Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Shop Around
Video
Written by Smokey Robinson and Mr Motown himself, Berry Gordy, and produced by Gordy, Shop Around was released in 1960 and became the first Motown song to reach #1 on the US Rhythm and Blues charts, and the first to sell over a million copies. Obviously this is one iconic Motown song and, ironically, it was almost completely different as "Robinson initially thought Barrett Strong [who?] should do 'Shop Around', but Gordy convinced Robinson that he was the right man for the song. After they recorded and released it, Gordy heard it on the radio and found it way too slow. So he woke Robinson at 3 a.m. and called him back to the studio to re-cut it, faster and with Robinson more prominent. That one worked." (Rolling Stone)
As for the song, it sounds like it was recorded on acetate, given the quality (it may have been, for all I know), but there's that classic Motown groove - bouncy bass, harmonised doo-wop backing vocals, swinging horns and brassy piano, all overlaid with Smokey's awe-inspiring high tenor. At points in the song you can hear how it's influenced music in the past 49 years (it's hard to believe that this song is almost 50 years old) - from being covered by countless artists through the years (not sure how much street cred you get from being covered by Captain and Tenille and Georgie Fame, but anyway) to the backing vocals (everywhere from the Motown sound to the pop-punk movement of NoFX and Blink 182) to the outro vocal leap on "I know you can my son" at 2:40, a technique stolen wholesale by Frank Black in the Pixies.
Basically, this song influenced almost everything, directly or indirectly, and it's a telling testament to why Motown is still so damn listenable these days - the songs were honest, energetic and emotive and when you listen to them you pick up subtle cues, hindsight being 20/20 of course, as to where music was headed. This was rock and roll and soul and disco and boy bands and Amy Winehouse and hip-hop, and we have Motown to thank and curse for all of it.
Verdict: Stone Cold Classic, Seminal
Tomorrow: The Eagles - Desperado
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I find this a bit of a weak effort in the Motown ouevre. It lacks the requisite catchiness and is underendowed on the bass vocal front.
ReplyDeleteWas the "Who?" in the quote regarding Barrett Strong from you or RS? Billy Bragg justifiably namechecks him in "Levi Stubbs Tears". The man wrote "Heard it Through the Grapevine" and "Ball of Confusion", and sang the very first Motown hit "Money".
I am also saddened to hear Georgie Fame dismissed so readily. I saw him perform a couple of years ago and he is still a gem of Brit R&B. If his hit "yeah Yeah" isn't in here I'll be very disappointed...