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Tamla T 54109 (A), November 1964
b/w Baby Don’t You Go
(Written by Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore and Donald “Spike” Whited)
Stateside SS 377 (A), January 1965
b/w Baby Don’t You Go
(Released in the UK under license through EMI / Stateside Records)
That Motown hedged their bets and released two Jerk records one right after the other isn’t too surprising; making money on the back of a faddish craze is a tricky thing, and you can’t blame the company for backing more than one horse in the hope that at least one of these things might catch.
No, the surprise is that, having already had the Contours cut a Jerk record – a natural fit, given that they were Motown’s resident “dance” group in the first place – Motown then tasked Smokey Robinson and the Miracles with doing almost the exact same thing.
The result is a mildly diverting, utterly forgettable piece of fluff, a glorified jam whose only real redeeming feature is giving Smokey a rare opportunity to cut loose on louder, faster material. Otherwise, it’s a total waste of everyone involved, and – not coincidentally – it ends up as the weakest Miracles single to date.
This shares many similarities with the Miracles’ previous “rock out” on a Motown 45, the equally forgettable You’re So Fine And Sweet (Spike Whited, the Miracles’ touring drummer who co-wrote that song, even pitches in with another songwriting contribution here, as if to emphasise the connection) – but that was a B-side, a diversion, an excuse to show off a side of the group the non-concertgoing public didn’t often get to hear.
This, on the other hand, is a banner single from one of Motown’s banner acts, in a year when Smokey had already given away to other people such killer songs as My Guy, The Way You Do The Things You Do, Better Late Than Never, You’re My Remedy, and Who You Gonna Run To (and with My Girl still to come); and even the Miracles themselves had come up with the goods during the year, Smokey turning in beautiful performances on both sides of the glass with I Like It Like That and Would I Love You. Compared to any of those, Come On Do The Jerk is an unfunny joke.
Essentially, if the lovely That Day When She Needed Me is the Contours pretending to be the Miracles, then Come On Do The Jerk is the Miracles pretending to be the Contours, and coming off very much second best.
Now, I’m not against the idea of musical genii making lunkheaded dance music, and this would be forgivable – cause for celebration, even – if it was a good dance record, but it’s not. Smokey sounds self-conscious, almost as though he’s embarrassed to be doing this, and the track’s energy level never really gets up to the Miracles’ own previous rockers like Shop Around or Mickey’s Monkey, never mind the best of the Contours.
Indeed, The record is actually relatively sedate from a vocal perspective, and it’s revealing to note that in a year’s time, the Miracles would write the far superior Going To A Go-Go as a direct replacement for the ageing Mickey’s Monkey in their live sets – clearly, Come On Do The Jerk was never up to the job.
It’s just not something I really envisage ever coming back to. I don’t know whether this was ever included in any Miracles “Greatest Hits”-type collection, but they’d have to have scraped the barrel pretty damned seriously before this would be among the best available material to choose from – maybe it might find a place on Even More of The Best of the Miracles, Volume 6 or something, if everything else had already been used up. It’s not very good, is what I’m saying.
It’s got a catchy little hook, and I can imagine it’s probably quite good fun when you’re drunk, but otherwise there’s really nothing to see here. A waste of the talents of everyone involved, wafer-thin and surprisingly ill-suited to its lead singer; even Smokey isn’t taking this seriously, so there’s really no reason we should bother.
MOTOWN JUNKIES VERDICT
(I’ve had MY say, now it’s your turn. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment, or click the thumbs at the bottom there. Dissent is encouraged!)
You’re reading Motown Junkies, an attempt to review every Motown A- and B-side ever released. Click on the “previous” and “next” buttons below to go back and forth through the catalogue, or visit the Master Index for a full list of reviews so far.
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| The Contours “That Day When She Needed Me” |
The Miracles “Baby Don’t You Go” |
It took no little chutzpah, but yes Motown included this on …Greatest Hits Vol. 2 in January 1968. Imagine sublimely dreaming over the memories side one conjures with “Going To A Go-Go,” “The Tracks Of My Tears,” “I Second That Emotion,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” and “My Girl Has Gone,” to then land amidst this unfortunate collision.
In 1974, it’s on the three disc Anthology also, but by the mid-90s, while the otherwise superb 35th Anniversary set neglected “Would I Love You,” it skips “Jerk,” and gives life again to its flip side, the only renewal it saw in 30 years.
It’s not horrible, and one wants to quickly forgive Smokey a dud, because we know what greatness is to come and has come before, but this one was and remains dull.
I like to think of this song as a time capsule. A cute novelty record hailing the arrival of one the 60s most popular dances. This isn’t one of my favorites, but I do enjoy listening to it. It has more of a rawness about it than most of the group’s numbers, and it sounds as if the group is having more fun than usual. I love the horns on this record, especially during the “Now snap your back…” bit. I give the song 5/10.
I agree with what Rachelle says. Not one of my favorite Miracle records but when it comes on, I never skip it. And it is a time capsule. Actually, after the Larks tune, it’s my favorite jerk record. I’d rank it just above the Contours and it sure as hell beats Scott Walker’s jerk record. And, besides, it’s great to do the jerk to. I’d go with a 5/10.
There was a day when I only heard the Miracles on the RnB station.
)
This one had its place on that “other station”.
