't Cha Love It". However, the group's following releases did not match the success of "Love Machine". In 1977, they left Motown for
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
, where their releases did not make the impact of their many previous hits.
Later years, The RRHOF controversy, awards and accolades
In 1978, Billy Griffin and Pete Moore retired from performing to concentrate on songwriting. Griffin later went on to enjoy a briefly successful solo career in the 1980s, scoring a hit with "Hold Me Tighter in the Rain" in 1982. Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers recruited new members Dave Finley and Carl Cotton. After reuniting with Smokey Robinson on the
Motown 25 television special in 1983, (minus Ronnie White), the Miracles essentially disbanded and ceased to perform.
Motown held a 35th anniversary retrospective for the Miracles in 1993, and Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers decided to reunite the group. The two of them and Dave Finley recruited Sidney Justin (formerly of
ShalamarShalamar, , was an American music group of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey . They went on to be an influential dance trio , masterminded by Soul Train TV producer Don Cornelius...
) as the new fourth member, and began making personal appearances and touring. White, the last founding member remaining in the group, died of
leukemiaLeukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow and is characterized by an abnormal proliferation of blood cells, usually white blood cells . Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
in 1995, and the other three members carried on as a trio.
In 1987, Smokey Robinson was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music...
as a solo artist. In a move that has since sparked much controversy, the other original Miracles – Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, Pete Moore,Marv Tarplin, and Claudette Robinson – were not inducted. Nor was '70s Miracles lead singer
Billy GriffinBilly Griffin , Baltimore, Maryland, United States) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United States for replacing Smokey Robinson as lead singer of The Miracles.-Biography:...
. This has miffed Robinson, Motown alumni, music industry insiders, and Miracles fans, who feel the entire
group deserves induction.
http://www.futurerocklegends.com/artist.php?artist_id=The_Miracles Particularly so, since
Rolling Stone Magazine had already listed The Miracles among its
Immortals-The
50 Greatest Artists Of All Time and because the group has three songs on The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame's own list of
The 500 Songs That Helped Shape Rock and Roll. The Miracles as a group
were honored with the national
Rhythm and Blues FoundationThe Rhythm and Blues Foundation is an independent American nonprofit organization dedicated to the historical and cultural preservation of rhythm and blues music....
's
Pioneer AwardPioneer Award may mean the:*EFF Pioneer Award presented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation*SFRA Pioneer Award presented by the Science Fiction Research Association*INCOSE Pioneer Award presented by the International Council on Systems Engineering...
in 1997, and inducted into the
Vocal Group Hall of FameThe Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World". The Hall of Fame is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum.It was originally organized in 1998...
in 2001.
A video
retrospectiveRetrospective generally means to take a look back at events that already have taken place. For example, the term is used in medicine, describing a look back at a patient's medical history or lifestyle....
of the Miracles' work,
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Definitive Performances, was released on
DVDDVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...
by Motown Records and Universal Home Video in late 2006. It featured new interview footage with original Miracles Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Bobby Rogers. This DVD has been awarded Certified Gold status By The RIAA.
http://www.amazon.com/review/R1ERXR72YIKBLF/ref=cm_cr_pr_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000JMK6IK&nodeID=#wasThisHelpful In early 2007, "
The Tracks of My Tears"The Tracks of My Tears" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. It is considered among their best recordings, and is listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll...
" became the fourth Miracles song to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The other inducted songs are "Shop Around" (inducted 2006), "
The Tears of a Clown"The Tears of a Clown" is a 1967 song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla label, originally released on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in September 1970, where it became a number-one hit on the UK singles chart...
" (inducted 2002), and "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (inducted 1998). Three Miracles songs, "The Tracks of My Tears", "Ooo Baby Baby", and "Shop Around" are in
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason.The magazine was named after the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same...
magazine's list of "
The 500 Greatest Songs of All TimeThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time...
", and their 1965
Going To a Go-Go album is on
Rolling Stone's list of "
The 500 Greatest Albums of All TimeThe 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003.Related news articles: The list was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics and industry figures, each of whom submitted a weighted list of 50 albums...
". With their song "The Tears of a Clown", The Miracles are also noted as the first-ever Motown group to have a #1 record in England. Their million-selling song "The Tracks of My Tears" was honored by the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) as #127 on their list of the
Songs of the CenturyThe "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
-the 365 Greatest Songs of the 20th Century, and on May 14, 2008, the song was preserved by the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Library of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books. The head...
as an "culturally, historically and aesthetically significance" to the
National Recording RegistryThe National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States". The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, which created the National Recording...
. It was also chosen as one of the
Top 10 Best Songs of All Time by a panel of 20 top industry songwriters and producers including
Hal DavidHal David is an American lyricist and songwriter. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his words and music that were written along with musician, composer and singer Burt Bacharach. David is credited with popular music lyrics beginning in the 1940s with material written for...
,
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE , is an English singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record and film producer, painter, and animal rights and peace activist. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings, McCartney is the most successful songwriter in the history of popular music...
,
Brian WilsonBrian Douglas Wilson is an American musician, best known as the leader and chief songwriter of the rock group The Beach Boys...
, Jerry Leiber, and others as reported to Britain's
MojoMojo is a popular music magazine published by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom.Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
music magazine, and was also winner of "The Award Of Merit" from The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) for the song's writers, Miracles members
Pete MoorePete Moore is an African American soul singer,and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards...
,
Marv TarplinMarvin "Marv" Tarplin is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles during the 1950s through the early '70's, and is one of the group's original members.-Career:...
, and
Smokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
.
http://www.gbelv.com/pete_moore_awards.html.
Also, every member of The Miracles (except Claudette), has been a winner of the prestigious
BMIBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
award for Songwriting. Cable TV network VH-1 chose The Miracles as #61 in their list of the
100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and in 2008,
BillboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, on the 50th anniversary of its Hot 100 chart, recently ranked them as #71 in its list of the
Top 100 Artists of All Time. In addition, "Going to a Go-Go", "The Tracks of My Tears", and "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" are on The
Rock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music...
's list of
"The 500 Songs That Helped Shape Rock and Roll", and
Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the Miracles as #32 in their list of
"The Immortals: The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
Tee Turner, who had been serving as the group's bassist, was made a fourth vocalist in 2001. Today, the Miracles are composed of classic-era member Bobby Rogers, along with Dave Finley, Tee Turner, and lead singer Mark Scott. Claudette Robinson performs with the group upon special request. The group continues to tour and perform throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, in 2001. The Miracles were inducted into the
Vocal Group Hall of FameThe Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World". The Hall of Fame is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum.It was originally organized in 1998...
. And, although not technically a Doo-Wop group, (though they did start out in that era and genre), The Miracles have also been inducted into the
Doo-Wop Hall of Famehttp://www.doowophof.com/done/miracles/miracles.htm.
