Tags
Tamla T 54028 (A), September 1959
b/w (You Can) Depend On Me
(Written by Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy)
Great group they might be, but the Miracles had rotten luck with record releases at the start of their Motown career. Less than a month after the abortive release of the splendid Bad Girl, which had just a few copies pressed up before being transferred to Chess for national distribution, Berry Gordy co-wrote and produced this engaging bit of midtempo R&B fluff and released it on Tamla before apparently changing his mind and withdrawing the single.
Hardly a patch on their previous single, The Feeling Is So Fine nonetheless has a few points of interest to recommend it; Smokey’s delivery, no long notes and all near the top of his high range, contrasts perfectly with the Miracles’ dependable harmonies, and there’s a reprise of Beans Bowles’ rumbling sax solo from I Love Your Baby at 1:34, which is much less intrusive here than on that song mainly thanks to a short burst of electric organ which comes in after a couple of seconds and all but covers it up (the liner notes for The Complete Motown Singles: Volume 1 suggest this might be Raynoma Liles Gordy, “Miss Ray” herself, on organ duties).
Still, the song doesn’t really go anywhere, there are no real surprises, and although it’s not without its charm, as a single it’s not on the same level as Bad Girl.
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.
(Or maybe you’re only interested in Smokey Robinson & the Miracles? Click for more.)
 |
 |
| The Miracles “I Love Your Baby” |
The Miracles “(You Can) Depend On Me” (first version) |
Motown Junkies 
I respect your opinion but to me this is where the Smokey formula emerges including the vocal “jerk”. The actual song may not be the best but I hear The Motown Sound being born, and what a beautiful baby it is! I missed this the first time around, in ’59, as most people did. Sorry Berry, this was your future. It’s kinda funny him pulling a Smokey song. Anybody else I would understand, but Smokey?
LikeLike
I was around in 1959, buying all The Motown Records I saw except the garage instrumentals. I missed out on this one. It certainly never made shops outside Detroit, It was pulled back very early. I doubt that more than maybe 20-30 “escaped the pullback”. Probably only about 4-5 original copies are known now.
LikeLike
In which case, I feel privileged that someone sent me a picture of one of them – thank you, Steve Robbins!
LikeLike
I too bought Motown records like crazy, virtually all 45s, but when it came to this Miracles group on that unheard-of-label Tamla, I was headed to my favorite RnB record shop the next day after hearing it on the radio. I think they always had em too, instant gratification!
LikeLike
They played “The Feeling is So Fine” on your radio? You must have been living in Detroit at the time. They didn’t play that in Chicago. They only played “You Can Depend On Me” and “Way Over There”.
LikeLike
Agree with this verdict completely. There is nothing special about this song. It’s not a song one would turn up or turn down it’s just one that would get talked over lol. The song gets boring pretty quickly.
LikeLike
I disagree with the verdict this is an excellent song for the Miracles in their early days at Motown. Smokey does an amazing vocal on the record and the Miracles does a smooth harmony (especially Claudette, love her) Definitely better than Love Your Baby and should be in the same ranks as “Bad Girl”. 7/10
LikeLike
Our fellow swinger and friend, Steve Robbins commented about Berry pulling a Miracles record. I recommend checking out the Cellarful of Motown series and other prevoiusly unreleaased sets and you will find some unreleased Miracles and their are probably more in the vault, No Motown artist was safe frim Quality Control’s decisions as to what got pressed and what remained on Tape or acetate. Ah, to have been a fly on the wall at those Friday mwwtings!
LikeLike
I like the song. Much better than “Depend On Me” and also slightly better than “Way Over There”. It does seem to lose it’s destination a little bit. Is it R & B with Doo Wop or vice versa. Still, I prefer it over the pop-ish “string” version of Way Over There. I’m heartened to read Rob Kliens’ comment that only a half dozen or so exist. I have one. Hopefully my daughters inheritance just took a boost! I do however, have a question. So ANYONE out there who knows please reply. I’m 65 & originally from Detroit. I used to sell records in Goldmine and Discoveries and also at many record shows in the midwest. My “home base” for record shows was Detroit (Roseville & Southgate MI). During those times (late ’80’s thru the “90’s) I often heard that there are in fact TWO versions of The Feeling Is So Fine released on 45’s. I have also on occasion seen printed books claiming to detail early Motown releases list an “alternate” version in their discography but they fail to give detail (such as matrix differences). Is there ANYONE out there who can give me any further information on the validity of such “rumors”. IF there are two versions, I’d like to know which one I have! Thanks for reading
LikeLike