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 Don't Blame You
Smokey Robinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't owe me a thing 'cause I played the fool
No no no no no
I'm only payin' the price for a trip I took to paradise
'Cause I looked into a pair of eyes
And what I thought was the look of love was only hurt in disguise
Too bad I didn't realize, oh but don't apologize, no, 'cause
I don't blame you at all 'cause you played it cool
You don't owe me a thing 'cause I played the fool
No no no no no
I think it's pretty plain (pretty plain), holdin' you would take a ball and chain (ball and chain)
Every bet I made was all in vain
'Cause what I thought was an ocean of love (ocean of love, ocean of love) was just a wee drop of rain
Too bad that it couldn't rain, oh but you don't have to explain, no, 'cause
I don't blame you at all 'cause you played it cool
I should've did it myself
You don't owe me a thing 'cause I played the fool
No no no no no
I don't blame you at all 'cause you played it cool
That's the thing to do
You don't owe me a thing 'cause I played the fool
No no no no no
Yeah, oh yeah yeah, ooh hoo, ooh, hoo, ooh
I said, what I thought was sure to last, to last was just a minute instead
Too bad that I got misled (too bad, too bad), ah but you don't have to hang your head, ah 'cause
I don't blame you at all 'cause you played it cool
I should've did it myself
You don't owe me a thing 'cause I played the fool
No no no no no
I don't blame you at all 'cause you played it cool
'Cause that's the thing to do
You don't owe me a thing 'cause I played the fool
No no no no no
The lyrics to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' song "I Don't Blame You at All" explore the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer takes responsibility for his own mistakes, admitting that he played the fool and that his trip to paradise was ultimately his downfall. He acknowledges that his partner played it cool and had no obligation to him, emphasizing his own naivety when he mistook the "look of love" for "hurt in disguise." The singer concludes that he doesn't blame his partner for anything, as they did what they had to do to protect themselves, and he should have done the same.
The song's message is one of self-reflection and acceptance of personal responsibility. The singer recognizes that he made a mistake and takes ownership of it without blaming anyone else. The lyrics demonstrate a level of emotional maturity and self-awareness, which is a common theme in Smokey Robinson's writing. The smooth, soulful melody and Robinson's signature falsetto add to the song's melancholy yet beautiful tone.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't blame you at all 'cause you played it cool
I am not putting any blame on you because you acted calmly and rationally
You don't owe me a thing 'cause I played the fool
I am not expecting anything from you because I acted foolishly
I'm only payin' the price for a trip I took to paradise
I am suffering the consequences of chasing after a perfect love
'Cause I looked into a pair of eyes
I fell in love with someone because of their captivating eyes
And what I thought was the look of love was only hurt in disguise
I mistook the pain in their eyes for love and ended up getting hurt
Too bad I didn't realize, oh but don't apologize, no, 'cause
It is unfortunate that I did not see the truth, but there is no need for you to say sorry
I should've did it myself
I should have handled the situation on my own
I think it's pretty plain (pretty plain), holdin' you would take a ball and chain (ball and chain)
Being with you would feel like a heavy burden to me
Every bet I made was all in vain
All my attempts to win your love were fruitless
What I thought was an ocean of love (ocean of love, ocean of love) was just a wee drop of rain
My perception of the vastness of our love was actually just a small amount
Too bad that it couldn't rain, oh but you don't have to explain, no, 'cause
It is unfortunate that our love did not work out, but you do not need to justify it to me
That's the thing to do
Acting cool is the right thing to do in situations like these
Yeah, oh yeah yeah, ooh hoo, ooh, hoo, ooh
Expressing agreement and emotion regarding the situation
I said, what I thought was sure to last, to last was just a minute instead
I believed that our love would endure, but it ended quickly instead
Too bad that I got misled (too bad, too bad), ah but you don't have to hang your head, ah 'cause
It is unfortunate that I was deceived, but you should not feel ashamed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SMOKEY ROBINSON, WILLIAM ROBINSON JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wmccoy1960
I was 10 years old when this song was released. Great Motown hits like this with their incredible orchestrations inspired me to become a proficient violinist!!! What an honor to perform with the George Duke Orchestra for the Howard Theater Gala Reopening in Washington, DC several years ago. Smokey Robinson and Barry Gordy were present mutually admiring each other as friends and colleagues. How could I have known when my mother encouraged me to take lessons at 8.
@SheikRonMC
Awesome. Proud of you
@bigvalley4987
Hooray! I am proud of you. I was around that age as well. I was given piano lesson. But I did not inspired what my Mama desire the church pianist, and ultimate the Carnegie Hall😔
@philipnorris6542
I don't want to split hairs but his name is Berry, not Barry.
@Kebabofevil
'... and what I thought was an ocean of love.... was just a wee drop of rain'... great lyric!
@marcusthomas9817
THIS IS THE JAM AND STILL SOUNDING GOOD AFTER ALL THESE YEARS...
@raylopez7622
Got that right
@ChihuahuaboyDH
A great song by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles! This was a featured track on "American Top 40 - The '70s" (from May 29th, 1971), & was the #25 song. Bravo, William "Smokey" Robinson & Co.!
@knowbodiesfull5768
ChihuahuaboyDH That was my 7th birthday!!!
@stevesouthall4718
Loved this song 1971 16yrold kid brings great memories