The Original Miracles Today
Today, original member
Pete MoorePete Moore is an African American soul singer,and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards...
is owner and CEO of his own Las Vegas-based entertainment firm, WBMM Enterprises.
http://www.gbelv.com/pete_moore.html Bobby RogersBobby Rogers is an African American soul singer, notable as a member of Motown Records' first signed act and first million selling group The Miracles from 1956 onwards.-Life:...
, tours nationally and internationally with the current Miracles group. Ronnie White became an affluent real estate developer*. He died at the age of 57, and is survived by his wife, Gloria, a son, Ron II, and a daughter, Pamela. Claudette Robinson is the First Lady of Motown, an active board member of the national Rhythm and Blues Foundation, HAL (Heroes & Legends) Awards, and she continues to perform at selected concerts with the Miracles. She is also writing her memoirs for publishing.
Smokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
owns a food corporation,
Smokey Robinson Foodshttp://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/03/prweb223775.htm and continues to tour and record as a solo artist.
Marv TarplinMarvin "Marv" Tarplin is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles during the 1950s through the early '70's, and is one of the group's original members.-Career:...
, the group's first guitarist,after leaving The Miracles in 1973, continued to tour and work with Smokey Robinson for another 36 years, before he finally retired in 2008.His wife of many years, Sylvia, died in 2004.
- *(Reference: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The 35th Anniversary Collection- liner notes by Claudette Robinson, pg 5).
The original Miracles, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, Claudette Robinson and Smokey Robinson, re-united in Detroit in 2007 to celebrate the group's 50th anniversary, and performed in a tribute to Motown founder
Berry GordyBerry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
.
In 2006, Woodbridge Estates an exclusive residential development in The City of Detroit named their community park "Miracles Park" and one of its streets "Miracles Boulevard", in recognition of the legendary Motown group's importance to the city, and as a tribute to their many accomplishments in the music industry. To date, The Miracles have sold over 40,000,000 records worldwide,
http://www.gbelv.com/pete_moore.html and have won numerous Gold and Platinum Records,
http://www.gbelv.com/pete_moore_awards.html and other music industry awards.
Despite the inductions of many of their Motown labelmates, as of 2009, The Miracles, Motown's first group, the artists most responsible for establishing the label's early success, still have not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.
Hollywood Walk of Fame
On March 20, 2009, in Motown Records' 50th anniversary year, the Miracles received the latest of many career awards when they were honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...
http://www.varley.net/images%20-%202007/The%20Miracles%20Hollywood%20Star.jpg http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/ap/cbfc3329-e2ad-4c03-b60f-e3bd5b3dccc7.hmedium.jpghttp://mrpoplife.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54ede41cc883301156e312aba970c-320wi more than fifty years after the group's founding in 1957. That effort was led by public relations veteran Ron Brewington. The Star is located on the southwest corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Sycamore Street, one block east of La Brea Boulevard. The ceremony was attended by original Miracles Smokey Robinson, Claudette Robinson, Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, Billy Griffin, and the late Ronnie White's widow Gloria, his daughter Pamela and granddaughter Mya; along with
Berry GordyBerry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
and
Stevie WonderStevie Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. Blind from birth, Wonder signed with Motown Records at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for the label. He has recorded more than thirty U.S...
, and other celebrities including,
BrianThis article is about the African American songwriter and record producer. For the Bryan Holland who is best known as the lead singer/guitarist of the American band The Offspring, see Dexter Holland....
and Eddie Holland (of
Holland-Dozier-HollandHolland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr.. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music. The trio wrote and arranged many of the songs making up the Motown...
),
Mary WilsonMary Wilson is an American singer who gained fame as a founding member of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and '70s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year hit-making tenure...
of
The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Al B Sure!,
Freda PayneFreda Charcelia Payne is an American singer and actress best known for her million selling, 1970 hit single, "Band of Gold". She has also performed in musicals and acted in movies over the years, and briefly was the host of her own TV talk show...
, and her sister, former Supreme
Scherrie PayneScherrie Payne Scherrie Payne Scherrie Payne (born November 4 1944 in Detroit, Michigan} is an American singer. The younger sister of singer/actress Freda Payne, Scherrie Payne was the co-lead singer of The Supremes from 1973 to 1977, after Jean Terrell left the group in the fall of 1973...
, Motown songwriter
Janie BradfordJanie Bradford was the receptionist at Hitsville U.S.A., the house on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit where Berry Gordy ran Motown Records.With Gordy, Janie Bradford co-authored Motown's first big hit, Barrett Strong's "Money ", while she and Strong were still both high school students.While...
,
Kevin FrazierKevin Frazier is currently the weekend host of Entertainment Tonight as well as correspondent. Formerly, Frazier worked as an anchor at Fox Sports Net and later ESPN, where he hosted SportsCenter as well as a multitude of NBA themed programming .Made guest appearances on...
of
Entertainment TonightEntertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid-like television entertainment news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Kaylee Stacey is the producer...
, and a host of family, friends and fans. Speaking in tribute to the group, Motown founder and First President Berry Gordy Jr. said:
"Without The Miracles, Motown would not be the Motown it is today".
Cover versions
The Miracles, Motown's first group, are the most covered Motown group of all time. Almost all of their hits were self-written, making them unique among Motown acts. Many of the Miracles' songs have been major hits or important recordings for other artists. Among these are:
- "Going to a Go-Go" - The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
, The Hags, and Secret AffairSecret Affair was a mod revival band, formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1982. It reformed to perform and record in the 2000s.-Career:In a period of a little over two years, Secret Affair posted five releases in the UK Singles Chart and released three albums...
.
- "I Second That Emotion" - Japan
Japan were a British pop/rock group, formed in 1974 in Lewisham, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s/early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .-Early years:Original members:* David Sylvian : vocals, guitar, keyboards*...
, Michael McDonaldMichael McDonald is a gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. He is sometimes described as a "blue-eyed soul" singer and sings in a distinctive "husky, soulful" yet baritone range...
, Kiki DeeKiki Dee is a singer-songwriter, with a career spanning more than 40 years....
, The Manhattan TransferThe Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
, Jerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his work with the band the Grateful Dead...
, Diana Ross & the Supremes with the Temptations, 10db, Tammy WynetteVirginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of country music's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
, Jose FelicianoJosé Montserrate Feliciano García is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer, known for many international hits. He was born permanently blind owing to congenital glaucoma.-Childhood:...
.
- "(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need " - The Jackson 5, The Cowsills
The Cowsills were a singing group from Newport, Rhode Island, specializing in what would later be defined as bubblegum pop. The band was formed in the spring of 1965 by four brothers—Barry, Bill, Bob, and John Cowsill. After their initial success, the brothers were later joined by their...
