Smokey Robinson & the Miracles started the year in style with their 1967 hit single “I Second That Emotion” at number one on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart week-ending 13th January. Smokey Robinson had written the song with Al Cleveland, who continued their successful partnership into the new year.
Together Cleveland and Robinson wrote three songs for the album “Special Occasion”, which Tamla issued in August 1968. Robinson wrote five further tracks, one together with Warren Moore of the Miracles. “Give Her Up” is an old Robinson song that was recorded by Martha & the Vandellas for their 1963 album “Come And Get These Memories”. The three remaining tracks are covers, first of the Beatles song “Yesterday” and then of a Gladys Knight & the Pips song “Everybody Needs Love”, written by Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland, and finally of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”, written by Whitfield and Barrett Strong. This song had, of course, been a huge hit for Gladys Knight in 1967. The Miracles had already recorded a version of the song before Gladys Knight, so it wasn’t technically a cover. However, following the Pips’ success, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles re-recorded it for inclusion on “Special Occasion”. The Marvin Gaye version was still sitting on the shelf at Motown when the Miracles’ album was issued!
“Special Occasion” sold well, reaching number forty-two on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and number one on the Billboard R&B Albums Chart. Building on the success of “I Second That Emotion”, Tamla released four singles during the year, all of which featured songs from the album.
“If You Can Want” appeared in February, followed by “Yester Love”/ “Much Better Off” and “Special Occasion”/ “Give Her Up”. The last single of the year was “Baby, Baby Don’t Cry”/ “Your Mother’s Only Daughter”, which was released in mid-December. All four charted well, entering the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart top forty. All four singles also peaked inside the top ten on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart.
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
Photo: Tamla Trade Ad (Wikimedia Commons)
In their tenth year, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles continued to demonstrate remarkable consistency, which was borne out by the success of their second “Greatest Hits” album, which Tamla had released at the end of January. It contains all the best tracks from 1965 to 1967. Their “Greatest Hits Vol. 2” album rose to number seven on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and consolidated the group’s popularity. They made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in the course of 1968.
