THE MIRACLES - THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS

Released: June 23, 1965

Charted:  UK: #9    US: #16 

"The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, The Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-selling original version has been inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame, has been ranked by the Recording Industry Association of America and The National Endowment for the Arts at No. 127 in its list of the "Songs of the Century".

Robinson had the music Tarplin wrote on a cassette, but it took him about six months to write the lyrics. The words started coming together when he came up with the line, "Take a good look at my face, you see my smile looks out of place." From there, it was a few days before he got the lines, "If you look closer it's easy to trace... my tears." What to do with those tears was a problem, as he wanted to say something no one has said about tears. In a 2006 interview with NPR, he explained that he finally came up with the image of tears leaving lasting marks, and the song came together. "One day I was listening, and it just came - the tracks of my tears," said Robinson. "Like footprints on my face. So that was what I wrote about."

"The Tracks of My Tears" is a classic soul ballad that delves into the hidden emotions and pain behind a seemingly cheerful and lively exterior. The lyrics tell the story of a person who is often considered the life of the party, known for their humorous personality and ability to make others laugh. However, beneath the surface, they are actually deeply sad and lonely.

The song was popular among American soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War, which is reflected in the 1986 Oliver Stone movie “Platoon”, where the song is used. Motown head Berry Gordy has said that this song represents Smokey Robinson's best work.

THE MIRACLES - YOU’VE REALLY GOT A HOLD ON ME

Released: November 9, 1962

Charted:  US: #8 

"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, which became a 1962 Top 10 hit single for the Miracles. One of the Miracles' most covered tunes, this million-selling song received a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award. It has also been selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was recorded by the Beatles for their 1963 second album, “With the Beatles”.

Miracles leader Smokey Robinson wrote this song while thinking about Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." Cooke would sometimes perform at Robinson's church with his group the Soul Stirrers, and Smokey was a big fan. Cooke's song finds the singer apologizing to his girl after casting her off, promising to treat her right if she comes back. "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" is the same sentiment but with the roles reversed: the girl mistreats the guy, but he loves her unconditionally.

When Motown was growing into a dominant label in 1962, they set up a tour where many of their acts performed together around the United States. For many people, this was their first look at Motown acts like The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. This was the biggest Motown hit at the time, so The Miracles closed the shows with it.

THE MIRACLES - OOO BABY BABY

Released: March 5, 1965

Charted:  US: #16 

"Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It is a classic 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song has inspired numerous other cover versions by other artists over the years, including covers by Ella Fitzgerald, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, and many others.

"Ooo Baby Baby" features Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson lamenting the fact that he cheated on his female lover, and begging for her to overlook his mistakes and please forgive him. The song's highly emotional feel is supported by the Miracles' tight background vocal harmonies, arranged by Miracles member and song co-author Pete Moore, and a lush orchestral string arrangement that accents The Funk Brothers band's instrumental track.

When Smokey Robinson appeared on American Idol in 2009, he said that this song came about by accident. The Miracles used to sing a medley of love songs on stage, and at the end of the medley (a song called "Please Say You Want Me" by the Schoolboys) he broke off into singing "ooh, baby baby." The Miracles were so in tune that the other members started harmonizing with him, and the crowd went crazy. They incorporated this bit into their live act, then used it as the basis for the song when they decided to record it.

This is one of the most confusingly credited songs of all time; the title sometimes appears as "Ooo Baby Baby" instead of "Ooh Baby Baby," and the group alternately listed as The Miracles or Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. We've even seen a demo 45 where the song is listed as "Oo Baby Baby". On most compilation albums, the song is listed as "Ooo Baby Baby”. 

Robinson called this ballad his 'National anthem,' noting, 'Wherever we go, it's the one song that everybody asks for.' It is now considered the Miracles' signature song.