, The GP's
- "If You Can Want" - The Dirtbombs
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup...
, Barbara McNairBarbara McNair was an African-American singer and actress.Born Barbara Joan McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago...
, Chazz Dixon.
- "Much Better Off" - J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
.
- "A Legend In It's Own Time" - J Dilla
James Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
.
- "Oh Be My Love"- Barbara Lewis
Barbara Lewis is an American singer and songwriter whose smooth style influenced rhythm and blues.-Career:...
, The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Barbara McNairBarbara McNair was an African-American singer and actress.Born Barbara Joan McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago...
.
- "Mighty Good Lovin"-Edwin Starr, Chris Clark.
- "You're So Fine and Sweet"- The Undertakers
The Undertakers were a British beat group, contemporaries of The Beatles and a leading group in the Merseybeat music scene of the early 1960s.-Band members:Their best known line-up was:*Jackie Lomax *Chris Huston...
.
- "I Like It Like That" (Miracles song)- Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels.
- "Would I Love You"-Len Barry
Len Barry is a retired American vocalist and musician.-Career:...
.
- "Happy Landing"- The Temptations
The Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
.
- "Special Occasion- Jim Gilstrap
Jim Gilstrap is an American singer, best known for his work as a session musician, and his 1975 solo hit single, "Swing Your Daddy."-Career:...
.
- "I'll Try Something New" - Diana Ross & The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
with The TemptationsThe Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, Barbara McNairBarbara McNair was an African-American singer and actress.Born Barbara Joan McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago...
, A Taste of HoneyA Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. They later went on to score one of the best known songs of the disco era. After their popularity waned during the early 1980s Johnson went on to record as a solo artist and...
, Spyder TurnerSpyder Turner is an American soul singer. Turner was raised in Detroit, and sang in doo wop groups and high school choirs while young...
(as an excerpt from his cover of "Stand By Me")
- "My Girl Has Gone" - Etienne Daho
Étienne Daho Étienne Daho Étienne Daho (born January 14, 1956 in Oran, Algeria is a French singer, songwriter and record producer who has released a number of synth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.- Career :...
, Bobby TaylorBobby Taylor may refer to:*Bobby Taylor , Canadian football player*Bobby Taylor , American football player*Bobby Taylor , Canadian ice hockey player and broadcaster...
, Edwyn CollinsEdwyn Collins is a Scottish musician.-Career:He formed the musical group Nu-Sonics in 1976, which became Orange Juice in 1979. Critically admired within independent rock circles, Orange Juice are perhaps best known for their No 8 hit single, "Rip It Up", their only UK Top 40 single and biggest...
, Ken ParkerKen Parker is a Jamaican musician who first recorded in the 1960s.-Biography:Like many of Jamaica's singers of the era, Parker began by singing in church, where his father was a preacher. He formed a group called the Blues Benders in the mid-1960s, and their first recording was "Honeymoon by the...
.
- "Yester Love" - Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
& His Orchestra.
- "The Love I Saw In You Was Just a Mirage" - The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
, Vance GilbertVance Gilbert is an American folk singer/songwriter. He started out as a jazz singer, then switched to folk music, performing on the open mike circuit in Boston. His career took off when he toured with Shawn Colvin. He has recorded eight albums, including Side of the Road, a duo album with friend...
, The UniquesThe Uniques may refer to:*The Uniques , a Jamaican vocal group*The Uniques , a rock group including Joe Stampley in the 1960s...
- "Love Machine" - Wham!
Wham! was a British duo formed in 1981 by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK because of a naming conflict with another band.-Beginnings:...
, Thelma Houston
- "Determination" - The Contours
The Contours were one of the early African-American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records.The group is best known for its singular Billboard Top 10 hit, "Do You Love Me," a song that peaked twice in the Top 20....
.
- Choosey Beggar - Chazz Dixon.
- "I've Been Good To You" - Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he grew up in the northern suburb of Berkley, Michigan. Marshall graduated from Berkley High School in June of 1971. Crenshaw began playing guitar at age ten...
, Brenda Holloway, Joe MeekJoe Meek was a pioneering English record producer and songwriter...
, The Temptones, Ray, Goodman & BrownRay, Goodman & Brown, are an American R&B vocal group. The group originated as The Moments, who formed in the late 1960s and whose greatest successes came in the early 1970s with hits including "Love On A Two Way Street", "Girls", and "Look At Me "...
(The MomentsThe Moments may refer to:*The Moments, an American R&B vocal group later known as Ray, Goodman & Brown*The Moments , an English group of the early 1960s who featured Steve Marriott...
), The OnesThe Ones are a New York City based dance music group, best known for their 2001 hit single "Flawless," which reached #7 on the UK Singles Chart. The trio consists of three male vocalists Paul Alexander, JoJo Americo, and Nashom Wooden who met while working at the Greenwich Village boutique Patricia...
, The TemptationsThe Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
.
- "Mickey's Monkey" - Mother's Finest, Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963-1967...
, The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, The HolliesThe Hollies are an English rock group from Manchester formed in the early 1960s. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style they became one of the leading British groups of the era, and they enjoyed considerable popularity in many other countries although they did not achieve major US chart...
, The Young Rascals, John MellencampJohn Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is a Grammy-winning American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his rootsy, organic brand of heartland rock that is infused with catchy pop hooks and...
, Lou ChristieLugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco , known professionally as Lou Christie, is an American singer-songwriter best known for three separate strings of pop hits in the 1960s, including his 1965 smash, "Lightnin' Strikes."-Biography:...
, Cannibal & the HeadhuntersCannibal & The Headhunters is a U.S. band originating from East Los Angeles, that is known for being one of the first Mexican-American groups to have a hit record, "Land of a Thousand Dances"...
.
- "More Love" - Kim Carnes
Kim Carnes is an American singer-songwriter. She is noted for her distinctive, raspy voice which she attributes to many hours spent singing in smoky bars and clubs.-Early career:...
, Paul YoungPaul Antony Young is an English pop musician.-Biography:Paul Young was born in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. He has an older brother, Mark Young, and a younger sister, Joanne Young. As a youth, after school, he went to soccer at the Vauxhall Motors factory and in his spare time played in several...
, Barbara McNairBarbara McNair was an African-American singer and actress.Born Barbara Joan McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago...
, Mica ParisMica Paris is an English soul singer, radio and television presenter, and occasional actress.-The Beginnings :Mica Paris's roots are in soul and gospel music...
, The 5th Dimension, Rick Webb.
- "Ooo Baby Baby" - Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music vocalist and entertainer. Her many vocal styles in a variety of genres have resonated with the general public over the course of her four-decade career...
