Review Text
Led by the legendary singer and songwriter Smokey Robinson, The Miracles were one of the first groups to sign to Berry Gordy's newly-established Tamla label in 1959, and went to become one of Motown's most successful acts, racking up more than fifty hits through to the end of the '70s. Starting life as The Five Chimes and The Matadors, they had become The Miracles by 1958, and with songwriter/producer Berry Gordy made records for the End and Chess labels, scoring a minor chart entry, before Gordy launched his own label. They achieved Tamla's first million seller with their first significant hit, the R&B No. 1 "Shop Around". Over the next three years, they had a succession of further pop and R&B hits, before hitting the No. 1 spot again in 1962 with "You've Really Got A Hold On Me". This great-value 47-track 2-CD set comprises all the A & B sides of their fifteen singles for the End, Chess and Tamla labels during these crucial formative years, so features all their eleven hits during this era, plus all the tracks from their first three albums, "Hi We're The Miracles", "Cookin' with the Miracles" and "I'll Try Something New" which were not otherwise released on singles. It is a comprehensive overview of their early career, and in showcasing their unique sound built around Smokey Robinson's highly distinctive voice, it is a highly evocative snapshot of their contribution to a hugely exciting era in pop as their formed part of the chart vanguard of the new Tamla-Motown set-up, influencing major artists like the emerging Beatles along the way.
