Every Monday, I look at an album from Motown’s extensive discography, starting from the beginning, with the Motown enterprise’s first album, released in 1961.
Berry Gordy Jr., Motown’s founder, met William “Smokey” Robinson Jr. in 1957 at a failed audition for Brunswick Records. Robinson was a local seventeen-year-old fronting a vocal harmony group called The Matadors. At the time, Gordy was part of a songwriting group, including his sister Gwen, who co-wrote Jackie Wilson’s ‘Reet Petite’. Gordy was impressed by Robinson’s doo-wop style vocals and his ambitious songwriting.
The group became The Miracles the following year, with Gordy releasing their song ‘Got a Job’, leasing it to End Records in New York. It was in 1959, under Smokey’s advice, that Gordy created his own record company, Tamla records, borrowing $800 from his family to fund his venture. Tamla was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in 1960, the same year ‘Shop Around’ was released, which became both Motown’s and The Miracles first million-selling hit record, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Miracles were one of Motown’s early pioneers, with Smokey eventually becoming vice president of the company, later naming his daughter “Tamla” and his son “Berry”. The Miracles became regarded as Motown’s “soul supergroup”, achieving extensive commercial success. The group’s original line-up was established in 1959: Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore, Ronnie White, Bobby Rogers, Claudette Robinson (Smokey’s wife), and guitarist Marv Tarplin.
Hi We’re The Miracles was Motown’s first full-length release, coming out on June 16, 1961. The album featured several songs that became instrumental in defining the “Motown sound”; gospel-influenced vocal harmonies, call-and-response singing, melodic chord structures, tambourines, and prominent bass lines. The album is comprised almost exclusively of love songs, produced by Gordy, and backed by the Funk Brothers, a group of Detroit-based session musicians, who performed backing to most Motown recordings while it was based in Detroit.
Opening track ‘Who’s Loving You’ is a classic tale of unrequited love, Smokey’s doo-wop vocals beautifully expressing his regret. Initially released as a b-side to ‘Shop Around’, Motown artists extensively covered the track through the 60s, most famously by the Jackson 5 in 1969. ‘Depend on Me’ is another gooey love ballad featuring silky harmonies and minimal orchestration. ‘A Heart Like Mine‘ is a lamentation to an ex-lover, with a more acoustic sound.
Smash hit ‘Shop Around’ is a bluesy toe-tapper, Smokey briefly abandoning the doo-wop style vocals. The song has a humorous element, the narrator’s mum encouraging her son to “shop around” and “keep your freedom for as long as you can now”. The song was re-recorded one morning at 3 a.m. as Gordy believed it needed more commercial appeal. It was Motown’s first track released in the UK on Decca Record’s London label. ‘Won’t You Take Me Back’ is another plea to an ex-lover; driven by its prominent piano sound, it has a cheerful edge that contradicts the heartbreak Smokey sings of. ‘Cause I Love You’ and ‘Your Love’ are both blues-tinged affairs featuring some of the best vocal harmonies on the album.
‘After All’ sees Claudette take lead vocals, showcasing her powerful yet tender voice. ‘Way Over There’ features some of the record’s richest instrumentation, with some floating strings drifting over the top. It is a call-and-response track between Smokey and Claudette, Smokey’s voice at its passionate best. ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ is a cover of Barret Strong’s single, released in 1959, which became the Motown Enterprise’s first hit. It’s the most R&B-sounding track on the album, with its bluesy piano, yet it lacks some of the energy of the original. The song gained notable success when covered by The Beatles in 1963, who gave it more of a rock & roll sound. The final track, ‘Don’t Leave Me’, provides a gentle, swaying conclusion, Smokey imploring his lover to stay.
The album is nicely arranged and produced for the era, while Smokey announces himself as a vocalist of supreme talent. Even if the lyrics sometimes lack depth, Smokey can elevate the songs emotionally. The record represents something of a crossing point, rather blues-influenced and lacking some of the “poppiness” of Motown’s subsequent elements. Regardless, it’s a seminal moment in Motown’s rich musical history.
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