 

DIANA ROSS - UPSIDE DOWN

Publicació: 18 de juny de 1980

Llistes: Regne Unit: #2    EUA: #1 (4 setmanes)

Per al seu àlbum d'estudi "Diana", la diva va fer un canvi amb l'ajuda dels cofundadors de Chic Nile Rodgers i Bernard Edwards després d'escoltar el grup actuar en un concert. Diu la llegenda que després de conversar amb Rodgers i Edwards, Diana Ross suposadament volia "Upside down” (capgirar) la seva carrera i "Have Fun (Again)" (passar-s’ho bé de nou). Tant si això és cert com si no, l'LP de vuit temes no és més que una celebració de la llibertat artística i conté les cançons "Upside Down" i "Have Fun (Again)". Casualitat?

"Upside Down" va ser el single principal de l'àlbum i va resultar ser un gran èxit mundial per a Ross, aconseguint el numero 1 en quinze països. Amb la guitarra rítmica habitual de Rodgers i aquella línia de baix divertida que només Edwards podia oferir, la veu de Ross es va col·locar fermament al capdavant de l'èxit discogràfic. Donada la qualitat tan evident en aquesta cançó i a tot l'àlbum, és difícil de creure que la primera vegada que Rodgers i Edwards van treballar amb una gran estrella va ser amb Ross i aquest disc.

En una entrevista del 2011, Nile Rodgers va dir: "Diana Ross va ser la primera gran estrella amb la qual vam treballar i ens ho vam prendre molt seriosament". Rodgers i Edwards la van entrevistar durant diversos dies. "Aquesta va ser la primera vegada a la seva vida que algú es preocupava per qui era; què era, tothom l'havia tractat abans com nosaltres havíem tractat les Sister Sledge, anaven i li deien 'Canta això'. Amb ella vam prendre un enfocament més personal. 

Les llegendes que envolten aquest àlbum són moltes i variades, amb rabietes de diva i un xocs amb la producció que suposadament va fer que Ross es sentis disconforme amb el so amb que Rodgers i Edwards van tractar la seva veu, que, segons ella, quedava eclipsada pels instruments lluny del concepte original que havien previst. Això va culminar amb Ross trucant al seu enginyer de Motown Records, Russ Terrana, per remesclar l'àlbum a l'últim moment. Rodgers i Edwards estaven inicialment furiosos i van considerar eliminar el seu crèdit a la producció del disc. Finalment no ho van fer, i van decidir acceptat la edició, ja que el so Chic que van utilitzar va seguir sent molt influent en la cançó i a tot l'àlbum. El 2001 i el 2003 es van publicar versions de luxe de l'àlbum i a tots dos estaven incloses les mescles originals de Rodgers & Edwards.

DIANA ROSS - UPSIDE DOWN

Released : June 18, 1980

Charted:  UK: #2   US: #1 (4 weeks)

For her studio album “Diana”, she switched things up by enlisting the help of Chic co-founders Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards after hearing the group perform at a gig. Legend has it that in conversation with Rodgers and Edwards, Ms. Ross supposedly wanted to “turn her career upside down and have fun again.” Whether this is true or not, the eight track LP is nothing short of a celebration of artistic freedom and does happen to contain the tracks “Upside Down” and “Have Fun (Again)”.

“Upside Down” was also the album’s lead single and proved to be a massive smash for Ross, hitting the number one spot around the world in fifteen countries. With Rodgers’ signature guitar and that funked-up bassline that only Edwards could deliver, Ross’ vocals were placed firmly at the front of the flawless disco hit. Given the quality of craftsmanship that is so apparent on this track and throughout the entire album, it’s hard to believe that Rodgers and Edwards’ first time working with a big star came in the form of Ross and this album.

In a 2011 interview, Nile Rodgers said "Diana Ross was the first big star we ever worked with and we took it very seriously." Rodgers and Edwards interviewed her for several days. "This was the first time in her life somebody cared about who she was; what she was, everyone previously had treated her the way we had treated Sister Sledge, they got her in and said 'Sing this'. We took a more personal approach.

The legend surrounding this album are many and varied with diva-esque tantrums and a clash of vision that resulted in Ross supposedly feeling blind sighted and her sound dwarfed in comparison to Rodgers and Edwards’ original concept. This culminated in Ross calling in her long-time engineer from Motown Records, Russ Terrana, to remix the album at the last minute. Rodgers and Edwards were initially furious, and considered having their production credit removed. They eventually decided to leave the track unedited, as the sound they used for Chic remained heavily influential on the album. In 2001 and 2003 a deluxe version of the album was released with both including the album’s original mixes by Rodgers & Edwards.

