''Cookin' with the Miracles'' is the second

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

album by American soul vocal 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 group ...

, and their second of 1961.

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 l ...

and Smokey Robinson co-wrote most of the songs, including the two charting singles "Ain't It Baby" (#49 US, #15 R&B) and " Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues" (#52 US, #11 R&B). Another single, "Mighty Good Lovin’" (#51 US, #21 R&B) b/w "Broken Hearted" (#97 US), was issued in between those two. However, only "Broken Hearted" appears on the album, featuring a different vocal take to the single version. The album is composed mostly of upbeat R&B tunes with steady string riffs, like "Determination" and "Broken Hearted". A cover of the jazz standard " Embraceable You" by

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presid ...

& Ira Gershwin is also included. "That's The Way I Feel", also from this album, was chosen for the soundtrack of the award-winning 1964

Ivan Dixon Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III (April 6, 1931 – March 16, 2008) was an American actor, director, and producer best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom '' Hogan's Heroes'', and for his starring roles in the 1964 independent drama '' No ...

film '' Nothing But a Man''. ''Cookin' with the Miracles'' is one of only two Miracles albums to feature on its cover the complete original six-member group lineup: Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, Claudette Rogers Robinson, Pete Moore, Ronnie White and Marv Tarplin.

Track listing

Side one

# "That's The Way I Feel" (

Berry Gordy, Jr. 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 l ...

, Smokey Robinson) (2:38) # " Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues" (Robinson,

Ronald White Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'', Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English '' Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised form of ...

) (2:55) # "Mama" (Robinson,

Janie Bradford Janie Bradford (born June 2, 1939 in Charleston, Missouri, United States) is an American songwriter, most known for her tenure with Motown. With Berry Gordy, she co-wrote "Money (That's What I Want)", originally recorded by Barrett Strong, and ...

, Gordy) (2:18) # "Ain't It Baby" (Gordy, Robinson) (2:33) # "Determination" (Robinson) (2:17)

Side two

# "You Never Miss A Good Thing" (Gordy, Robinson) (2:42) # "Embraceable You" (

& Ira Gershwin) (2:49) # "The Only One I Love" (Robinson) (2:34) # "Broken Hearted" (Gordy, Robinson) (2:56) # "I Can't Believe" (Robinson) (2:52)

1994 CD reissue bonus track

* "Mighty Good Lovin'" (Robinson) (2:37)

Personnel

The Miracles

* Smokey Robinson – lead vocals (1st

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

/ falsetto) *

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 ...

– background vocals ( baritone) *

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 ...

– background vocals (2nd tenor) *

Warren "Pete" Moore Warren Thomas "Pete" Moore (November 19, 1938 – November 19, 2017) was an American singer-songwriter and record producer, notable as the bass singer for Motown group the Miracles from 1955 onwards, and was one of the group's original members. H ...

– background vocals ( bass) *

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 ( soprano) *

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 ...

–

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...

Other credits

– producer, executive producer * The Funk Brothers – instrumentation

References

{{Authority control 1961 albums The Miracles albums Tamla Records albums Albums produced by Berry Gordy Albums recorded at Hitsville U.S.A.