Going to a Go-Go

Going to a Go-Go is a 1965 album by the Miracles, the first to credit the group as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. It includes four of the Miracles' Top 20 hits: "Ooo Baby Baby", "The Tracks of My Tears", "Going to a Go-Go", and "My Girl Has Gone". It was produced by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, along with Frank Wilson and William "Mickey" Stevenson.

This article is about the 1965 album by the Miracles. For the single, see Going to a Go-Go (song).
Going To A Go-Go
Studio album by
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
ReleasedNovember 1, 1965[1]
Recorded1965
StudioHitsville USA
GenreSoul
Length33:49
LabelTamla
TS 267
ProducerSmokey Robinson, Frank Wilson, William "Mickey" Stevenson
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles chronology
I Like It Like That
(1964) (withdrawn from U.S.)
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Greatest Hits from the Beginning
(1965)		 Going To A Go-Go
(1965)		 Away We a Go-Go
(1966)
Singles from Going to a Go-Go
  1. "Ooo Baby Baby"
    Released: March 5, 1965
  2. "The Tracks of My Tears"
    Released: June 23, 1965
  3. "A Fork in the Road"
    Released: June 23, 1965
  4. "My Girl Has Gone"
    Released: September 22, 1965
  5. "Choosey Beggar"
    Released: December 5, 1965
  6. "Going to a Go-Go"
    Released: December 5, 1965
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]

Primarily produced by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, Going to a Go-Go features compositions co-written by Miracles members Robinson, Ronald White, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. In fact, with the sole exception of the song, "My Baby Changes Like The Weather", this entire album was written by The Miracles.

Going To A Go-Go was the only Miracles studio LP to chart within the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it remained for 40 weeks, peaking at number 8. The LP peaked at number-one on Billboard's R&B albums chart. In 2003, the album achieved Gold Record status. It was ranked number 271 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[3] and 273 in a 2012 revised list.[4]

Going to a Go-Go was reissued on CD in 2002, coupled with the Miracles' Away We a Go-Go.

Composition

Robinson wrote or co-wrote all the tracks, apart from "My Baby Changes Like the Weather", which was written by two other Motown writers, Hal Davis and Frank Wilson. Robinson's main writing partner was his childhood friend and co-founder of the Miracles, Warren "Pete" Moore, who worked with him on seven of the album's twelve tracks. The other writers are: Miracles members Bobby Rogers, Ronald White,and Marv Tarplin,along with William "Mickey" Stevenson, a Motown songwriter and producer, who contributed to one song. Marv Tarplin, the Miracles' lead guitarist, created the evocative opening chords of "The Tracks of My Tears".[5] and the starting guitar riffs on the title song, and "My Girl has Gone" .[6]

Release

Going To A Go-Go was released November 1st, 1965,[1] and reached number-eight of the Billboard 200 albums chart, and number-one on Billboard's R&B albums chart. It is the only Miracles studio LP to chart within the Top 10.

The tracks "Ooo Baby Baby", "The Tracks of My Tears", "Going to a Go-Go", and "My Girl Has Gone", were released as singles, and reached the Top 20. "Choosey Beggar" charted on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart at number 35. "A Fork in the Road" was a strong regional hit in several areas of the country and was regularly performed as part of the Miracles' live show.

Going to a Go-Go was reissued on CD in 2002, coupled with the Miracles' Away We a Go-Go.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "The Tracks of My Tears" (Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Tarplin)  – 2:55
  2. "Going to a Go-Go" (Moore, Robinson, Robert Rogers, Tarplin)  – 2:46
  3. "Ooo Baby Baby" (Moore, Robinson)  – 2:45
  4. "My Girl Has Gone" (Moore, Robinson, Tarplin, Ronald White)  – 2:50
  5. "In Case You Need Love" (Robinson)  – 2:47
  6. "Choosey Beggar" (Moore, Robinson)  – 2:33

Side two

  1. "Since You Won My Heart" (Robinson, William "Mickey" Stevenson)  – 2:16
  2. "From Head to Toe" (Robinson)  – 2:25
  3. "All That's Good" (Moore, Robinson)  – 3:12
  4. "My Baby Changes Like the Weather" (Hal Davis, Frank Wilson)  – 2:47
  5. "Let Me Have Some" – (Robinson, Rogers)  – 3:07
  6. "A Fork in the Road" (Moore, Robinson, White)  – 3:26

Personnel

Producers

See also
  • List of number-one R&B albums of 1966 (U.S.)

References
  1. Hughes, Keith (2018). "Going To A Go-Go". Don't Forget the Motor City. Ritchie Hardin. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  2. Allmusic review
  3. "News". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
  4. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  5. Richard Williams (3 October 2011). "Marv Tarplin obituary | Music | The Guardian". The Guardian. London: GMG. ISSN 0261-3077. OCLC 60623878. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
  6. DVD: Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Definitive Performances
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