It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:02 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:25 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:10 pm
Posts: 5057
Location: The Capital Wasteland


yeeeeeeeaaaaaa 8)

_________________
1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:37 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 29, 2009 7:13 pm
Posts: 19026
Location: Illinois, USA
I saw Smokey in 1970 at the Chicago Theater. Amazing live performance.


_________________
you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 9:55 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:10 pm
Posts: 5057
Location: The Capital Wasteland
I'm jelly

_________________
1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 10:06 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25353
Location: Witness Protection Program
He still does okay for being 73 yrs old.

Saw him on 'Live from Daryl's House' and he was like
bang bang pop dat thang.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 1:41 pm
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2012 10:16 pm
Posts: 209
Buxom wrote:
I'm jelly

I know Smokey Robinson is far from overlooked and has to be fabulously wealthy, but in terms of being a writer, arranger, singer, performer, and mentor, I don't think he actually gets enough credit for being the absolute popular music genius that he is! He is literally The Man Who Built Motown, IMHO. Can anyone imagine the Motown sound without Smokey's songs and Marv Tarplin's guitar lines? Stevie Wonder gets a lot of well-deserved credit for talent and genius, but I'll take Smokey over Stevie any day.

_________________
Most profound blues lyric, from Robert Johnson's Hell Hound On My Trail:

"If today was Christmas Eve, if today was Christmas Eve,
Tomorrow would be Christmas Day..."


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 2:01 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25353
Location: Witness Protection Program
rudorama wrote:
He is literally The Man Who Built Motown, IMHO. Can anyone imagine the Motown sound without Smokey's songs and Marv Tarplin's guitar lines? Stevie Wonder gets a lot of well-deserved credit for talent and genius, but I'll take Smokey over Stevie any day.


Marv Tarplin was a great player - nice to hear his name again mentioned!

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... s-20111006

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Sun Jul 28, 2013 4:19 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 7:10 pm
Posts: 5057
Location: The Capital Wasteland
Everyone, Smokey Robinson is the perfect chill out music. And that's coming from the punk rocker.

_________________
1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:33 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
Robinson is forever the "MAYOR OF MOTOWN." One-time Motown VP too.

Have to say that Berry Gordy built the label. He built Smokey too. Robinson even named his daughter "Tamla" and his son "Berry" to show how pivotal his association with Berry Gordy was in his life. Yes Smokey made Motown better, but Motown was happening with or without him. Smokey is a great singer and songwriter but has battled some demons over the years.

People forget that Gordy didn't just sit back and take the cash others earned, cracking a whip. They forget he was a songwriter himself, writing lots of hits such as "Lonely Teardrops" (Jackie Wilson) and others before going out on his own. Once he found out that he couldn't make a lot of money writing for other artists and their publishers, he decided he should own his own record label and publishing house.

Two things that always impressed me about Gordy was his knack for knowing whether something was or was not "in the groove" and his always being open to white acts and white musicians. He created the Rare Earth Records label for the all white band Rare Earth, but the label was owned wholly by Motown. He didn't make Motown, Tamla, Gordy, Soul, VIP, Jobete Publishing or Rare Earth Records a race thing, he made the whole conglomerate a music thing.

Smokey Robinson, as gifted and talented as he is, will be the first to tell you that Berry Gordy built Motown, not him. Smokey just was in the right place at the right time as the front man in the first group Berry Gordy signed. When Gordy signed The Miracles they were known as The Matadors. Gordy changed their name after learning there was another Matadors outfit already recording for Sue Records.

My favorite Smokey Robinson recording is "You've Really Got A Hold On Me." Gorgeous.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:22 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 9:50 am
Posts: 1399
brotherdave wrote:
Robinson is forever the "MAYOR OF MOTOWN." One-time Motown VP too.

Have to say that Berry Gordy built the label. He built Smokey too. Robinson even named his daughter "Tamla" and his son "Berry" to show how pivotal his association with Berry Gordy was in his life. Yes Smokey made Motown better, but Motown was happening with or without him. Smokey is a great singer and songwriter but has battled some demons over the years.

People forget that Gordy didn't just sit back and take the cash others earned, cracking a whip. They forget he was a songwriter himself, writing lots of hits such as "Lonely Teardrops" (Jackie Wilson) and others before going out on his own. Once he found out that he couldn't make a lot of money writing for other artists and their publishers, he decided he should own his own record label and publishing house.

Two things that always impressed me about Gordy was his knack for knowing whether something was or was not "in the groove" and his always being open to white acts and white musicians. He created the Rare Earth Records label for the all white band Rare Earth, but the label was owned wholly by Motown. He didn't make Motown, Tamla, Gordy, Soul, VIP, Jobete Publishing or Rare Earth Records a race thing, he made the whole conglomerate a music thing.

Smokey Robinson, as gifted and talented as he is, will be the first to tell you that Berry Gordy built Motown, not him. Smokey just was in the right place at the right time as the front man in the first group Berry Gordy signed. When Gordy signed The Miracles they were known as The Matadors. Gordy changed their name after learning there was another Matadors outfit already recording for Sue Records.

My favorite Smokey Robinson recording is "You've Really Got A Hold On Me." Gorgeous.


Another great and informative post from you. We share the same taste for favorite Smokey tune as well. However, I love the interplay between the bass and trombones in "Tears of a Clown". That song hits a few "spots".

Great choice, Buxom.

_________________
I have some Fender gear.
(Telecaster, Jaguar, Villager 12 String. Mustang l, Bronco, SCX2, Rumble 350, HRDIII, Rumble 2x8 Neo Cab)
http://www.reverbnation.com/modwiz


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:44 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:34 pm
Posts: 10760
Location: Athens, Greece
I saw her with Jools and EC three years ago:



Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 5:23 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25353
Location: Witness Protection Program
Great catalog of songs written by Smokey. 'My Girl' is probably one that I've played/sang the most:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:S ... y_Robinson

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 7:45 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:44 am
Posts: 864
I saw Smokey perform recently on Daryl Hall's TV show "Live From Daryl's House" and boy was he good.

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/currentep.html?ep_id=23

_________________
spacewolf wrote:
The chord will reveal itself once you achieve Tanlightenment.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:45 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
Miami Mike wrote:
Great catalog of songs written by Smokey. 'My Girl' is probably one that I've played/sang the most:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:S ... y_Robinson


Great timeless song. Another Miracles member named Ronald White got co-writer credit on that one along with William "Smokey" Robinson. Ronald White often gets confused with Robert White, who was the guitarist playing lead on "My Girl" which is probably the most famous and most instantly recognizable Motown guitar riff ever recorded.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:54 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:46 pm
Posts: 2041
Dare I mention that Smokey was a mentor on last season's American Idol..? And the year before, too, I think.

Ouch, quit slapping me! I swear I never watched the show! :shock:

_________________
Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Smokey Robinson
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 10:03 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:10 pm
Posts: 13467
Location: Palm Beach County FL
Miami Mike wrote:
He still does okay for being 73 yrs old.


Something for both of us to look forward to......sooner than we think. :wink: 8)

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: