"(You Can) Depend on Me" (TAMLA 54028), was a 1959 song by

Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...

group

The Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential groups ...

, which also appeared on the group's first album, '' Hi... We're The Miracles'' (released in 1961). It also appeared as the " B" side of the group's hit single, "

Way Over There "Way Over There" is a 1960 Motown soul song and single, written by William "Smokey" Robinson, produced by Berry Gordy, and first performed by The Miracles (credited as "The Miracles featuring Bill 'Smokey' Robinson") for the Tamla ( Motown) lab ...

". It was written by Motown Records' President and founder

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

and Miracles member William "Smokey" Robinson. While not charting nationally, this song was a very popular regional hit tune in many areas of the country, so much so, in fact, that it was included on the group's first greatest hits album,

Greatest Hits from the Beginning ''Greatest Hits from the Beginning'' is a compilation double LP by The Miracles released in 1965. This was the first double album ever released by the Motown Record Corporation (Tamla TS2-254). It covers most of the group's hits from their pre-1 ...

, and Smokey still sings it, by request, in his live shows today. A slow, intimate ballad number, with relatively sparse orchestration compared to much of their later work, "Depend On Me" starts with the singular guitar of Miracles member

Marv Tarplin Marvin Tarplin (June 13, 1941 – September 30, 2011) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their bigges ...

. Recorded in the popular

Doo-Wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

style, Miracles lead singer

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

, as the song's narrator, then takes it from there, singing to the woman he loves, promising her eternal devotion: *''If you....need a love like mine that you can depend on...'' *''When your whole world's closing in...and you need a friend...'' *''You can depend...'' *''On me'' . Miracles

Bobby Rogers Robert Edward Rogers (February 19, 1940 – March 3, 2013) was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Miracles to t ...

Claudette Rogers Robinson Claudette Annette Rogers Robinson ( Rogers; born June 20, 1938) is an American singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson "Sonny" Rogers was a founding member of the group, which befor ...

, Pete Moore, and

Ronnie White Ronald Anthony White (April 5, 1939 – August 26, 1995), usually referred to as Ronnie White, was an American singer, best known as the co-founder of The Miracles and its only consistent original member. White was also known for bringing Stevi ...

, blend their voices into their trademark smooth harmonies to punctuate Smokey's vocals on the chorus and elsewhere. ”(You Can) Depend On Me” was first released in September 1959 as the b-side of “The Feeling Is So Fine”, which was quickly withdrawn. A re-recording of this song was issued as the b-side of the Miracles’ next single, 1960’s “Way Over There”, but it was the first version which appeared on ''Hi ... We’re The Miracles'' and most subsequent compilations. ''"''(You Can) Depend On Me''"'' has inspired cover versions by fellow Motown artists

Brenda Holloway Brenda Holloway (born June 26, 1946) is an American singer and songwriter, who was a recording artist for Motown Records during the 1960s. Her best-known recordings are the soul hits, "Every Little Bit Hurts", " When I'm Gone", and " You've Ma ...

Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with The Supremes, The Miracles, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

, and

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

. It has appeared on many Miracles' Greatest Hits compilations and anthologies, and is the title song of the 2009 Motown CD compilation release : '' The Miracles – Depend On Me: The Early Albums''.

Personnel- The Miracles

- Lead vocals. *

- Background vocals. * Pete Moore - Background vocals. *

Claudette Robinson Claudette Annette Rogers Robinson ( Rogers; born June 20, 1938) is an American singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson "Sonny" Rogers was a founding member of the group, which befor ...

- Background vocals. *

- Guitar.

Additional instruments

The Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

References

''You Can Depend On Me'' - by ''The Miracles''- A Review,from the ''Motown Junkies'' website

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External links

* * ''All Music Guide'' {{DEFAULTSORT:You Can Depend On Me 1959 songs 1960 singles The Miracles songs Motown singles Songs written by Smokey Robinson Songs written by Berry Gordy Doo-wop songs Song recordings produced by Berry Gordy