Search - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles :: Away We Go & Doin Mickey's Monkey

All right, is everybody ready?

Johnny Heering | Bethel, CT United States | 02/19/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is an out-of-print "2 albums on one CD" CD from the early days of CDs. It features two albums by the Miracles; Doin' Mickey's Monkey from 1963 and Away We a Go Go from 1966.



Doin' Mickey's Monkey is a typical Motown album from the era, in that it features a couple of hits and a lot of filler. The hits are "Mickey's Monkey" (#8 hit) and "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" (#35 hit). Most of the rest of the album consists of cover versions of recents hits by other performers, with the exception of "The Groovey Thing", which is a pretty good Smokey Robinson original. I should mention that all the songs on this album are about dancing. It's all worth noting that "The Wah-Watusi" has a rare lead vocal from Claudette Rogers, who was Smokey's wife and was a member of the Miracles until 1964.



Going to a Go-Go also follows the formula of two hits and a lot of filler. The hits this time around are "Whole Lotta Shakin' in My Heart" (#46 hit) and "I'm the One You Need" (#17 hit). There are less cover versions of other performers hits this time around (only four), and more original material. But the original song are not among the best that Smokey ever wrote. This CD would really only be of interest to a hardcore Motown fan. Here is the track listing:



1. Mickey's Monkey

2. Dance What You Wanna

3. The Wah-Watusi

4. The Twist

5. Dancin' Holiday

6. Land of 1000 Dances

7. I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying

8. The Monkey Time

9. The Groovey Thing

10. Twist and Shout

11. Do You Love Me

12. Whole Lotta Shakin' in My Heart

13. You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

14. I'm the One You Need

15. Save Me

16. Oh Be My Love

17. Can You Love a Poor Boy

18. Beauty is Only Skin Deep

19. I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself

20. Baby Baby

21. Walk on By

22. Swept For You Baby

23. More More More of Your Love"