 

STEVIE WONDER - SIR DUKE / I WISH

SIR DUKE

Released: March 22, 1977

Charted: UK #2    US #1 (3 weeks)

"Sir Duke” is a song from his 1976 album “Songs in the key of life”.. Released as a single in 1977. Stevie Wonder wrote this song as a tribute to music, specifically to Duke Ellington, who had passed away in 1974. Ellington was a jazz bandleader and composer who was a big influence on Wonder. It's a tribute to jazz and roots, with a beat that lies somewhere between jazz and funk, and a horn section that dances on winged feet.

"I knew the title from the beginning but wanted it to be about the musicians who did something for us," Stevie said. "So soon they are forgotten. I wanted to show my appreciation. They gave us something that is supposed to be forever. That's the basic idea of what we do and how we hook it up."

This wasn't the first song Wonder wrote in tribute to one of his musical inspirations: "Bye Bye World" from his 1968 album Eivets Rednow is about the guitarist Wes Montgomery. Wonder's second album, released in 1962 when he was just 12 years old, was Tribute to Uncle Ray, which paid homage to Ray Charles. This was more of a marketing ploy by Motown, who were pushing Wonder as the second coming of Charles.

Cash Box said that "it's a tribute to jazz and roots, with a beat that lies somewhere between jazz and funk, and a horn section that dances on winged feet." Record World said upon its single release: "Already familiar from its radio play and already on The Singles Chart, it is shaping up as a major hit."

The lead guitarist on this song was Mike Sembello, who had a hit in 1983 with "Maniac” from “Flashdance” soundtrack.

I WISH 

Released: November 1976

Charted: UK #5   US #1 (1 week)

"I Wish” is a song released in late 1976 as the lead single from his 1976 album, “Songs in the key of life”. The song focuses on his childhood from the 1950s into the early 1960s about how he wished he could go back and relive it. The single hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and soul singles chart. At the 19th Grammy Awards, Stevie Wonder won the Best R&B Vocal Performance Male for this song.

Wonder recollected how the music for "I Wish" came to him: The day I wrote it was a Saturday, the day of a Motown picnic in the summer of '76. God, I remember that because I was having this really bad toothache. It was ridiculous...I had such a good time at the picnic that I went to Crystal Recording Studio right afterward and the vibe came right to my mind – running at the picnic, the contests, we all participated. It was a lot of fun ... and from that came the 'I Wish' vibe.

This song finds Stevie chronicling his younger days from the 1950s onto the early '60s when he was a "nappy-headed boy" growing up in difficult circumstances. Despite living in poverty, he looks fondly on those days and wishes they could come back once more. It was a simple time when his only worry was "for Christmas what would be my toy."

Stevie Wonder told ABC Audio during a virtual press conference that he always writes the music and melody first to let the words become their own. He cited this song as an example, explaining it was originally going to be about "The Wheel of 84" and other Eastern religious spiritual teachings. "But then it was one time we were in the studio," he added, "just talking about things that happened when we were kids... back in the day... So it turned into 'I Wish.'"

Nathan Watts' infectious 8-note bassline is one reason why "I Wish" is one of Stevie Wonder's most sampled songs. 

In 2015, Wonder was honored with the TV special Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life - An All-Star Grammy Salute, where Lady GaGa gave an excellent performance of "I wish".

Taking two years to complete, the album “Songs in the key of life” was a salute to Wonder's perfectionist ethos ("If it takes two years or seven years, I must be satisfied when it's done"), with the largest and most diverse collection of songs out of all his releases. It was the first album Wonder produced after signing a seven year contract with Motown Records, reputed to be worth $13 million. The Motown representative that bartered the contract said that the success of this album, which won the Album of the Year Grammy Award, convinced him that he had not been cheated in the deal. Clearly it was worth it, earning not just commercial success but praise from other artists who cite its influence. Elton John said of the album in 2003, "Let me put it this way: wherever I go in the world, I always take a copy of “Songs in the key of life”. For me, it's the best album ever made, and I'm always left in awe after I listen to it."