Hi... We're the Miracles
| Hi... We're the Miracles | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1961 | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 32:57 | |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Producer | Berry Gordy, Jr. | |||
| The Miracles chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Hi... We're The Miracles | ||||
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Hi... We're the Miracles is the first album by the Miracles, Motown's first group, released on Motown's Tamla subsidiary label in January 1961. It was the first album released by the Motown Record Corporation.[citation needed] The album features several songs that played an important role in defining The Motown Sound and establishing songwriters Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy.
The styles of the album tracks vary from the late doo-wop sound of "Who's Lovin' You" (later recorded by The Temptations, the Jackson 5, Terence Trent D'Arby, and En Vogue) and "(You Can) Depend on Me", to the upbeat R&B of "Way Over There". Also featured is a rendition of Motown's first hit single, Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)". The album's biggest hit was the bluesy "Shop Around", which was released as a single in 1960 and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and number 2 on the pop singles chart (No. 1 Pop, Cashbox). "Shop Around" was the first R&B number 1 single for both the Miracles and Motown label. It was also the label's first million-selling hit single and a 2006 Grammy Hall of Fame-inducted song.
Hi... We're the Miracles features the Miracles' classic original lineup (not to be confused with their true original lineup): Smokey Robinson, Ronald White, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, Marv Tarplin (mentioned on the back of the album, though not pictured on the front), and Robinson's wife (and Rogers's cousin), Claudette Rogers Robinson.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Release
[edit]Hi... We're the Miracles was released on CD by Motown Records in the early 1990s.
Hi... We're the Miracles and four other Miracles albums were re-released as part of the 2009 Motown 50th anniversary limited edition CD release The Miracles-Depend On Me: The Early Albums.[2][3]
Track listing
[edit]Side one
[edit]- "Who's Lovin' You" (Smokey Robinson) – 3:06
- "Depend on Me" (Robinson, Berry Gordy) – 3:08
- "Heart Like Mine" (Ronnie White, Robinson) – 2:06
- "Shop Around" (Robinson, Gordy) – 2:50
- "Won't You Take Me Back" (Robinson, Gordy) – 2:40
- "Cause I Love You" (White, Robinson) – 2:25
Side two
[edit]- "Your Love" (Robinson) – 2:51
- "After All" (Robinson) – 2:47
- "Way Over There" (Robinson, Gordy) – 2:57
- "Money" (Gordy, Janie Bradford) – 3:48
- "Don't Leave Me" (Robinson, Gordy, Brian Holland, Robert Bateman) – 2:43
Personnel
[edit]The Miracles
[edit]- Smokey Robinson - lead vocals, background vocals
- Ronnie White - lead vocals, background vocals
- Claudette Robinson - lead vocals, background vocals
- Warren "Pete" Moore - background vocals
- Bobby Rogers - background vocals
- Marv Tarplin - guitar
Other credits
[edit]- The Funk Brothers - additional instrumentation
- Berry Gordy - producer
Cover versions
[edit]"Shop Around" has been covered by Captain & Tennille, Don Bryant, The Astronauts, The Spinners, Allusions, and Georgie Fame, among others. "After All" has been covered by The Supremes and The Marvelettes. "Way Over There" has been covered by Edwin Starr, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, The Royal Counts, New Man, and Eddie Adams Jr. "(You Can) Depend on Me" has been covered by The Temptations, The Supremes, Mary Wells and Brenda Holloway. "Who's Loving You has been covered by The Temptations, The Supremes, The Jackson Five, Terence Trent-D'arby, Brenda and The Tabulations, John Farnham, Human Nature, and En Vogue.
References
[edit]- ^ Eder, Bruce. Hi... We're The Miracles at AllMusic
- ^ "MIRACLES, MOTOWN, AND MEMORIES". Soul-Sides.com. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ "The Miracles: Depend On Me: The Early Albums". Hip-oSelect. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
