ALBUM: The Best of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1979)
MVC RATING: 4.5/$$$$
This two-record set was something of a bargain package on Imperial House when I bought this more than 30 years ago, or so. Penny for penny, it was probably one of the best purchases I’ve made. Every song is good; some are all-time classics.
Most of that had to do with the pure-as-a-bell, falsetto, vocals and songwriting talents of the man they call Smokey.
He wrote 4,000 songs, according to Biography.com.
4,000 songs! Is that humanly possible? (Note to myself: Check that 4,000 number.) He did have 37 Top 40 hits. That is verifiable.
He wrote songs often with collaborators and provided a bunch of songs to Motown acts such as the Temptations.
Ironically before I saw that 4,000 statistic, I bought a book called ‘How to Write One Song,’ by rocker Jeff Tweedy of the group, Wilco, and before that Uncle Tupelo. I haven’t cracked that book yet, but it made me wonder: Shouldn’t Smokey write that book? He could change the title to “How to Write Thousands of Songs.’ No? Guess you have to write one to get started.