Early years and formation of the Miracles
Robinson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and was nicknamed "Smokey" as a child, because of his love of westerns. The name originally came when an uncle (who would take a young Robinson to see westerns) gave him the name "Smokey Joe", Robinson began being called "Smokey" whilst in his teens. In 1955, Robinson founded a group he called "The Five Chimes" with his best friend Ronnie White, and Northern High School classmates Pete Moore, Clarence Dawson, and James Grice. By 1957, the group was called "The Matadors" and included cousins Bobby Rogers and Claudette Rogers in place of Dawson and Grice. With Robinson as lead singer, the Matadors began touring the local Detroit venues. In 1958, Robinson met songwriter Berry Gordy, Jr., who co-wrote for them the single "Got a Job," an answer song to The Silhouettes' hit single "Get A Job." The group renamed itself The Miracles, and issued singles on both End Records and Chess Records before Robinson suggested to Berry Gordy that he start a label of his own.
In 1959, Gordy founded Tamla Records, which he soon reincorporated as Motown. The Miracles were among the label's first signees. Gordy and Robinson had a synergistic relationship, with Robinson providing a foundation for Motown's hit-making success and Gordy acting as a mentor for the budding singer and songwriter. By 1961, Gordy had appointed Robinson vice-president of Motown Records, a title Robinson held for as long as Gordy remained with the company.
Motown and The Miracles
The 1960 single "Shop Around" was Motown's first #1 hit on the R&B singles chart, and the first big hit for The Miracles. They scored many more hits over the years, including "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (1962), "Mickey's Monkey" (1963), "Ooo Baby Baby (1965), "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965), "Going to a Go-Go" (1965), "More Love" (1967), and "I Second That Emotion" (1967).
Besides penning hits for his own group, Robinson also wrote and produced hits and album tracks for other Motown artists. Mary Wells had a big hit with the Robinson-penned "My Guy" (1964), and Robinson served as The Temptations primary songwriter and producer from 1963 to 1966, penning hits such as "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "My Girl," "Since I Lost My Baby," and "Get Ready." Among Robinson's numerous other Motown compositions are "Still Water (Love)" by The Four Tops, "Don't Mess With Bill" by The Marvelettes, "When I'm Gone" by Brenda Holloway, "Ain't That Peculiar" and "I'll Be Doggone" by Marvin Gaye, "My Guy" by Mary Wells and "First I Look at the Purse" by The Contours.
Fellow singer/songwriter Bob Dylan described Robinson as "America's greatest living poet." Robinson's hit ballads also earned him the title "America's poet laureate of love." Over the course of his almost 50-year career in music, Robinson has over 4,000 songs to his credit.
After marrying Claudette Rogers, Robinson started a family, and named both of his children after Motown: his son was named Berry after the company's founder, and his daughter was named Tamla after the Motown imprint for which Robinson and The Miracles recorded.
The Miracles remained a premier Motown act through most of the 1960s. Albums were released as "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles" after 1965. By 1969, the group's fortunes began to falter, and Robinson decided to quit The Miracles so that he could remain at home with his family and concentrate on his duties as vice president. The group stopped recording and Robinson prepared to leave the group. Unexpectedly, however, their 1966 recording of "The Tears of a Clown" was released as a single in 1970, and became a #1 hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Due to the surprise success of "Tears of a Clown," Robinson was convinced to remain with The Miracles for a few more years. In 1972, he followed through on his original plans to leave the group, and The Miracles began a six-month farewell tour. On July 16, 1972, Smokey and Claudette Robinson gave their final performances as Miracles at the Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, DC, and Robinson introduced the group's new lead singer, Billy Griffin. The Miracles went on for a while, even having another #1 hit, "Love Machine," in 1976.
Successful solo career
Smokey Robinson began a low-key solo career while concentrating on his duties as vice-president of Motown, releasing his first solo LP, Smokey, in 1973. His first hit single, "Sweet Harmony" (1973), was dedicated to The Miracles.
In 1975, Robinson's solo career went into full-drive after the success of the #1 R&B hit "Baby That's Backatcha." Robinson's 1976 single "Quiet Storm" and its accompanying album typified a smooth, slow style of R&B that is today called "quiet storm." Other Robinson solo hits include "Cruisin'" (1979), "Being With You" (a UK #1 hit) (1981), "Tell Me Tomorrow" (1982), and "Ebony Eyes," a duet with labelmate Rick James (1983). He also recorded the soundtrack to the film Big Time (1977).
Spokesmanship
Smokey Robinson is the spokesman of the Great American Smokeout, which takes place annually one week before Thanksgiving. It's a day when smokers quit smoking for at least a day. In 2006, It takes place on November 16th.
