Vintage Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

I just found this old video of The Miracles from 1967. At this point they were just billed as The Miracles. It wasn’t until later, that Smokey’s named was brought to the fore.  Despite The Miracles being Motown’s first really successful group, Berry Gordy decided it was clever marketing to lead with Smokey’s name. After all, he  was one of the biggest songwriters and producers in the business. In their almost 20 years, The Miracles charted over 50 hits, 26 of which reached the top ten. Not to mention that Smokey has written and/or produced countless other hits for Motown.

I’m not exactly sure where this footage is from, but it’s a great little medley of two early 60’s classics, “(Come ‘Round Here) I’m The One You Need” and “More Love”. Whether you’re a Motown fan or not, it’s hard to deny that this was truly a great era in music.

While we’re checking out some vintage Smokey, here are just a few more. The first is “You Really Got A Hold On Me”. While the second is “I Second That Emotion” …and in color no less! Take a look at these dance routines. They’re where it’s at, no?

RIP Gregory Isaacs

Yesterday, Gregory Isaacs died of lung cancer at the age of 59 in his London home. Isaacs was a beloved reggae legend who recorded over 500 albums. 500! His most famous song is probably his 1982 release “Night Nurse”, but I really like this old 1978 footage of “Tune In”. I’m also really into “Number One”, another late 70’s hit.

 

Check out the tunes…

Neil Young | Cowgirl in the Sand

“Cowgirl in the Sand” is a great song from one of my favorite Neil Young albums, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969). It was Neil’s second solo album and his first with backing band Crazy Horse. This album has 3 of his most popular songs on it, all of which were written when he was sick with a 103° fever. Pretty remarkable stuff. “Cowgirl” was one of those tunes, along with “Cinnamon Girl” and “Down By The River”. As much as I like the studio version of this song, it tends to sound a little like another one of his great ones, “Southern Man”, at certain parts. But, this live acoustic version really makes it feel like it’s own song, and a fantastic one at that. It’s quintessential Neil Young. Although difficult to tell for sure, I believe this performance is from his solo acoustic show at Massey Hall in 1971. That concert captures Neil at his finest. Check out “Cowgirl in the Sand” and I will be sure to post more songs from that performance in the future.

References:

More info on Neil Young

More info on Crazy Horse

More info on Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Studio (electric) version of “Cowgirl in the Sand”

Aretha Franklin | I Say A Little Prayer

This is a great video of Aretha Franklin performing “I Say A Little Prayer”. It was originally released on her 1968 album Aretha Now, but I like this live version from 1970 better. Actually, it’s a Burt Bacharach tune that was written for Dionne Warwick, who recorded it in 1967. Her version is also very good, but Aretha is the best.

The Silhouettes | Get A Job

This song from the late 50’s Doo Wop group, The Silhouettes, sums up my current employment situation perfectly. Well, not word for word but the key point is the same: I NEED a job. This song is pretty great. It is from that era of music where 4 guys just stood around on a street corner and sung their hearts out. This is the same period where the kids would dance through the streets and music seemed to be an integral part of the everyday youth experience. The Silhouettes were like many of the other groups from this time, just a one hit wonder… “Get A Job” being their one hit. It was released as the B side to “I Am Lonely” in 1957 and reached #1 on the Billboard charts. It was so successful that it sold over one million records, a huge feat back then, and was awarded a gold disc to honor the occasion.

This video is in rough shape because of it’s age but it’s a pretty cool documentation of an art form that has nearly been forgotten. Sure, the dubbing is slightly off and it’s a bit grainy but I still really like it. In fact, I think that’s what I like most about it.

References:

The Silhouettes Official Site

More info on The Silhouettes

More info on “Get A Job”

More info on Doo Wop