‘Away We A Go-Go’
‘Going
To A Go-Go’
Another
dose of Motown 2 on 1’s with the legendary Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
seeing six of their albums showcased over three CD’s available at the end
of the month. These two titles are, for many, the ultimate collectors titles
featuring many of the best songs they ever recorded during the 65-66 period
where they reigned supreme alongside the label’s other top acts of the
day.
I must confess if I am being honest that Smokeys’ early issues during 1963 were of no appeal to me whatsoever and it wasn’t until the issue in the UK on Stateside of the song ‘That’s What Love Is Made Of’ did I really become interested in their music. From then on I was hooked along with millions of fans world wide and the rest, as they say is history. Bob Dylan is on record as saying that he is ‘the greatest living poet’ in modern time, and who would disagree as all their songs have that special story to tell of love and romance crafted around a superb production and background vocal delivery that only the Miracles could provide.
The opening track is nothing short of a classic. There probably isn’t a Motown act that hasn’t recorded a version of ‘The Tracks Of My Tears’ and although it first appeared in 1965 it wasn’t until four years later that it hit the UK charts peaking at #9 (this re-issue saw a different flip side to the original issue) and even to this day remains a favourite on radio and was one of the first pop records that became acceptable to my parents who were still crooning to Sinatra and Dean Martin.
The popularity of the dance halls and the mod movement in the UK during the middle sixties resulted in the title track generating mass appeal at dancefloor level, and to this day remains a great Motown dance favourite.
Smokey Robinson had that very special talent of not only writing those great love songs but also singing them too, and in 1965 the issue of ‘Ooh Baby, Baby’ is the ultimate ballad love song on the label and was the groups first single to be issued on the UK Tamla Motown label (TMG 503) which had previously been distributed on EMI’s Stateside label until then.
More dance grooves are delivered in the form of ‘My Baby Changes Like The Weather’ a song where Claudine’s voice is evident, and also ‘From Head To Toe’ which whilst written by Robinson, saw better chart action through Chris Clark’s version in ‘67’
It is argued that this album set the standards for many future recordings throughout the glory days at Detroit, and there is no question that this set is nothing short of essential for those fans wishing to update worn out vinyl copies.
Released
in the UK on 29th May 2001
Expect
to pay around £12.99 in the UK
Rating
10/10
www.motown.com
UK Tracklisting;
‘Going To A Go-Go’
The Tracks Of My Tears/Going To A Go-Go/OOO Baby, Baby/My Girl Has Gone/In Case You Need Love/Choosey Beggar/Since You Won My Heart/From Head To Toe/All That’s Good/My Baby Changes Like The Weather/Let Me Have Some/A Fork In The Road/
Additional information:
Album
originally issued in the US on Tamla 267 in November 1965.
Released
in the UK on Tamla Motown (TML 11024) in February 1966
US & UK Singles;
Ooh
Baby Baby/All That’s Good - Tamla 54113/TMG 503 (1965)
Tracks
Of My Tears*/Fork
In The Road - Tamla 54118/TMG 522 (1965)
My
Girl Has Gone/Since You Won My Heart - Tamla 54123/TMG 540 (1965)
Going
To A Go-Go/Choosey Beggar - Tamla 54127/TMG 547 (1965)
*
denotes that this single was re-issued in 1969 with ‘Come On Do The Jerk’
as the new flip side on Tamla 54109/TMG 696
‘Away
We A Go-Go’
Seen by many as the 'jewel in the crown' of Robinson's sixties albums and why not with an opening track such as 'Whole Lot Of Shaking In My Heart' which still remains to this day as one of the all-time dance favourites of that era. If one song epitomises the Motown sound during the sixties then it must be this, and remains a firm favourite amongst the northern soul fraternity in the UK.
Next up is their cover version of Dusty Springfield's 1966 hit 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' which whilst being sung at the same tempo as the original finds the Miracles in top form providing a superb backing which in my opinion outshines the Smokey's vocals. Track three finds another sixties stomper in the form of 'Come Round Here (I'm The One You Need) which sounds much better on the original 45's as the reproduced stereo version on this CD loses just a little of the magic in that it sounds much gentler than it's mono version which was tailor made for the dancefloor.
Next is a most unusual song in the form of 'Save Me' which reminds the listener that so many songs from the Motown stable were relegated to 'b' sides and this is one classic example of a song that was issued to the flip of 'Come Round Here' only to find many DJ's giving each side equal billing. Quite right too and a listeners poll to my Motown specials on local radio some years ago found both songs getting lots of requests.
Another stand out track must be 'Beauty Is Only Skin Deep' which was a self written song that ended up giving the Temptations a hit in 1966 whilst this version remained an album filler track despite being a strong chart contender it was let down through sounding like a 'live' recording, whereas the Temptations version was given the 'full hit' treatment of which I am sure those who have heard both versions would readily agree.
If Smokey was a big influence on somany other recording artits then others impressed Mr Robinson too. Dusty Springfield a big fan of Motown has another of her hits covered on this set with 'I Just Don't know What To Do With Myself' which loses that Motown sound as such a comes over as a credible stand alone song by itself, delivered with perfection in Smokey's immitible way.
The same can be said for the next cover version as Dionne Warwick's excellent Bacharach & David hit of the day 'Walk On By' gets the Motown treatment, and what is most noticeable about al these cover versions is that they are all delivered in the same tempo and vein as the originals with little variation at all.
The final track on the CD will be well known to al northern soul fans in the form of 'More More Of Your Love' which is another uptempo slice of dance magic which was also covered by Bob Brady a year later. Both version still remain popular at dance venues across the UK and the original vinyl is still very collectable.
Whilst it may be thirty five years since we were first blessed with these two albums, and a lot of today's youngsters may scoff at the thought of this style of music, they would do well to check them out in depth to see what they have been missing. One thing is for sure, is that these songs will live forever.
Justified to take pride of place in anyones CD collection - Essential!!!
Released
in the UK on 29th May 2001
Expect
to pay around £14.99 in the UK
Rating
10/10
www.motown.com
‘Away We A Go-Go’
Whole Lot Of Shakin’ In My Heart (Since I Met You)/You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me/(Come Round Here) I’m The One You Need/Save Me/Oh Be My Love/Can You Love A Poor Boy/Beauty Is Only Skin Deep/I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself/Baby Baby/Walk On By/Swept For You Baby/More, More, More Of Your Love/
Additional information:
Album
originally issued in the US on Tamla 271 in November 1966.
Released
in the UK on Tamla Motown (TML 11044) in February 1967
US & UK Singles;
Whole
Lot Of Shaking/Oh Be My Love - Tamla 54134/TMG 569 (1966)
(Come
Round Here) I’m The One You Need/Save Me - Tamla 5454140/TMG 584 (1966)