, Brenda Holloway, ShalamarShalamar, , was an American music group of the 1970s and 1980s, that was originally a disco-driven vehicle created by Soul Train booking agent Dick Griffey . They went on to be an influential dance trio , masterminded by Soul Train TV producer Don Cornelius...
, Ruby TurnerRuby Turner is a British soul singer, songwriter and actress. In a career spanning a quarter of a century, Turner has had hit albums and singles on both sides of the Atlantic, and provided backing vocals for major popular music stars...
, SylvesterSylvester James , better known as Sylvester, was an American disco and soul singer, and a gay drag performer. He is considered to be one of the first Hi-NRG artists. Sylvester was sometimes known as the "Queen of Disco," although this moniker has also been bestowed on some of the ladies of the...
, Spirit Traveler, Five Stairsteps, ZappZapp is a soul and funk band formed in 1978 by brothers Roger Troutman, Larry Troutman, Lester Troutman, Tony Troutman and Terry "Zapp" Troutman...
, Laura NyroLaura Nyro was an American composer, lyricist, singer, and pianist. Her style was a hybrid of Brill Building-style New York pop, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues, show tunes and rock....
, Ella FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as "Lady Ella", and the "First Lady of Song", was an American jazz vocalist....
, Honey ConeHoney Cone was an American R&B and soul singing girl group who was most famous for the #1 hit, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland writing and producing team in the very early-1970s after the team departed from Motown...
, Human Nature
- "Shop Around" - Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille are U.S. pop music recording artists who achieved chart success from 1975–80 with a repertoire of hit pop songs. The duo consists of "Captain" Daryl Dragon , and Toni Tennille...
, Don BryantDon Bryant is a singer and songwriter. He was born in 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. Bryant was staff songwriter for Hi Records. He married soul singer Ann Peebles in 1974.-Discography:Doin' the Mustang
Comin' On Strong...
, The AstronautsThe Astronauts is the first science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanisław Lem published as a book, in 1951....
, The Allusions, and Georgie FameGeorgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer; often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
, among numerous others.
- "The Tears of a Clown" - La Toya Jackson
La Toya Jackson is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, television personality and actress. She is the fifth child of the famous Jackson family. She had a career as a singer throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and returned to music in 2004 with her Billboard charting songs "Just Wanna...
, The BeatThe Beat are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae, and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity, and sociopolitical topics....
, The Rocking Chairs, The Re-Bops, Nnenna FreelonNnenna Freelon, , is an American jazz singer, composer, producer, and arranger. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards for her vocal work, and has performed and toured with such top artists as Ray Charles, Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall,...
, The Flying PicketsThe Flying Pickets is a British a cappella vocal group, that had a Christmas number one hit in 1983 in the UK Singles Chart, with their cover of Yazoo's track - "Only You".-History:...
, CaligulaCaligula were a band from Sydney, Australia, who produced techno-grunge music in the early 1990s and achieved some national success.Caligula was composed of five members: vocalist Ashley Rothschild, guitarist James McKinnon, drummer Dave Macken, Jamie Fonti , and bass guitarist Sean Fonti...
, Human Nature, Enuff Z'Nuff
- "The Tracks of My Tears " - Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music vocalist and entertainer. Her many vocal styles in a variety of genres have resonated with the general public over the course of her four-decade career...
, Aretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter and pianist commonly referred to as "The Queen of Soul". Although renowned for her soul recordings, Franklin is also adept at jazz, rock, soul, blues, pop, R&B and Gospel music...
, Johnny RiversJohnny Rivers is an American rock and roll singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He was versatile enough to do folk songs, blues, and revivals of old-time rock 'n' roll music songs and some original material...
, Gladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & the Pips were an R&B/soul musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight Train to Georgia"...
, Mongo SantamariaRamón "Mongo" Santamaría was an Afro-Cuban Latin jazz percussionist. He is most famous for being the composer of the jazz standard "Afro Blue," recorded by John Coltrane among others. In 1950 he moved to New York where he played with Perez Prado, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader, Fania All Stars, etc...
, Martha and the VandellasMartha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963-1967...
, Bryan FerryBryan Ferry is an English singer, musician, songwriter and occasional actor known for a suave visual and vocal style, earning him the epithet 'The Electric Lounge Lizard'...
, Dolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best-known for her work in country music....
, Boyz II MenBoyz II Men is a Grammy Award-winning American group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Initiated during 1988 as a quintet which originally included Marc Nelson, Boyz II Men found fame as a quartet, with members Nathan Morris, Michael McCary, Shawn Stockman,and Wanya Morris on Motown Records during...
, Human Nature, among many others
- "Darling Dear" - The Jackson Five.
- "Who's Loving You" - The Jackson 5, En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal quartet from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.Through August 2008, En Vogue had sold over 20 million albums and singles worldwide...
, Terence Trent D'Arby, Brenda HollowayBrenda Holloway is an African-American singer and songwriter, best known as a recording artist for the Motown Records label during the 1960s...
, The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, The TemptationsThe Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, Honey ConeHoney Cone was an American R&B and soul singing girl group who was most famous for the #1 hit, "Want Ads". They were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by the legendary Holland-Dozier-Holland writing and producing team in the very early-1970s after the team departed from Motown...
, Stevie B., Archie Bell & the DrellsArchie Bell & the Drells was a Houston, Texas, based R&B vocal group, one of the main acts on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records...
, Nikka CostaDomenica "Nikka" Costa is an American singer whose music combines elements of funk, soul, and blues. She also had a career as a child singer.- Early life :...
.
- " You've Really Got a Hold on Me" - Percy Sledge
Percy Sledge is an American R&B and soul performer.-Early career:Percy Sledge worked in a series of blue-collar jobs in the fields in Leighton, Alabama before taking a job as an orderly at Colbert County Hospital in Sheffield, Alabama...
, Barbara McNairBarbara McNair was an African-American singer and actress.Born Barbara Joan McNair in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, McNair studied music at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago...
, The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
, The TemptationsThe Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, The ZombiesThe Zombies are an English rock band. Formed in 1959 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent on piano and Colin Blunstone on vocals, the band scored US hits in the mid- and late-1960s with "She's Not There", "Tell Her No", and "Time of the Season"...
, Aidan Smith, Sonny & CherSonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
, Mickey GilleyMickey Leroy Gilley is an American country music singer and musician. Although he started out singing straight-up country and western material in the 1970s, he moved towards a more pop-friendly sound in the 1980s, bringing him further success on not just the country charts, but the pop charts as...
, Eddie MoneyEddie Money is an American rock singer-songwriter who found success in the 1970s and 1980s with a string of Top 40 hits and platinum albums...
, Cyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first artist to have four top-five singles released from one album. Lauper has released 11 albums and over 40...
