I’ll Try Something New provided the Miracles and Motown with moderate success, and the Miracles were quickly establishing themselves as Motown’s premier act. But similarly to the rest of the label, the Miracles’ greatest success came in crafting singles, and in 1963 they released one of their finest, ‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’. Smokey was starting to come into his own as a songwriter, and ‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’ was apt proof, with its wonderful harmonies and Marv Tarpin’s twanging guitar, it became the group’s second million-selling song. Its popularity was rubber-stamped when the Beatles recorded a version for their second album, With the Beatles.
The single would form the centrepiece of their ’63 album, The Fabolous Miracles, which was something of a mixed bag but maintained the group’s momentum. Away from the studio, the group were enhancing their already burgeoning reputation as a live act, garnering the nickname ‘The Showstoppers’ as they headlined the travelling Motown Revue shows. Their energetic live performances were catalogued in The Miracles Recorded Live On Stage, which included a raucous call-and-response with the audience on the closing number, ‘Way Over There’.
‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’ wasn’t the group’s only successful single of ’63, with the Holland-Dozier-Holland penned ‘Mickey’s Monkey’ reaching the top ten. A bouncing handclapper of a tune, ‘Mickey’s Monkey’ was a far cry from the slower tempo songs that Smokey was writing and proved to be a popular addition to their live shows. ’63 was proving to be a busy year for the group, with the release of the dance-themed album, The Miracles Doin’ Mickey’s Monkey, which included covers of ‘Twist and Shout’ and The Contours’ ‘Do You Love Me’. The group also made Motown’s first foray into the festive market, releasing Christmas With the Miracles.
’64 saw the return of Pete Moore from military service, but the Miracles were soon losing another member. Smokey’s wife, Claudette, decided to retire from the stresses and strains of touring, although she would continue to appear in studio recordings. Claudette and Smokey had been keen to start a family for a while, but she had suffered several heartbreaking miscarriages, and Gordy and Smokey had expressed concerns over her health. The group would close out ’64 with the single ‘Come On Do The Jerk’, a vibrant dance anthem that narrowly lost its chart battle with the Contours’ ‘Can You Jerk Like Me’. Uptempo dance numbers were more in the Contours’ ball-park, but the group were quickly back to doing what they did best.
’65 would prove to be a fruitful year for the group, with a string of top-ten hits. ‘Ooh, Baby Baby’ saw the group return to the slower ballads that had provided them with past success; the track evolved from the group spontaneously singing “Ooh, Baby Baby”. After an effusive audience reaction, Smokey turned it into a song. Things would get even better with the release of ‘Tracks of My Tears’, which reached #2 in the R&B charts. Cracking the UK was proving difficult until the group released ‘Going To A Go-Go’, a number partially inspired by the Rolling Stones. All three tracks would appear on the highly successful Going To A Go-Go, bolstered by the fact that it boasted a slew of top-ten hits. But the filler was minimal, and on Going To A Go-Go, it really felt like Motown were starting to crack the art of producing an album.
‘The Tracks Of My Tears’ opens things up with Smokey’s iconic opening line: “People say I’m the life of the party because I tell a joke or too”. With its romantic guitar licks and syncopated rhythm, ‘Tracks of My Tears’ is one of Motown’s finest moments, elevated further by Smokey’s passionate performance. Smokey leans into his role as the heartbroken lover superbly, his falsetto gradually becoming more and more pained as he sings: “My smile/Is my make-up/That I wear/Since my break-up with you”. ‘Going To A Go-Go’ is the polar opposite with its muscular, foot-stepping rhythm, Smokey providing a scatty vocal line that is perfectly suited to the number. Uptown dance anthems hadn’t been the group’s calling card before, but they smash it here.
‘Ooh, Baby Baby’ is simple, floaty, and wonderful. Smokey pulls off a stunning falsetto, stretching and twisting words across several bars, yet he never loses control. ‘My Girl Has Gone’ is a slow-moving lament, with Peter Moore doing a sterling job on the vocal arrangements, while Claudette’s backing vocals are superb. ‘In Case You Need Love’ feels slightly restrained, but the rattling tambourine and well-placed keys give it an easy-going rhythm. Some punchy horns give ‘Choosey Beggar’ some added oomph while Smokey again shows off his falsetto. Lyrically it draws upon similar themes to the rest of the album, a lovesick man! But thankfully, Smokey ensures things never feel dull.
‘Since You Won My Heart’ is a classic doo-wop effort with its waltzing rhythm and high piano notes, while Claudette sounds beautiful in the background again. ‘From Head To Toe’ moves in a different direction, it’s a much bouncier number, and the baritone keys are slightly similar to the sound of Stevie Wonder’s ‘What Christmas Means To Me’. ‘All That’s Good’ is just a prime slice of the Miracles at their best; a lovely, languid tempo, Smokey’s soothing falsetto, some classic call-and-response harmonies, and a tidy sax solo thrown in for good measure. The chiming keys contrast nicely with the persistent clicking to create a hypnotic rhythm that Smokey floats over.
Smokey sounds just as good on the brilliant ‘My Baby Changes Like The Weather’. Similarly, some sharp finger-clicking drives the song along, and there’s a wonderful, bold symphonic intro with a dramatic burst of drums and some vibrant horns. With its gorgeously sweet chorus, it easily could have served as a single. ‘Let Me Have Some’ benefits from an equally strong chorus, and the jabbed keys give it a jaunty air; the only downside is the handclapping does grate slightly. ‘A Fork In The Road’ provides a dreamy ending, with its twinkling keys and swooning harmonies, and Smokey sounds beautifully weary.
That’s what makes Going To A Go-Go so brilliant; the album tracks match the quality of the singles, and there’s a real consistency that runs throughout, but also a variety. Holland-Dozier-Holland may have emerged as Motown’s newest hitmaking machine, but Smokey showed himself to be an equally adept songwriter. Going To A Go-Go was more than just a cash-in exercise; it’s an album of real quality.