Post Smokey Miracles

[RanRan79]

Anybody really dig the post Smokey period of the Miracles? I think the first few singles are very underrated. Never cared much for "Love Machine", but it's okay. The Renaissance album is a classic IMO. Billy was a great replacement for Smokey.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzT7v5CfkiY

[RanRan79]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIm9O3GCrLc

[RanRan79]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALpFy8L2bVQ

[johnjeb]

Love them. Renaissance is my favorite. but I also love their next two albums, Don't Cha Love It and Do It Baby. Not a big fan of their subsequent albums on Motown and Columbia.

Billy Griffin was a good replacement for Smokey, especially in those first 3 albums.

RanRan79, you just inspired me to bring my Miracles CDRs for my drive to Cape Cod today.

[blackguy69]

Love them. Renaissance is my favorite. but I also love their next two albums, Don't Cha Love It and Do It Baby. Not a big fan of their subsequent albums on Motown and Columbia.

Billy Griffin was a good replacement for Smokey, especially in those first 3 albums.

RanRan79, you just inspired me to bring my Miracles CDRs for my drive to Cape Cod today.
I do like the City of Angels album. John I’m assuming you live in Boston

[RanRan79]

Love them. Renaissance is my favorite. but I also love their next two albums, Don't Cha Love It and Do It Baby. Not a big fan of their subsequent albums on Motown and Columbia.

Billy Griffin was a good replacement for Smokey, especially in those first 3 albums.

RanRan79, you just inspired me to bring my Miracles CDRs for my drive to Cape Cod today.

I'll chalk this up to my good deed for the day.:cool:

I agree about the albums and Billy. He had his own style yet the group was still able to retain a certain identity, which evolved with the times.

[RanRan79]

I do like the City of Angels album.

I don't care for that one at all. It's been years since I've listened to it. I'll put it on my list of revisits; see if maybe my opinion has changed.

[blackguy69]

Also I do like You need a miracle off of the power of music

[blackguy69]

Also I do like You need a miracle off of the power of music

[arr&bee]

Oh heck yeah,the miracles kept it going for a good while after smokey left,and yes renaissance is one of their best,check out the gem-i love you secretly-a killer.

[RanRan79]

check out the gem-i love you secretly-a killer.

Oh you aint lyin. Definitely one of my favs, written by Mr. Soulful Mood.

[midnightman]

I see folks have brought up the Marvin jam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rPdDii2C_0

[johnjeb]

I remember "What Is A Heart Good For" being played in the clubs at the same time as The Supremes' "Bad Weather". I always loved playing those two songs back-to-back.

blackguy69, I live in the suburbs of Boston.

[milven]

I love this album and was so disappointed by its poor sales. In later years people were turned on to it and it became a hard to find classic.

My favorite song from this LP is "Dont Let It End [[Til You Let It Begin). It is also one of my all time favorite Motown songs and even an favoire song of any label that is included in my all time favorites playlist.

But according to Wikopedia, it is also the reason that the LP did not fare well.

The album's first intended single was "What Is a Heart Good For" which was performed by the group on a July 13, 1973, telecast of NBC's The Midnight Special which marked the group's first national television appearance with Billy... and was hosted by Smokey himself.T... Radio began playing the uptempo single [[Tamla 54240), when it was inexplicably withdrawn, and replaced with a ballad "Don't Let It End [[Til You Let It Begin)", which, while not a bad song, may have been a poor choice for the group's inaugural single: the weakest song in an otherwise very strong album. As a result, "Don't Let It End" only reached #56 Pop,#26 R&B on the Billboard chart,and without a big hit single to promote it, Renaissance only reached #174 Pop,#33 R&B on the Billboard album chart. An undeserved fate for an album otherwise filled with potential hits that never saw the light of day as singles

I saw Billy and the Miracles perform at the Apollo and enjoyed the new group.
Every time this LP is discussed, no one ever mentions "Don't Let It End).I disagree that it is the "Weakest" song on the LP. I love it. Wish more people would listen to it and give it another chance. For me, it was and is a masterpiece.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6AIySRvFug

One cup of rain
Won't come off again
It'll still get played
I bet'cha
One small mistake
Can't be all it takes
To make you run away
I won't let'cha

Don't let it end
'Til you let it begin
Love wasn't meant to go out comin' in
Don't let it end
'Til you let it begin

Hold on
Diamonds are rough
Just before they come
Then the price goes up
Forever

Ahhh, just before love
The going may get tough
But don't you give it up
You just stay put

Oh, don't let it end
'Til you let it begin
Love wasn't meant to go out comin' in
Don't let it end
'Til you let it begin
Oh, no-oo

Hey baby
[[Don't give up)
Don't give up
[[Don't give up on love)
Not now girl
It's just getting good

[blackguy69]

I remember "What Is A Heart Good For" being played in the clubs at the same time as The Supremes' "Bad Weather". I always loved playing those two songs back-to-back.

blackguy69, I live in the suburbs of Boston.

I still would love to see their very first appearance on soul train. Also I’m in Dorchester

[johnjeb]

milven, thanks for that info from Wikipedia. When I posted about "....Heart Good For" I couldn't remember if it was a single, or B-side or what. But I was recalling there was some issue about that song. I'm not at home so I couldn't check my resources. I also like "Don't Let It End...". I don't play these Miracles albums very often but I thoroughly enjoy them whenever I do.

blackguy69, nice to talk to a "local" guy on this board. Years ago I lived in the Back Bay close to Kenmore then briefly in the Fenway. Most of my life I've been in the suburbs west of Boston.

[RanRan79]

Every time this LP is discussed, no one ever mentions "Don't Let It End).I disagree that it is the "Weakest" song on the LP. I love it. Wish more people would listen to it and give it another chance. For me, it was and is a masterpiece.

I too like the song. In fact, recently I've probably played "Don't Let It End" more than any other post Smokey Miracles cut. But I do think it was a bad decision to release it as the first single. I'm guessing here, but because the record sounds like something the group would have recorded with Smokey as their lead, Motown probably thought that was the safest first single. They probably hoped that having such a Smokey-esque first single would make the public comfortable with a Smokey-less Miracles. "What Is a Heart Good For" was much more perfect. The sound was very contemporary, great groove, Billy is shining. I imagine "What Is a Heart" would've fared better on radio than "Don't Let It End".

"Don't Let It End" is a fantastic album cut though.

[midnightman]

The Miracles performing Do It Baby on Soul Train:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78DZrzbYNqs

[Motown Eddie]

Anybody really dig the post Smokey period of the Miracles? I think the first few singles are very underrated. Never cared much for "Love Machine", but it's okay. The Renaissance album is a classic IMO. Billy was a great replacement for Smokey.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzT7v5CfkiY

I think the post-Smokey Miracles did some of the best "soft soul" music of the mid '70s. My favorites by them are "You Are Love", "Do It Baby", "Don't Let It End [['Til You Let It Begin)". And they would also have one of the early Disco hits with "Love Machine". Yes indeed, Billy Griffin was a fine replacement for Smokey Robinson.