, The Bobs, Greg Brown, Small Faces, Bobby McFerrinRobert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is a jazz and a cappella vocal performer, vocal improviser and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy".He is a ten-time Grammy Award winner.-Life:...
, and She & HimShe & Him is an American indie folk band consisting of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward . The band's first album, Volume One, was released on Merge Records in March, 2008. The duo is augmented by session musicians Rachel Blumberg , Mike Mogis and Mike Coykendall...
among many others.
- "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" - The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
, Jimmy JamesJimmy James is a vocal impressionist/illusionist performance artist and former drag artist. He is famous for his vocal impressions of famous female singers or divas, both contemporary and classical, such as Marilyn Monroe and Billie Holiday...
.
- "From Head to Toe" - Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s, and later became associated with the punk rock and New Wave musical genres...
, Chris ClarkChris Clark is an American soul singer who recorded for Motown Records. Clark became famous in England as the "white Negress" , because the six-foot platinum blonde, blue-eyed soul singer toured with fellow Motown artists who were predominantly black.Recording on the V.I.P...
- "A Fork in the Road " - Rebbie Jackson
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Brown is an American singer professionally known as Rebbie Jackson. Born and raised as a Jehovah's Witness in Gary, Indiana, she is the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians...
- "Way Over There" - The Royal Counts, The Temptations
The Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, Edwin StarrEdwin Starr was an American soul music singer. Starr is most famous for his Norman Whitfield produced Motown singles of the 1970s, most notably the number one hit "War".-Career:...
, The MarvelettesThe Marvelettes were an American singing girl group on the Tamla label. Motown's first successful female vocal group, the Marvelettes are most notable for recording the company's first US #1 pop hit, "Please Mr...
, New Man, Eddie Adams Jr.
- "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man In You" - Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an R&B singer who was one of the first artists to successfully record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. He has performed with moderate success since 1961...
- "What's So Good About Goodbye" - Giant Sunflower, The Temptations
The Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
- "More, More, More of Your Love" - Bob Brady & the Con Chords
- "Doggone Right" - Bobby Davis.
- "After All" - The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, The MarvelettesThe Marvelettes were an American singing girl group on the Tamla label. Motown's first successful female vocal group, the Marvelettes are most notable for recording the company's first US #1 pop hit, "Please Mr...
.
- "Swept For You Baby" - The Sylvers
The Sylvers were a popular African-American R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. The group was from Memphis, Tennessee.-Beginnings:...
, The BlendersThe Blenders are a vocal quartet based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, not to be confused with the vocal quartet of the same name led by Steve Smith which was part of the Lawrence Welk Show for two years. It disbanded in 1967....
, The TamlinsThe Tamlins were a reggae and dub vocal group in 1970's Jamaica. Composed of Carlton Smith, Junior Moore, and Derrick Lara, The Tamlins are among the most recognized backup singers in reggae especially for their years of international touring in support of Peter Tosh...
(as Sweat For You Baby).
- "The Hurt is Over" - The DT's
- "Whatever Makes You Happy"- Jacki Gore.
- "Save Me" - The Undertones
- "(You Can) Depend On Me" - The Temptations
The Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, The SupremesThe Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Mary WellsMary Esther Wells was an American singer who defined the early sound of Motown Records in the early sixties...
, Brenda HollowayBrenda Holloway is an African-American singer and songwriter, best known as a recording artist for the Motown Records label during the 1960s...
.
- "Baby Baby Don't Cry" - Gerald Wilson
Gerald Stanley Wilson is an American jazz trumpeter, big band bandleader, composer/arranger, and educator. He has been based in Los Angeles since the early 1940s....
and His Orchestra, Projekt.
- "Can You Love a Poor Boy" - Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
, Softones, Gil Bernal, Ronnie Walker.
- "Bad Girl" - Dazz Band
The Dazz Band is a former American funk music band that was most popular in the early 1980s. Emerging from Cleveland, Ohio, the group's biggest hit songs include the Grammy Award-winning "Let It Whip" , "Joystick" , and "Let It All Blow"...
.
- "That's What Love Is Made Of" - Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
, Bobby VeeBobby Vee is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
, Choker Campbell, The MagiciansThe Magicians is a short novel by J. B. Priestley, first published in 1954. An example of Priestley's perennial concern with the true nature of time, the story uses fantasy elements to discuss the midlife crisis of a successful industrialist, briefly touching on social problems and mass...
.
- "We've Come Too Far To End It Now"-The Escorts
- "Here I Go Again" - Chazz Dixon, Carey Bell, A.J. De Bravo, Little Willie G., Oran "Juice" Jones.
- "Point It Out"' - The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
and The TemptationsThe Temptations are an American vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
.
- "Got A Job" - The Marcels
The Marcels were a doo-wop group known for turning American classical pop songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss. The group was named by Fred Johnson's younger sister...
- "Whole Lotta Shakin' In My Heart (Since I Met You)" - The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters were a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson , Dregen , Kenny Håkansson and Robert Eriksson . Andersson had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band Backyard Babies...
, Marv JohnsonMarvin Earl Johnson was an American R&B and soul singer, most notable for performing on the first record to ever come from what became Motown Records....
.
- "Give Me Just Another Day" - Young Jeezy
Jay Jenkins better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper and member of the Hip-Hop group USDA and a former member of Boyz N Da Hood. He began his career in 2001 under an independent label and joined Boyz N Da Hood in 2005, the same year his solo major label debut Let's Get It:...
(as the basis for his song, "Mr 17.5")
- "Do It Baby"- Jimmy Ponder
Jimmy Ponder is an American jazz guitarist.Ponder started playing guitar at age 14, and was heavily influenced by Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell. He began playing with Charles Earland at 17, and in the following years played with Lou Donaldson, Houston Person, Donald Byrd, Stanley Turrentine,...
, Red Holt (of Young-Holt Unlimited).
References: Allmusic, The Covers Project.
The Miracles : Awards & Professional Recognition
- Every member of The Miracles (except Claudette) has been awarded the BMI
BMI may refer to:Business* Broadcast Music Incorporated, a collecting society for composers' copyrights* Business Monitor International* Baltimore Museum of Industry* BMI , a United Kingdom airline* BMI Healthcare, a British healthcare company...
award for songwriting .(Reference: Ebony,Oct 1971,pg 169).
- Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation's signature act; their first Group, and their first million selling act was The Miracles.
- Without The Miracles there would be no Motown, quoted Berry Gordy, 3/20/2009 @ Miracles HWOF Ceremony.
- Without The Miracles there would be no Stevie Wonder, quoted Stevie Wonder, 3/20/2009 @ Miracles HWOF Ceremony.
- The Miracles Day, dedicated in Hollywood, California, March 20, 2009.
