That same year, his solo debut, Smokey , arrived as well. It was a detour into funk and free-wheeling grooves. It marked a stylistic shift and a profound lyrical one, too. With so much commercial success in the past, Robinson was comfortable indulging his experimental urges.
Robinson hit his solo stride in the 80s. Think we missed one of the best Smokey Robinson songs? Let us know in the comments below.
In the early s, he formed the Matadors, which later became the world-famous group The Miracles. A chance meeting with record producer Berry Gordy Jr. Robinson also worked behind the scenes, composing and producing for The Miracles and other Motown artists, such as Mary Wells and The Temptations. His work contributed to the success of Motown Records and helped advance the popularity of soul music.
Robinson went solo in , creating a more mellow sound for himself. Often associated with romantic soul music, he released such successful albums as A Quiet Storm and Touch the Sky The mids were a difficult time for him as he battled a drug addiction. Robinson openly discussed his cocaine problem as well as many other personal topics in his autobiography, Smokey: Inside My Life. It's just a lowdown, dirty shame.
That's how it came to be included on "A Bit of Liverpool," a Supremes album timed to cash in on the British Invasion threatening to usurp Motown's hold on Young America. Best line: "I don't want you, but I need you. Don't wanna kiss you, but I need to. This may have been the best song Smokey ever gave away, a hopelessly devoted celebration of his special girl, as written in collaboration with another Miracle, Ronald "Ronnie" White. The production helped, of course, from that classic guitar to the most euphoric orchestration Motown would produce that decade.
Subsequent covers ranged from Otis Redding to the Rolling Stones, but the Temptations version remains the gold standard. Anyone who says they hate this song should be avoided at all costs. Best line: "I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May.
Things To Do app: Get the best in events, dining and travel right on your device. The melody is gorgeous, Smokey's finest. And the harmonies, arranged by fellow Miracle Pete Moore who took home a co-writing credit , only underscore the ache in Smokey's voice.
It was famously covered by The Beatles on their second album With the Beatles , with Smokey saying at the time that he was a fan of their version. This ballad gave The Miracles a worldwide hit in , though it took another four years before it reached the UK. Smokey later said of the song: "'Tracks of My Tears' was actually started by Marv Tarplin, who is a young cat who plays guitar for our act.
So he had this musical thing and we worked around with it, and it became 'Tracks of My Tears'. It wasn't until three years later however that it became a surprise number one in the UK.
Stevie brought his and Cosby's instrumental track to the Motown Christmas party, as he could not come up with the lyrics. He hoped to see what Smokey could come up with.
Smokey, who pointed out the song "sounded like a circus," provided lyrics that fitted his vision and ended up singing lead vocals.
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