153 Hello Smokey Robinson - Going To A Go-Go

( This  single  was  just  credited  to  The  Miracles  but  Smokey  was  in  the  line-up )

Chart  entered : 24  February  1966

Chart  peak : 44

Number  of  hits : 12

I'm sure the man behind this blog will correct me, but I can't think there will be many (if any) other American artists who had to wait so long to crack the charts here after their initial breakthrough at home: the Miracles had released their first single in 1959, getting into the top end of the charts a year later with "Shop Around" - the first big hit for the fledging Motown label.

William "Smokey" Robinson, the group's leader, had formed what became the Miracles ( initially the Matadors) in Detroit with friends Pete Moore and Ronald White. Various other members came and went siblings Bobby and Claudette Rogers completed the line up. The inclusion of Claudette - who Robinson would later marry - necessitated a name change, and the Miracles was chosen.

After a failed audition with a small local label, the band were approached by one of the panel - one Berry Gordy, a Korean War veteran and successful songwriter, with Jackie Wilson's "Reet Petite" amongst his successes. Gordy was impressed by Robinson's voice, and further taken when he discovered the youngster was a promising songwriter. With his encouragement, Gordy borrowed money to form Tamla Motown.

Amongst the Miracles' early work are plenty of mighty singles, and it's a mystery that none were a hit in the UK - especially since the likes of the Beatles were covering them: "You Really Got a Hold On Me" featured on their second LP "With the Beatles", while the original had been a top 10 smash in America.

Robinson frequently wrote with the rest of the band, as well as guitarist Marv Taplin, essentially the sixth member of the band. They were at their best when Smokey was in heartache mode, such as "What's So Good About Goodbye?" (1961) and the beyond-wonderful "Ooo Baby Baby", which sounds like the prelude to the end of the world, such is the pain in Robinson's voice. One of their earliest b-sides "You Can Depend On Me" may well by this writer's ultimate 3am slow-burner, for those romantic moments.

Amongst the quality, there were some duff moments: "Mickey's Monkey" and "Come On Do the Jerk" are more than unfortunately named. But Robinson may have been stretched - as well as his work with the Miracles, he was writing and producing for many other acts on the label, most notably the Temptations (as already noted on their entry here), Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye.

By 1965, he'd also taken a place as Executive President of Motown, and it is in this period he and the Miracles make their entry, albeit with a small hit. Perhaps it meant more to Americans who knew exactly what a "Go-Go" was - it reached #11 on the Billboard Pop chart. All the same, it's a cheery number with Smokey sounding in a good mood, helped by some driving drumming and the usual quality work from the Funk Brothers. It's the kind of song that you imagine would open a Miracles gig around the time, but I have to confess it wouldn't make my top 10 of their material.

It was clearly liked by some, that said, as the Rolling Stones covered it on stage and got a top 30 hit on both sides of the Atlantic when it was taken from their 1981 live album.

D.C Harrison