** This is just a short biographical summary – for the full story, check out this artist’s reviews! **

Renaissance man Smokey Robinson would have a place in Motown history as a writer, producer, executive and talent scout even if he had never picked up a microphone, but with his group the Miracles he was also one of Motown’s most consistently popular recording artists of the Sixties as well.

The group, featuring Robinson and his wife Claudette, as well as friends Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers and Ronnie White, with guitarist Marv Tarplin rounding out the line-up, scored a crucial early hit for Motown in 1960 with Shop Around, and went on to land hits year on year with a steady stream of excellent singles and albums, Smokey all the while writing and producing for other acts at the same time.

Smokey tried to leave the group in the late 1960s but the unexpected success of a worldwide mega-hit single in The Tears Of A Clown in 1970 persuaded him to stay a couple more years. He finally left in 1972 to go solo; many observers expected the Miracles to break up in his absence, but instead Smokey’s replacement Billy Griffin found himself singing on another million-selling chart-topper, Love Machine (Part 1), in 1975. The Miracles eventually ceased to exist as a recording act in 1978, though several former members revived the name for sporadic touring activity through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

Review Archive: Smokey Robinson & the MIRACLES (1959-65)

We have 47 reviews for the Miracles currently available here on Motown Junkies – see our archive for more details, or click a link below:

1. It (as “Ron & Bill”)
2. Don’t Say Bye Bye (as “Ron & Bill”)
3. Bad Girl
4. I Love Your Baby
5. The Feeling Is So Fine
6. (You Can) Depend On Me (1st version)
7. Way Over There
8. (You Can) Depend On Me (2nd version)
9. Shop Around
10. Who’s Lovin’ You
11. Ain’t It Baby
12. The Only One I Love
13. Broken Hearted
14. Mighty Good Lovin’
15. Everybody’s Gotta Pay Some Dues
16. I Can’t Believe
17. What’s So Good About Good Bye
18. I’ve Been Good To You
19. I’ll Try Something New
20. You Never Miss A Good Thing
21. If Your Mother Only Knew
22. Happy Landing
23. You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me
24. A Love She Can Count On
25. I Can Take A Hint
26. Mickey’s Monkey
27. Whatever Makes You Happy
28. I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying
29. Such Is Love, Such Is Life
30. The Christmas Song
31. Christmas Everyday
32. (You Can’t Let The Boy Overpower) The Man In You
33. Heartbreak Road
34. I Like It Like That
35. You’re So Fine And Sweet
36. That’s What Love Is Made Of
37. Would I Love You
38. Come On Do The Jerk
39. Baby Don’t You Go
40. Ooo Baby Baby
41. All That’s Good
42. The Tracks Of My Tears
43. A Fork In The Road
44. My Girl Has Gone
45. Since You Won My Heart
46. Going To A Go-Go
47. Choosey Beggar

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