Later years
During the mid-1980s, Robinson fell victim to cocaine addiction. His recording slowed, and his marriage to Claudette faltered; the two were divorced in 1986. Robinson eventually overcame the addiction and revitalized his career, scoring hits in 1987 with "Just To See Her" and "One Heartbeat." Also in 1987, British band ABC scored a US and UK hit with their tribute to Robinson, entitled "When Smokey Sings". In 1988, Robinson published his autobiography, Smokey, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Upon Motown's sale to MCA in 1988, Robinson resigned from his position as vice-president. After one last album for Motown, Love, Smokey (1990), Robinson departed the company. He released one record for SBK Records, Double Good Everything (1991), the same year he won a Soul Train Music Award for Career Achievement. Eight years later, he returned to Motown, which by then was a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and released Intimate (1999).
Since then, Robinson has continued to periodically perform and tour. In 2003, Robinson served as a guest judge for American Idol during "Billy Joel Week." He issued a gospel LP, Food for the Spirit in 2004. A new album of pop standards from the early 20th century, Timeless Love, was released in June 2006. It was originally recorded with a jazz combo, but strings were added after the fact, giving the album more of a lush sound but removing much of the jazz feeling of the disc.
In 2004, Robinson's company, SFGL Foods, launched a special brand of gumbo called "Smokey Robinson's 'The Soul is in the Bowl' Gumbo." [1].
In May 2006, at its 138th Commencement Convocation, Howard University conferred on Robinson the degree of Doctor of Music, honoris causa.
Smokey Robinson is scheduled to appear on Duets on Fox along with Randy Travis, Patti Labelle, Chaka Khan, Dionne Warwick, Aaron Neville, Clint Black, Michael Bolton, Kenny Loggins, Brian McKnight, Macy Gray, Richard Marx, and Cyndi Lauper. David Foster will be a judge.
On 27th October 2006 Smokey appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.
I've Made Love to You a Thosand Times
Smokey Robinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even if it's only in my mind
I've made love to you a thousand ways
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
It's so real, when I dream about you
I can feel you in the morning
All day long the feeling of my dream
I'm standing there, and suddenly
There you are all over me
I've made love to you a thousand times,
Even if it's only in my mind
I've made love to you a thousand ways
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
Let it be, let it really happen
Set me free form loves desire
And if my imagination is any indication
Then of your love I'll never tire
Oh, hold me close, kiss me sweet,
And repeat and repeat and repeat
And after I've made love to you a thousand times
And after I've made love to you a thousand ways
I'm gonna gonna keep on with the real thing
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
I've made love to you a thousand times,
Even if it's only in my mind
I've made love to you a thousand ways
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
Then I wanna keep on with the real thing
Keep on with the real thing
Keep on keep on keep on with the real thing
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
For a thousand nights and a thousand nights
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
(repeat until fade)
The song "I've Made Love To You A Thousand Times" by Smokey Robinson is a passionate love song about a man who has been in love with a woman for a very long time. The song suggests that he may have never made love to her in reality even though he has had a thousand dreams about doing so. The song is about the desire of being with the person you love, whether it is real or just in your mind.
The lyrics convey the feelings of longing and desire of the singer, who has imagined the ways he can make love to his love interest. The thoughts are so vivid that he can feel it in his dreams and sometimes during his waking days. He pleads to his lover to let the love and passion between them be real and not just in his imagination. The song expresses the hope for a real passionate love after he has experienced the same feelings a thousand times in his mind.
In summary, Smokey Robinson's "I've Made Love To You A Thousand Times" is a heartfelt expression of love and desire. The song lyrically conveys the singer's hope to experience the passion he has envisioned in his mind repeatedly. The reference to a thousand times is symbolic of the intense love that he feels.
Line by Line Meaning
I've made love to you a thousand times,
I've dreamed of making love to you so many times that it feels like it has happened a thousand times already.
Even if it's only in my mind
Although it's only happened in my dreams, it's still incredibly real to me.
I've made love to you a thousand ways
I've imagined so many different ways to make love to you in my dreams, each one more passionate than the last.
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
I've been dreaming of making love to you for a very long time, both during the day and at night.
Let it be, let it really happen
I want our love to become a reality and for us to be together in every way possible.
Set me free form loves desire
Please remove any barriers preventing us from being together and allow me to feel your love fully.
And if my imagination is any indication
If my fantasies are any indication of what it would really be like with you, then I know it would be amazing.
Then of your love I'll never tire
I'll never get tired of feeling your love and being close to you.
Oh, hold me close, kiss me sweet,
I long for your warm embrace and sweet kisses to bring us even closer together.
And repeat and repeat and repeat
I want to experience this over and over again until it becomes a reality.
And after I've made love to you a thousand times
After all my dreams of making love to you, I still want the real thing with you.
I'm gonna gonna keep on with the real thing
I want to continue to make love to you in real life and experience all the passion and intimacy that comes with it.
Keep on keep on keep on with the real thing
I want to keep loving you in real life for as long as possible and never let go.
For a thousand nights and a thousand days
I want to spend every possible moment with you, experiencing all the love and joy that life has to offer.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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