Mickey's Monkey: The Song That Just Wouldn't Die

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

The Miracles had FIVE 45s released on Tamla between "MICKEY'S MONKEY" and "COME ON DO THE JERK". They all charted except the special Christmas release to promote their Christmas LP. That time gap was over a year and a half. "MICKEY'S MONKEY's" sales had already run its course, and was already only being sold as an "oldie".

"COME ON DO THE JERK" was played the least of any Miracles' release since "Brokenhearted". I remember it being played on WVON only on the Lightest rotation for only a week, or so, and then dropped. Usually Miracles songs got the "hit treatment" from ALL R&B station DJs, [[and usually from MOST Pop DJs), from the start, - just because they were superstars. MOST "White" people I knew probably never even heard that song.

This is just the kind of contextual observation I was hoping for. I knew about the releases between "Mickey" and "Jerk" but I was of the feeling that none really ignited the charts.

The similarities between "Mickey's Monkey" and "Come On Do The Jerk" reminded me of the situation with Motown trying to get Brenda Holloway back on track hit-wise; either Sylvia Moy or Mickey Stevenson spoke about writing "Hurt A Little Every Day" specifically to recall elements of "Every Little Bit Hurts". Since Brenda had her biggest hit with that song, they were trying to recapture that vibe. I thought it was odd to tru to recreate something that had been a hit a year or two prior.

So could it have been the same rationale with Smokey and Co.? If the singles after "Mickey" weren't selling well maybe they felt they would do better going back to a proven formula [[which, it turns out, didn't reap much in dividends.)