Doin' mickey's monkey - miracles [[1963)

[Kamasu_Jr]

Possibly the first truly great Motown album. Doin' Mickey's Monkey was all about dancing. The 1963 Album found Smokey and the gang forsaking the love ballads and delivering eleven sizzling tracks all designed to make everybody get up and dance, work and shake a tail feather. This is a record you put on and play all of the way through. Smokey delivered some of his most aggressive vocals and wife Claudette even got to sing The Wah Wahtusi. The Funks turned The Twist into a rocking dancer. Could this have been Motown's first concept album? It is available as a terrific sounding download.

[thomas96]

Great album, I absolutely love "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying." I don't know if I'd say it's "the first truly great Motown album." I really like most of the albums from '62 and the earlier ones from '63. Maybe the first 'concept album' for Motown though. Regardless it was a truly amazing album and maybe the best so far when it came out.

[marv2]

It was an album that featured a variety of Motown artists singing back up for Smokey and the Miracles, well at least on the title cut "Mickey's Monkey".

[144man]

I'm particularly fond of "Dancing Holiday".

[Kamasu_Jr]

You've got good taste 144man. Dancing Holiday is one of my favorites too. I also like what Smokey and the Miracles did with Land of A Thousand Dances.

[762rob]

Just a great album and a treasure in my collection!

[Motown4Ever518]

Off the top of my head, I believe after the first 5 LP's that comprise Depend On Me, this would have been in the next 5, How about it Universal? In the past couple of years there has been a trend from Jazz to R & B, to Rock to package 5 Lps by an artist in one set. There has to be a market for the Miracles in this format going up to when Smokey left the group.

[lakedistrictlad1]

Motown4Ever, you have just reminded me that the album 'Doin Mickey's Monkey' isn't in the 'Depend On Me' set.
When I checked my cd's I found that the only cd edition of Mickey's Monkey is the 1980's U.S issue - which , as we all know, ain't up to the standards of modern digital sound. In fact, this is one of the very few of those 1980's releases I still have.
So methinks it is about time this lp saw a brand new mastered Hip-O release. It is a great album.

[roger]

Have to admit it folks but I've missed out on this L.P.

I've found "Land of 1000 Dances" on you-tube .. 85 views in 9 months so far .. I think we can boost that .. :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzshCoTAYf0

It does seem to keep very close to the original by CHRIS KENNER to my ears ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDxfCywWgaE

Funnily .. for a real "Motown Style" version of the song I'd recommend this version by JACKIE LEE ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcVSODtLXME

Roger

[Motown4Ever518]

LDL, I get it that SR&TM lps were not great sellers upon release, why I do not know.I have been a collector for 45 years and never owned a copy, though in vinyl I owned every lp except for this one. Alas, me thinks that my ex - wife used my vinyl collection as frisbees over the years.On US Ebay, What Love Has Joined Together on CD went for $180.
Motown4Ever, you have just reminded me that the album 'Doin Mickey's Monkey' isn't in the 'Depend On Me' set.
When I checked my cd's I found that the only cd edition of Mickey's Monkey is the 1980's U.S issue - which , as we all know, ain't up to the standards of modern digital sound. In fact, this is one of the very few of those 1980's releases I still have.
So methinks it is about time this lp saw a brand new mastered Hip-O release. It is a great album.

[Nothing But Soul]

[QUOTE=Motown4Ever518;174117]LDL, I get it that SR&TM lps were not great sellers upon release, why I do not know.I have been a collector for 45 years and never owned a copy, though in vinyl I owned every lp except for this one.

Further verification that Doin Mickey's Monkey was not a great seller upon release is the fact that Motown prepared a 1964 Miracles album that repeated half the tracks from Doin' Mickey's Monkey. That album, I Like It Like That, was quickly deleted, but I don't think Motown would have even considered repeating so many tracks just a year later if Doin' Mickey's Monkey had sold well.

Below is a link to Wikipedia concerning the Miracles "forgotten album." I know Wikipedia is not always reliable, but I've heard about the deleted I Like It Like That album from other sources, so I'm pretty sure it existed. The Wikipedia article shows a picture of the cover of that album. If any copies of I Like It Like That actually did get out, I'm guessing they are worth a lot to Motown collectors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Like_It_Like_That_%28album%29

[RossHolloway]

[QUOTE=Motown4Ever518;174117]LDL, I get it that SR&TM lps were not great sellers upon release, why I do not know.I have been a collector for 45 years and never owned a copy, though in vinyl I owned every lp except for this one.

Further verification that Doin Mickey's Monkey was not a great seller upon release is the fact that Motown prepared a 1964 Miracles album that repeated half the tracks from Doin' Mickey's Monkey. That album, I Like It Like That, was quickly deleted, but I don't think Motown would have even considered repeating so many tracks just a year later if Doin' Mickey's Monkey had sold well.

Below is a link to Wikipedia concerning the Miracles "forgotten album." I know Wikipedia is not always reliable, but I've heard about the deleted I Like It Like That album from other sources, so I'm pretty sure it existed. The Wikipedia article shows a picture of the cover of that album. If any copies of I Like It Like That actually did get out, I'm guessing they are worth a lot to Motown collectors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Like_It_Like_That_%28album%29

Wasn't the album just released in Europe?

[Kamasu_Jr]

Interesting Nothing But soul. Through technology, One can compile this album. I liked the track listing and have all of the songs. I can see why Hip O did not continue with the next five SR&TM albums because they are now all on the market.

[Nothing But Soul]

Interesting Nothing But soul. Through technology, One can compile this album. I liked the track listing and have all of the songs. I can see why Hip O did not continue with the next five SR&TM albums because they are now all on the market.

The SR&TM albums from 1965 through 1968 were, as they say, "all killer and no filler." And to think, their huge 1967 single hit "I Second That Emotion" wasn't included on any of them.

[Nothing But Soul]

[QUOTE=Nothing But Soul;174173]

Wasn't the album just released in Europe?

Not according to Wikipedia, Ross, but you have a point. The Wikipedia article says it was scheduled as Tamla T-249 in the US and Tamla-Motown TML11003 in Europe. However, when I check the Tamla discography on bsnpubs.com it say that Tamla T-249 was "Shades of Time" by Choker Campbell & His 16 Piece Band [[Unissued). One of these sources is wrong, unless Tamla T-249 was used twice.Shades of Time - Choker Campbell & His 16 Piece Band [Unissued]

[wedgeville]

We didn't get the "Doin' Mickey's Monkey" in the UK. I guess if we had it would have been on EMI's Stateside Label in 64...
However, the "Like It Like That" [[3rd LP to be released on the newly formed Tamla Motown label) was more of a compilation of songs from various Miracles US albums.

Love the Mickey's Monkey LP, and would like to see a UK release, even if on download only.

Wayne

[phil]

[QUOTE=Nothing But Soul;174173]

Wasn't the album just released in Europe?

I think it was only released in England, but I may be wrong. I won it recently on ebay for $9.99 ! :)

http://www.popsike.eu/pix/20100925/220674375574.jpg

[RossHolloway]

Mystery solved!