- Gold & Platinum Record (Single & Album) Awards (Sales of more than 500,000 or 1,000,000 units)
- Worldwide over 40 Million records sold.
- Twenty six of The Miracles single releases reached the Top Ten Billboard R&B Charts
- Four of The Miracles' songs reached #1 on Billboard R&B Charts
- Sixteen releases of The Miracles' recordings reached Billboards Hot 100's Pop Top 20 List with 7 Pop Top Tens.
- Two Miracles songs,the multi-million sellers Tears of a Clown, and "Love Machine"
"Love Machine" is a 1975 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"...
, reach #1 on BillboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Pop chart. A third song, their 1st million-seller Shop Around"Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100....
, reached #1 on Cash Box Pop chart. It was also the Motown label's first BillboardBillboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
#1 R&B Hit.
- Four time inductees Grammy Hall of Fame.
- Doo-Wop Hall of Fame Inductees.
- Triple induction Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Best" song List.
- Double recipient of the prestigious "Heroes and Legends" Award.
- Winner- Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award
- Vocal Group Hall of Fame Induction & Award
- Spirit of Detroit Award
- Rolling Stone Magazine named The Miracles #32 in it's list of "The Immortals": The 50 Greatest Rock n' Roll Artists" of All Time (the highest ranking Motown group on the listing).
- Billboard Magazine lists The Miracles among The 100 Greatest Artists of all Time (#71).
- VH-1 lists The Miracles among The 100 Greatest Artists of all Time (#61).
- Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Library's National Recording Preservation Board announced The Miracles' million seller, "Tracks of My Tears" being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" to preserve for all time in the United States Library of Congress.
- Miracles Boulevard and Miracles Park named after the group, Detroit, Michigan (Woodbridge Estates) http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-85924035.html
- Governor of the State of Michigan, Certificate of Tribute and recognition of The Miracles and their importance to the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit for tremendous accomplishments in the music industry.
- Mayor of Detroit Proclamation for a Lifetime of history making accomplishments in music.
- Resolution Award, the Detroit City Council gave the Highest Honor they can present to The Miracles for 5 decades of unchallenged achievements in the music industry.
- City of Beverly Hills, CA, Beverly Hills Mayor & City Council Proclamation recognizing The Miracles contributions to the music industry and American Culture.
- Miracles members Pete Moore
Pete Moore is an African American soul singer,and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards...
, Marv TarplinMarvin "Marv" Tarplin is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles during the 1950s through the early '70's, and is one of the group's original members.-Career:...
, and Smokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
are winners of "The Award Of Merit" from The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), for composing The Tracks Of My Tears"The Tracks of My Tears" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. It is considered among their best recordings, and is listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll...
.
- The Miracles received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...
on March 20, 2009.
Members
- Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown Records, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
(1955–1972)
- Ronnie White (1955–1983; 1993–1995)
- Pete Moore
Pete Moore is an African American soul singer,and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards...
(1955–1978)
- Clarence Dawson (1955)
- James Grice (1955)
- Emerson Rogers (1956)
- Bobby Rogers
Bobby Rogers is an African American soul singer, notable as a member of Motown Records' first signed act and first million selling group The Miracles from 1956 onwards.-Life:...
(1956–1983; 1993–present)
- Claudette Rogers (Robinson)
Claudette Rogers Robinson is an African-American soul singer, a member of The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson "Sonny" Rogers was an original member of the group, which was originally called "The Matadors" before 1957; Claudette Rogers took her brother's place after he was drafted...
(1957-1973)*
- Marv Tarplin
Marvin "Marv" Tarplin is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles during the 1950s through the early '70's, and is one of the group's original members.-Career:...
(1958-1973)**
- Billy Griffin
Billy Griffin , Baltimore, Maryland, United States) is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known in the United States for replacing Smokey Robinson as lead singer of The Miracles.-Biography:...
(1972–1978; late 1990s)
- Donald Griffin (1973–1978)**
- Dave Finley (1978–1983; 1993–present)
- Sidney Justin (1993–2005)
- Tee Turner (2001–present)
- Mark Scott (2005–present)
- Alphonse Franklin (June - December,2008)***
(*) Claudette Robinson retired from performing on stage in 1964 to start a family. Although she does not appear in any official Miracles photographs, nor mentioned as ever being a group member, after this point, she continued to sing in the background with the group on their recordings for as long as her husband Smokey Robinson was a member. As most of the group's performances before the camera were without her, some fans were unaware the group had a female member, and some sources dispute it. Claudette, however,
did appear on the cover of The Miracles' 1970
One Dozen RosesOne 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 single "I Don't Blame You At All"...
album, their aborted 1964 album,
I Like It Like ThatNote: For the album's title song of the same name, see I Like It Like That I Like It Like That is a 1964 album by Motown Records group The Miracles issued on its Tamla label subsidiary in the United States , and on the Tamla-Motown label elsewhere in the world...
, all pre-1964 albums that showed the group, and on the back covers of their albums
Away We a Go-GoAway We A Go-Go is a 1966 album by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. The album features the singles " 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...
(1966) and
What Love Has...Joined TogetherWhat Love Has...Joined Together was a 1970 album by R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label . A special concept album consisting solely of six extended- length love songs,it charted at #97 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, and reached the Top 10 of Billboard's R&B album chart...
(1970), and the center insert of their album,
Greatest Hits from the BeginningGreatest Hits from the Beginning is a compilation double LP by The Miracles released in 1965. It covers most of the group's hits from their pre-1965 albums, such as "Shop Around", "Who's Loving You", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Mickey's Monkey" as well as the non-album singles from 1964...
. Claudette also appears on the cover of the 2009 Motown CD release :
"The Miracles: Depend On Me"
(**)
Marv TarplinMarvin "Marv" Tarplin is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles during the 1950s through the early '70's, and is one of the group's original members.-Career:...
, although remaining with the Miracles until 1973, only appeared on the covers of three classic Miracles albums:
Cookin' with The MiraclesCookin' with The Miracles is the second Tamla album by The Miracles and their second for the year 1961. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson co-wrote most of the songs here, including the two charting singles "Ain't It Baby" and "Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues". The album is mostly comprised of upbeat...
,
I'll Try Something NewI'll Try Something New is the third Tamla album by The Miracles. 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...
(both 1962), and
The Fabulous MiraclesThe Fabulous Miracles is a 1963 album by The Miracles featuring the million-selling hit, "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", one of the group's most popular singles...
(1963). Although not pictured on the front, Tarplin was mentioned on the back of the group's debut album,
Hi... We're The MiraclesHi... We're The Miracles is the first album by Motown's first group, The Miracles, released on Motown's Tamla subsidiary label in the summer of 1961.It also has the distinction of being the first album ever released by the Motown Record Corporation The album features several songs which played an...
