Smokey Robinson Article - Wall Street Journal - 3/25/2013

[Methuselah2]

http://m.us.wsj.com/articles/a/SB10001424127887323826704578356231916710530?mg=ren o64-wsj

[RossHolloway]

That was a nice read. Glad to see/know there's still an interest in the great Smokey Robinson.

[thomas96]

Good article. Never thought of "Shop Around" as the follow up to "Money [[That's What I Want)" like that, makes sense.

[Jimi LaLumia]

great feature...
but Motown's first real #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 was The Marvelettes/"Please Mr.Postman"..
quit trying to re write history, Smokes!

[thomas96]

great feature...
but Motown's first real #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 was The Marvelettes/"Please Mr.Postman"..
quit trying to re write history, Smokes!

I believe they mean first #1 on any chart--in this case the R&B charts.

[Jimi LaLumia]

Well, to the non Motown fact filled fan, it is misleading..
I think, deliberately so, to puff up the Smokes Screen!

[midnightman]

It does sound deliberate haha it was the first Motown associated song to sell a million though.

[midnightman]

LOL at what Cholly Atkins told him.

[Methuselah2]

SHOP AROUND:
1960
Motown's 1st million-seller
Billboard:
· Hot 100 chart position: #2
· R & B chart position: #1
Cashbox:
· Pop chart position: #1

PLEASE MR. POSTMAN:
1961
Billboard:
· Hot 100 chart position: #1
· R & B chart position: #1

[Jimi LaLumia]

Cashbox never registered with the public like Billboard did...
and are we implying that "Postman" didn't sell a million?

[soulster]

Cashbox never registered with the public like Billboard did...
and are we implying that "Postman" didn't sell a million?
cashbox only tabulated sales. Billboard tabulated sales and radio.

[Methuselah2]

Cashbox never registered with the public like Billboard did...
and are we implying that "Postman" didn't sell a million?

Personally? Not implying anything.

[marybrewster]

great feature...
but Motown's first real #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 was The Marvelettes/"Please Mr.Postman"..
quit trying to re write history, Smokes!

You beat me to the punch, Jim. That was my first thought after reading this article; there goes Smokey again trying to rewrite history.

I lost a LOT of respect for him once "Dreamgirls" came out.

[RossHolloway]

You beat me to the punch, Jim. That was my first thought after reading this article; there goes Smokey again trying to rewrite history.

I lost a LOT of respect for him once "Dreamgirls" came out.


What did Smokey say about Dreamgirls?

[marv2]

What did Smokey say about Dreamgirls?

Here is just one article on the subject. Smokey went on a sort of media blitz condemning the movie at the time.

http://www.today.com/id/16950294

[Jimi LaLumia]

speaking of his constant insults to The Marvelettes, remember when he tried to present this as his brand new song on American Idol?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLcA5m-ZZms

[midnightman]

speaking of his constant insults to The Marvelettes, remember when he tried to present this as his brand new song on American Idol?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLcA5m-ZZms

He did? LOL

[midnightman]

You beat me to the punch, Jim. That was my first thought after reading this article; there goes Smokey again trying to rewrite history.

I lost a LOT of respect for him once "Dreamgirls" came out.

His rants were really unnecessary.

[midnightman]

Cashbox never registered with the public like Billboard did...
and are we implying that "Postman" didn't sell a million?

I don't know if that's what he was doing, I think he was just pointing out about how the charts tallied the songs up. Didn't "Please Mr. Postman" top Cashbox too?

[Roberta75]

I lost a LOT of respect for him once "Dreamgirls" came out.

Mt Smokey Robinson and Mr Berry Gordy had every right to be real upset about Dreamgirls the movie IMO. They stole exact images and record album covers and costumes and history right from Motown Records and then try to say it wasnt about Motown or the Supremes.

Roberta

[midnightman]

Mt Smokey Robinson and Mr Berry Gordy had every right to be real upset about Dreamgirls the movie IMO. They stole exact images and record album covers and costumes and history right from Motown Records and then try to say it wasnt about Motown or the Supremes.

Roberta

Now THAT was true... I'm surprised Berry didn't sue them for that. And to be honest the movie wasn't really all that. It was a Jennifer Hudson/Eddie Murphy vehicle mainly lol

[Methuselah2]

Mt Smokey Robinson and Mr Berry Gordy had every right to be real upset about Dreamgirls the movie IMO. They stole exact images and record album covers and costumes and history right from Motown Records and then try to say it wasnt about Motown or the Supremes.

Roberta

I whole-heartedly agree. Their criticism, concerns, and speaking out seemed reasonable to me. The movie threw in everything--including the kitchen sink from Hitsville, U.S.A.--and then played ostrich about it. An ill-conceived project from start to finish.

[midnightman]

I whole-heartedly agree. Their criticism, concerns, and speaking out seemed reasonable to me. The movie threw in everything--including the kitchen sink from Hitsville, U.S.A.--and then played ostrich about it. An ill-conceived project from start to finish.

Yeah. To this day people still think Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson were really playing Diana and Flo...

[Jimi LaLumia]

..they were... find the Vogue interview with Ms. Hudson, her long lunch with Mary Wilson, and dedicating her Golden Globe award to Flo...

[midnightman]

..they were... find the Vogue interview with Ms. Hudson, her long lunch with Mary Wilson, and dedicating her Golden Globe award to Flo...

Oh yeah. The actors themselves didn't make it any better. I could've sworn someone wrote that Eddie Murphy was actually playing Marvin in the film smh lmao