William's Song a Day Blog - est. September 2007

From: The Miracles doin' Mickey's Monkey ; Year: 1963; Genre: Motown/Soul/R&B Here's one that will sure get you dancin' with that catchy Bo Diddley rhythm. Most probably have heard Mickey's Monkey at some point; it actually was written about the popular dance, The Monkey , and helped to propel it to a national level for a time. They reference legendary songwriter William "Mickey" Stevenson in the lyrics even though I do not believe he was involved with the song or dance; this song was written by another legendary team: Holland-Dozier-Holland. Wot's very interesting about this song is just how many Motown superstars performed for the backing vocals: The Temptations, Mary Wilson (of the Supremes), Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, The Marvelettes, and the renowned disc jockey and radio personality "Jockey Jack" Gibson , and of course the incomparable Funk Brothers.    Hear Mickey's Monkey on YouTube.         My song pick 1 year ago tod...

From: Time Out for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles ; Year: 1969; Genre: Soul/Motown Martin Luther King Junior Day again; I thought this cover by the one and only Smokey Robinson and the Miracles of the memorable hit by Dion . It seem to me personally at least to always come to mind this time each year for obvious reasons.   Hear Abraham, Martin & John on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Hold Back the Water   My song pick 2 years ago today: Golden Earring - Long Blond Animal   My song pick 3 years ago today: Lakeside - Strung Out   My song pick 4 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Long-a-Growing   My song pick 5 years ago today: Neil Young - Old Man My song pick 6 years ago today: Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - Ma-Ma-Ma Belle My song pick 7 years ago today: Bon Jovi - Hey God My song pick 8 years ago today: Parliament - Let's Play House My song pick 9 years ago today: Rare Earth - Warm ...

From: One Dozen Roses ; Year: 1971; Genre: R&B/Motown I really like the music in this song, it really moves along, and of course the vocals on top provided by Smokey Robinson and company are top-notch.    Hear I Don't Blame You At All on YouTube.       My song pick 1 year ago today: Blue Öyster Cult - That Was Me My song pick 2 years ago today: Huey Lewis and the News - Doing It All For My Baby My song pick 3 years ago today: Lakeside - If You Like Our Music (Get Up And Move) My song pick 4 years ago today: Blancmange - Lose Your Love My song pick 5 years ago today: Curved Air - Metamorphosis My song pick 6 years ago today: Spencer Davis Group - I'm a Man My song pick 7 years ago today: Savatage - Streets My song pick 8 years ago today: Rammstein - Feuer und Wasser My song pick 9 years ago today: David Bowie - Let's Dance My song pick 10 years ago today: Rush - Distant Early Warning My song pick 11 years ago today: David Bowie - Oh! You P...

From: Going To A Go-Go ; Year: 1965; Genre: Motown/Soul Wot else is new, I had a hankering for some Smokey Robinson today, so I'm choosing one from him and The Miracles. Tracks Of My Tears has always been one of my favourites not only from them, but Motown as a whole; it's just a very well-written and recorded song. Hear Tracks Of My Tears on YouTube. My song pick 1 year ago today: Blancmange - Living on the Ceiling My song pick 2 years ago today: Dick Dale and his Del Tones - The Wedge My song pick 3 years ago today: Gin Blossoms - Found Out About You My song pick 4 years ago today: Shelia Skipworth - Look What You Done to Me My song pick 5 years ago today: Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit My song pick 6 years ago today: Alice in Chains - Angry Chair My song pick 7 years ago today: Alestorm - Shipwrecked My song pick 8 years ago today: Steeleye Span - Dark-Eyed Sailor My song pick 9 years ago today: The Police - The King of Pain My song pick 1...

From: The Fabulous Miracles ; Year: 1963; Genre: Motown/Soul/R&B This is one of those tracks that will always put me in a good mood and a smile on my face. Smokey Robinson and company along with the Funk Brothers really kill it here; an amazing song. Hear You Really Got a Hold on Me on YouTube. My song pick one year ago today: Fleetwood Mac - Think About Me My song pick two years ago today: Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Jerusalem My song pick three years ago today: Marillion - Kayleigh My song pick four years ago today: Johann Sebastian Bach - BWV 1062 - Concerto in C-Minor For Two Harpsichords My song pick five years ago today: Rammstein - Feuerräder My song pick six year ago today: Igor Stravinsky - Rite of Spring - Sacrificial Dance My song pick seven years ago today: KISS - Detroit Rock City My song pick eight years ago today: Johann Sebastian Bach - BWV 645 - Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme

From: Ultimate Collection ; Year: 1998; (1960); Genre: Motown/Soul/R&B In my opinion this is one of the best hit songs from the year 1960, which is today's song pick number. I've always been a big fan of Smokey Robinson and The Miracles; this is one of their earlier hits. Hear Shop Around on YouTube. My song pick a year ago today: Louis Armstrong - Christmas in New Orleans My song pick two years ago today: Boston - A Man I'll Never Be My song pick three years ago today: Bachman-Turner Overdrive (BTO) - Blue Collar My song pick four years ago today: John Denver - Season Suite - Winter My song pick five years ago today: Band of Horses - The Funeral

I heard this song on the radio the other day and I had realized that I had not picked this amazing track yet. It is easily one of my top 100 favourite songs, so it would make sense that it would end up here on my blog. Other than the amazing musicianship by The Funk Brothers that came with every Motown song, I really like Smokey’s vocals a lot; I have always been a big Smokey Robinson fan. Another aspect that I like is the subject matter of the song: putting a happy facade on even when you are being torn apart inside. Like a clown performing and having to hide his true emotions; I love that they reference the opera Pagliacci (which has a similar story line), in the lyrics of the song. Here is a recording of the song on YouTube. Here is a television performance on YouTube. +