The Tamla-Motown Revue toured the UK in 1965, and I saw the concert in London’s Finsbury Park Astoria.
The Miracles were the last act on stage, and they were singing “Come on Do The Jerk”, when all of a sudden Smokey said “The Jerk came from another dance, you know – the Monkey”, and they all donned monkey masks and went into a performance of “Mickey’s Monkey”. This led into the finale when all the other acts joined them on stage.
For this reason, I regard “Come On Do The Jerk” more fondly than perhaps the record deserves.
Cool memory!
You’re absolutely right – but I think this is the last Miracles clunker for a long time -
perhaps until ‘The Composer?’ – What a string of unbroken glories lurks in wait after this completely unmemorable (but not detestable) song!
… just realized ‘The Composer’ wasn’t even a single for them, but for Diana Ross & the Supremes… So — NO more Miracles single clunkers! All gold, I think!…(perhaps not in terms of sales, but certainly in terms of sheer delight…)
I don’t think they’re all “gold” – there are a couple towards the end of the Sixties that have never made it near any Miracles mix tape I’ve ever compiled – but certainly none of them strike me as manifestly being duffers, unlike this one.
I agree with most of your review but I find some of your insight on this, and in many of your other reviews, to be influenced by “presentism” – looking at past cultural events with present day eye glasses. No offense meant.
The song was released during the popularity of the Jerk dance in the U.S. in ’64. As such, I find it just as good, and arguably better, than other Jerk records that came out. It was a great party record. As such, I rate it 8/10.
I agree that it’s not the Miracles’ strongest release, but I disagree that it’s their weakest. Mighty Good Lovin in my opinion deserves that honor.
“Presentism” is touched on in the comments to Don McKenzie’s “Whose Heart (Are You Gonna Break Now”.
Presentism is a problem for anyone not quite old enough to have heard these originally. I was three at the time of this release, so it’s very likely I didn’t hear it. I did hear it in context with the other Miracles singles of the time on the ’74 anthology, though, and to this day I still think it’s well below standard for Smokey.
It’s a thorny one, certainly – I make no bones about the fact I wasn’t there, and so if something is impressing me in context, that context is the tracks that lie around it on the Motown release schedules as I plough through it in order. Otherwise, I’m judging each track on its merits as heard today, rather than making allowances for how ahead of its time it was, or how much fun it was to hear at the time, or what have you.
I can’t put myself in the shoes of a listener in 1964, because I wasn’t born for another fifteen years, and so any attempt to compensate for recentism on my part would be artificial. More artificial than going through the entire catalogue one by one, even.
It’s confusing, and inconsistent, though, because if something sticks out like a sore thumb as being behind its time, then as a result of ploughing through in order etc. I tend to notice straight away and get wound up by it – even if by definition everything we’re discussing is dated to an extent by virtue of its being from 50-odd years ago, and thus it shouldn’t matter to me, it definitely does.
I don’t really have an explanation for this, except that I’m a contrary sort and not seeking to upset anyone (I’m always quite happy to be disagreed with)!
That someone born in 1979 (I trust my math is OK) can write with such discernment, eloquence and passion about Motown is a testimony to the timelessness of its best achievements – and to the enduring fascination about the whole process which produced this great music. If this be presentism, we’d be fools not to make the most of it! This 1945-born codger is continually grateful, even when passionately in disagreement.
I agree in the context of the Miracles discography.. it’s one of the weaker tracks. But in the context of 1964 releases and the dance genre, I find it to be quite good. “Great beat and you can dance to it,” as was said.
Presentism. I learned a new word today. I love this blog! Lol
I heard this at the time it was out. And as I always looked forward to each subsequent Miracles release. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed. I think it’s my least favourite Miracles’ cut.
Out of curiosity, was it a party record in the U.K.? It was in the urban U.S..
Yep! It was played at the parties I attended, in Chicagoland, as much as any other Miracles’ record. That’s exactly the beat that was hot at that time. If you could dance to it, that’s just about all you needed in terms of up-tempos. It was ballads, for slow dancing, where the discrimination and choice came in, and quality of the songwriting and singing became important.
Hi ya Robb. Sorry to be gone so long buddy. Been dealing with some health issues. Have been enjoying reading everyone’s comments. Yeah, not one of Smokey’s best but I don’t think it is all that bad. I first heard ir on the Greatest Hit’s Vol 2 album when I was a mere lad of 10! “Going to a Go Go” is a much better dance tune but this one will do I guess. Hope you have been well my friend!
I lived in Chicago during the time that record was released and in my world Come On Do the Jerk was like a lost record. It was never played anywhere near as much as any other Miracles hit. I mostly became familiar with it after it appeared on Greatest Hits Vol, II where it stuck out like a sore thumb…
“The Miracles pretending to be The Contours” Perfect way to sum of this record Steve! I have to agree with the 3/10 rating. This track lacks the coolness of The Contours “jerk” record & the energy of prior Miracle records such as “Shop Around”. Very forgettable and even slightly forced, but that doesn’t though because we know this group will get so much better = )
Heh.
YOU CRACK ME UP! Including that video of the Righteous Brothers singing Come On Do the Jerk certainly proves that someone was capable of doing a worse job of a fairly bad song than The Miracles. Still…on the original there is that Funk Brothers beat. I would say that was the only thing that merited 3 stars. Thanks for the chuckle!
I aim to please