(1961), and listed as an original group member. Despite this many sources do not recognize him, or his replacement Donald Griffin, as being an official group member as they played guitar for the group and did not sing with them. Some sources even call Tarplin a member of the Funk Brothers session band. However, in the 2006 Motown DVD release,
"Smokey Robinson and The Miracles: The Definitive Performances", Smokey Robinson himself acknowledged Marv Tarplin as being a member of The Miracles with the words
"And that is how Marv Tarplin got into our group".Tarplin joined The Miracles in 1958,
before the formation of Motown Records or The Funk Brothers Band. Marv also appears on the cover of the 2009 Motown CD release :
"The Miracles: Depend On Me"http://www.hip-oselect.com/scr.public.productdetails.asp?product_id=49FF2A95-6892-49EE-8180-9DED21E6875D.Tarplin's replacement,Donald Griffin, appears with the group on the cover of The Miracles' 1977 Columbia album release,"The Miracles: "Love Crazy"
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-eWy9xG9GY8/SD_zE6JsOhI/AAAAAAAACUc/LEOiZe9FUn8/s320/the_miracles-love_crazy%5B1%5D.jpg.
(***) Alphonse Franklin, filled in for the group's current lead singer Mark Scott during the later part of 2008. Some sources dispute calling him a official member of the group.
Top Twenty US and UK singles
- 1960: "Shop Around
"Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100....
" (US: #2)
- 1962: "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles from the album The Fabulous Miracles for the Tamla label...
" (US #8)
- 1963: "Mickey's Monkey (song)
"Mickey's Monkey" was a 1963 song recorded by the R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. One of the group's most powerful singles, it was written and produced by Motown's main songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, who later went on to write 2 more...
" (US #8)
- 1965: "Ooo Baby Baby
"Ooo Baby Baby" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, today considered the group's signature song. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song #262 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Song Information:...
" (US: #16)
- 1965: "The Tracks of My Tears
"The Tracks of My Tears" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. It is considered among their best recordings, and is listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll...
" (US #16, UK #9)
- 1965: "My Girl Has Gone
"My Girl Has Gone" is a 1965 R&B single recorded by The Miracles for Motown Records' 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".Written by Miracles members...
" (US #14)
- 1965: "Going to a Go-Go
"Going to a Go-Go" is a 1965 single recorded by The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. Issued in December 1965, "Going to a Go-Go" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States the following spring...
" (US #11)
- 1966: "(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need
" I'm the One You Need)" is a 1966 single by Motown group The Miracles, released on Motown Records' Tamla label.Unlike most Miracles songs, which were written and produced by the group themselves, "I'm the One You Need" was written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team...
" (US #17, UK #13)
- 1967: "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage
"The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" is a 1967 song recorded by American R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Marv Tarplin and produced by Robinson, it is noted for being the first single to bill the group as Smokey Robinson &...
" (US #20)
- 1967: "I Second That Emotion
"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 hit single released originally by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Motown label. The song was the group's second Top 5 hit on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart...
" (US #4)
- 1968: "If You Can Want
"If You Can Want" is a 1968 single recorded by R&B group Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. Written and produced by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, "If You Can Want" was the most successful of the three singles included on the group's 1968 album Special Occasion....
" (US: #11)
- 1969: "Baby, Baby Don't Cry
"Baby, Baby Don't Cry", released in December 1968, is a 1969 single recorded by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. The composition was written by Smokey Robinson, Motown staff writers Al Cleveland and Terry Johnson, an original member of The Flamingos...
" (US #8)
- 1970: "The Tears of a Clown
"The Tears of a Clown" is a 1967 song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla label, originally released on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in September 1970, where it became a number-one hit on the UK singles chart...
" (US #1, UK: #1)
- 1971: "I Don't Blame You At All
I Don't Blame You At All was a 1971 R&B hit by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was composed and produced by Miracles lead singer ,William "Smokey" Robinson,and was taken from their album, One Dozen Roses...
" (US #18, UK #11)
- 1974: "Do It Baby
"Do It Baby" is a 1974 single recorded and released by the Motown R&B group The Miracles and marked the soul quintet's first top forty hit over a year and a half after the departure of the group's most important member, former leader Smokey Robinson and the inclusion of Billy Griffin, who took over...
" (US #13)
- 1976: "Love Machine - Pt. I
"Love Machine" is a 1975 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"...
"(US #1, UK #3)
Top Forty albums
- 1965: Greatest Hits from the Beginning
Greatest Hits from the Beginning is a compilation double LP by The Miracles released in 1965. It covers most of the group's hits from their pre-1965 albums, such as "Shop Around", "Who's Loving You", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" and "Mickey's Monkey" as well as the non-album singles from 1964...
(US #21)
- 1965: Going to a Go-Go
Going To A Go-Go is a 1965 album by The Miracles, the first to bill the group as Smokey Robinson & 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"...
(US #8)
- 1967: Make It Happen
Make It Happen is a 1967 album by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. It featured ballads such as the singles "The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage" and "More Love", as well as the up-tempo "The Tears of a Clown" co-written by Stevie Wonder and his producer Hank Cosby.Three years after the album's...
(US #28)
- 1968: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 is the second greatest hits album for Smokey Robinson & 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 1965-67 period...
(US #7)
- 1969: Time Out For Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Time Out for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles is a 1969 album by Motown group Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. The album reached #25 on the Billboard Pop Album chart. It contains four pop Top 40 singles: "Doggone Right", "Abraham, Martin & John", "Here I Go Again", and the Top 10 pop smash hit "Baby,...
(US #25)
- 1975: City of Angels
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,...
(US #33)
DVD
- Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Definitive Performances (1963-1987)
The Definitive Performances 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 Records.In addition to the musical performances,this DVD also features the first...
Motown/Universal (2006)
- The T.A.M.I. Show
The T.A.M.I. Show is a 1964 concert film, released by American International Pictures. It includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England...
(1964)
- Ed Sullivan's Rock & Roll Classics
- Red, White, and Rock (PBS special-VHS & DVD)
- Soul Spectacular: 40 Years Of R&B (PBS Special-VHS & DVD)
- Music Scene - The Best of 1969-70 (DVD & VHS)
- Motortown Gold on The Ed Sullivan Show - SOFA Entertainment - 2005
- The Best of Music Scene - The Best of 1969-70 - 2005
VHS
- Shindig- Motor City Magic Rhino/ABC-1991
- Ready Steady Go- Special Edition: The Sounds Of Motown-1985
- That Was Rock: The T.A.M.I/T.N.T Shows- Media Home Entertainment-1984
- Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever
- The Soul Experience- USA Home Video (VHS & DVD) - 1985
- The History Of Rock and Roll: The Sounds of Soul-Time Life/Warner Bros/Quincy Jones Productions-(VHS & DVD) 1985
100 Greatest Artists Of All Time
The Miracles are on 3 lists of The 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time :
- Rolling Stone Magazine's list at #32.
