Smokey Robinson
The Miracles lead singer who wrote the lyrics for a Stevie Wonder instrumental and sang the #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Smokey Robinson was the lead singer, songwriter, and producer for the Miracles, the group that recorded "The Tears of a Clown." He wrote the lyrics for the song in 1967 after Stevie Wonder brought an instrumental track to the 1967 Motown Christmas party, unable to come up with a lyric himself. Robinson remarked that the song's distinctive calliope motif "sounded like a circus," and his lyrics reflected that vision. He sang lead vocal on the track, which became the Miracles' first and only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 while he was lead singer, topping both the Hot 100 and R&B Singles charts in 1970.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- William Robinson Jr.
- Born
- 19 February 1940
- Birthplace
- Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
- Genre
- R&B
- soul
- pop
- Occupation
- Singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- Years active
- 1955–present
- Label
- Motown
- Universal
- SBK
- Liquid 8
- Robso
- Past member of
- The Miracles
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Robinson had announced plans to leave the Miracles by 1969, tired of constant touring and wanting to stay in Detroit with his wife Claudette and their two children, Berry and Tamla (though Tamla was not born until 1971, making this detail anachronistic). He informed groupmates Pete Moore, Bobby Rogers, and Ronald White of his retirement to focus on his vice-president duties at Motown Records. However, the unexpected success of "The Tears of a Clown"—which became a #1 hit in the UK in September 1970 and then a #1 hit in the US—led Robinson to stay with the act until 1972. The song's lyrics compare his character's sadness over a woman leaving him to the opera Pagliacci, using the line "just like Pagliacci did/I'll try to keep my sadness hid," a comparison he had used before in his 1964 song "My Smile Is Just a Frown (Turned Upside Down)" for Carolyn Crawford.
Reader's Guide
Robinson's role in the creation of "The Tears of a Clown" shows his collaborative relationship with Stevie Wonder. Wonder and Hank Cosby wrote the music and produced the instrumental track; Robinson wrote the lyrics and sang lead. The song features a bassoon played by Charles R. Sirard, making it one of the few hit pop singles to include that instrument. The monaural version of Make It Happen contains an alternate lead vocal with a slightly different verse melody. When Motown released the song as a US single in 1970, they used a new mix made in February 1970, dubbing in new drums and bass—Bob Babbitt is credited as playing bass on that 1970 dub. The US single had two different B-sides: the first pressing had an alternate version of the 1967 Miracles hit "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage," and the second had a new Miracles song, "Promise Me."
Did You Know?
- The song was the Miracles' first and only #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 while Smokey Robinson was lead singer, though the group had previously scored major pop and #1 R&B hits with him, such as 'Shop Around'.
- Robinson had announced plans to leave the Miracles in 1969 but stayed until 1972 due to the success of 'The Tears of a Clown'.
More in Band Members & Collaborators
Elsewhere in Stevie Wonder
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced