Ezeregy dal, amit érdemes meghallgatni: 0245 Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Tears of a Clown (1967) Writer: | Henry Cosby, “Smokey” Robinson, Stevie Wonder Producer: | Cosby, Robinson Label: | Tamla Album | Make It Happen (1967) When Stevie Wonder set off for the Motown Christmas party of 1966, he took with him some music to which he had been unable to fit any words. Smokey Robinson remarked on its circus feel, and this triggered memories of the lonely clown who has to keep his audiences smiling. (Robinson had written the line “Just like Pagliacci did, I’ll try to keep my sadness hid” for the song “My Smile Is Just a Frown.”) The Miracles recorded the result, releasing it on their 1967 LP, Make It Happen. Three years later, Smokey himself had become a forlorn figure; tired of life on the road, on a break from recording, he wanted to split from the group and spend more time at home with his young family. Then news came in from Britain: the long-forgotten song had been released as a single (thanks to the enthusiasm of a secretary at EMI, the label that released Motown material there) and hit No. 1. The Detroit office was skeptical but took the cut, slowed it down, and overdubbed a drum track that gave the song more drive. On December 12—three months after hitting No. 1 in Britain—it replaced The Partridge Family in the U.S. No. 1 slot. So what was it Detroit had missed in 1967? The interplay between bassoon and flute that gives the song its irresistible “circus” feel? One of Smokey’s finest lyrics? The peerless backing vocals? Who knows—but EMI’s Karen Spreadbury deserved a hefty Christmas bonus that year. youtu.be/ZaMX0Cs5Bc4
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 03:11:15 +0000