- VH-1's list at #61.
- Billboard Magazine's list at #71.
Grammy Hall of Fame
The Miracles are 4-time inductees into the
Grammy Hall of FameThe Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
*, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old, and that have "qualitative or historical significance."
| Grammy Hall of Fame Awards-The Miracles: |
| Year Recorded |
Title |
Genre |
Label |
Year Inducted |
| 1962 |
You've Really Got a Hold on Me "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles from the album The Fabulous Miracles for the Tamla label...
|
Traditional R&B (Single) |
Tamla |
1998 |
| 1965 |
The Tracks Of My Tears "The Tracks of My Tears" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. It is considered among their best recordings, and is listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll...
|
Traditional R&B (Single) |
Tamla |
2007 |
| 1970* |
The Tears of a Clown "The Tears of a Clown" is a 1967 song by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles for the Tamla label, originally released on the 1967 album Make It Happen. The song was re-released in the United Kingdom as a single in September 1970, where it became a number-one hit on the UK singles chart...
|
Pop (Single) |
Tamla |
2002 |
| 1960 |
Shop Around "Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100....
|
Traditional R&B (Single) |
Tamla |
2006 |
- *"The Tears Of A Clown", although not released as a single until 1970, was first recorded in 1966 and released on The Miracles' 1967 album Make It Happen, later re-named The Tears Of A Clown.
- * Awarded by The National Academy Of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time
The Miracles have 3 songs in Rolling Stone Magazine's
500 Greatest Songs Of All Time:
| Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time-The Miracles: |
| Year Recorded |
Title |
Genre |
Label |
Song Position |
| 1965 |
Ooo Baby Baby "Ooo Baby Baby" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, today considered the group's signature song. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song #262 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Song Information:...
* |
R&B (Single) |
Tamla (Motown) |
#262 |
| 1965 |
The Tracks Of My Tears "The Tracks of My Tears" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. It is considered among their best recordings, and is listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll...
|
R&B (Single) |
Tamla (Motown) |
#50 |
| 1960 |
Shop Around "Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100....
|
R&B (Single) |
Tamla (Motown) |
#495 |
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. It was chosen based on votes by 172 musicians, critics, and industry figures.
- * Incorrectly credited solely to Smokey Robinson, "Ooo Baby Baby" was recorded by
The Miracles
as a group
in 1965, while Robinson was still a member (Tamla 54113).
- The Miracles' 1965 album, Going to a Go-Go
Going To A Go-Go is a 1965 album by The Miracles, the first to bill the group as Smokey Robinson & 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"...
, from which two of these songs were taken, also made #271 on
Rolling Stone's
list of "The
500 Greatest Albums of All Time".
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll
Although still not inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame as of 2010,
The Miracles have 3 songs on their
"500 best" list:
| The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll is an unordered list of 500 songs, created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that they believe have been most influential in shaping the course of rock and roll, though some of them belong to different styles even after the...
-The Miracles: |
| Year Recorded |
Title |
Genre |
Label |
Album |
| 1965 |
Going to a Go-Go "Going to a Go-Go" is a 1965 single recorded by The Miracles for Motown Records' Tamla label. Issued in December 1965, "Going to a Go-Go" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States the following spring...
* |
R&B (Single) |
Tamla (Motown) |
Going to a Go-Go Going To A Go-Go is a 1965 album by The Miracles, the first to bill the group as Smokey Robinson & 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"...
|
| 1965 |
The Tracks Of My Tears "The Tracks of My Tears" is a 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. It is considered among their best recordings, and is listed on the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll...
|
R&B (Single) |
Tamla (Motown) |
Going to a Go-Go Going To A Go-Go is a 1965 album by The Miracles, the first to bill the group as Smokey Robinson & 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"...
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| 1960 |
Shop Around "Shop Around" is a 1960 single by The Miracles for the Tamla label, catalog number T 54034. It is notable as being the label's first #1 hit on the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart, and also hit #2 on the Hot 100....
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R&B (Single) |
Tamla (Motown) |
Hi... We're the Miracles Hi... We're The Miracles is the first album by Motown's first group, The Miracles, released on Motown's Tamla subsidiary label in the summer of 1961.It also has the distinction of being the first album ever released by the Motown Record Corporation The album features several songs which played an...
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Selected by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum curatorial staff and a number of rock critics and historians, these 500 songs are some of rock and roll’s most popular and influential recordings. This list of 500 songs cover a variety of musicians and genres illustrating the evolution of rock and roll over the last century.
http://www.rockhall.com/exhibithighlights/500-songs
The Miracles' "Hall Of Fame" Awards
- Grammy Hall Of Fame
- Vocal Group Hall Of Fame
- Doo-Wop Hall Of Fame
- Hollywood Walk Of Fame
External links
- The Miracles' official website
- "Gonna Take Some Miracles" - by Rick Allen -The story of The Miracles, their incredible Legacy, and the RRHOF Controversy-Aug 29th,2009
- http://michiganrockandrolllegends.com/Default.aspx?name=MIRACLES
- Smokey Robinson interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' December 1992
- History of Rock page on The Miracles
- 'Smokey Robinson and The Miracles' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
- The Miracles on the Soul Patrol website
- The Miracles RRHOF opinion poll
- Audio interview with Claudette Robinson of The Miracles
- Audio interview with Pete Moore of The Miracles.
- Audio interview #2 with Claudette Robinson, discussing the history of The Miracles, hosted by Raven Blair-Davis.
- The Miracles on The Future Rock Hall Website
- The Miracles Photo Gallery
- The Miracles Photo Gallery #2.
- The Miracles: Timeline of Facts, Awards, and Million-Selling Records-from Miracle Pete Moore's Website.
- The Miracles receive their star on The Hollywood Walk of Famehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4k5zz_B7nUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm0LbdMggVI
- http://www.starpulse.com/events/8533/0/1/The+Miracles+Receive+A+Star+On+The+Hollywood+Walk+Of+Fame/0/
- http://bossip.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/the-miracles.jpg
- left to right: Stevie Wonder, Billy Griffin, Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, Claudette Robinson, Bobby Rogers, and Gloria (Mrs. Ronnie) White
- Miracles Pete and Smokey with Motown Founder Berry Gordy at the group's H.W.O.F.Induction ceremony
- Smokey, Pete, Claudette, Bobby. (Berry Gordy behind Smokey).
- The Miracles: Motown Discussion Forum .
- http://www.arangemnts.com/Home_Page.php?aa=0&si0=9