"Shop Around"is a song originally recorded bythe MiraclesonMotown Records' Tamla subsidiary label. It was written by Miracles lead singerSmokey Robinsonand Motown Records founderBerry Gordy.It became a smash hit in 1960 when originally recorded by the Miracles, reaching number one on theBillboardR&B chart,number one on theCashboxTop 100 Pop Chart, and number two on theBillboardHot 100chart. It was the Miracles' first million-selling hit record, and the first-million-selling hit for the Motown Record Corporation.
| "Shop Around" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Side A of the US single | ||||
| Singlebythe Miracles | ||||
| from the albumHi... We're the Miracles | ||||
| B-side | "Who's Lovin' You" | |||
| Released | September 27, 1960 | |||
| Recorded | 1960 | |||
| Studio | Hitsville USA(Studio A) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Berry Gordy | |||
| The Miraclessingles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Shop Around"onYouTube | ||||
The single was a multiple award winner for the Miracles, having been inducted into theGrammy Hall of Famein 2006, inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one ofThe 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll,and honored byRolling Stoneas #500 in their list ofThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,dropping it five spots from number 495 in the 2004 version.
The Miracles original version
editThis sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(May 2023) |
Background
editThe original version of "Shop Around" bythe Miracles(credited as "The Miracles featuringBill 'Smokey' Robinson"), was released in 1960 onMotown's Tamla label, catalog number T 54034.[3]The song, written by Smokey Robinson andBerry Gordy,depicts a mother giving her now-grown son advice about how to find a woman worthy of being a girlfriend or wife ( "My mama told me/'you better shop around'" ).[4]The original version of the song had a strongbluesinfluence, and was released in the local area ofDetroit,Michigan, before Gordy decided that the song needed to be re-recorded to achieve wider commercial appeal. At 3 a.m. one morning, the Miracles (Robinson,Claudette Rogers Robinson,Bobby Rogers,Ronnie White,andPete Moore) recorded a new,poppierversion of the song that became a major national hit.[5]The original record label credits Robinson as the writer, with Berry Gordy as producer. On theAmerican Top 40program of July 4, 1987,Casey Kasemreported that Gordy had previously rejected 100 songs by Robinson as "garbage" before accepting the 101st, "Shop Around," as "a hit."
The single was the first Motown record to be released in the UK, onDecca Records'Londonlabel. The subsequentEPrelease, coupled the "Shop Around" single with its follow-up, "Ain't It Baby". The two singles and the EP were the only Motown releases on the London label.
Reception
edit"Shop Around" was a big hit for the Miracles, becoming the group's first number 1 hit on theBillboardR&B singles chart,spending eight weeks at the top, and also hitting No. 2 on theBillboardHot 100,behind "Calcutta"byLawrence Welk.[6][7]"Shop Around" also reached No. 1 on theCashboxmagazine Top 100 pop chart and is also noted for being the first million-selling record for the Miracles and for the Motown Record Corporation,[8]as well as a 2006Grammy Hall of Fameinductee. TheB-sideto "Shop Around", "Who's Lovin' You",also saw a plethora of covers, including a version bythe Jackson 5in 1969.
"Shop Around" inspired ananswer record,"Don't Let Him Shop Around" byDebbie Dean.Dean's "Don't Let Him Shop Around" charted No. 92 on the Hot 100 in February 1961 and was Dean's only chart entry.Smokey Robinsonlater recorded a sequel song for his 1987 albumOne Heartbeat,entitled "It's Time to Stop Shopping Around".
Awards and accolades
edit- TheMotownRecord Corporation's first million-selling hit record.[8]
- Inducted into theGrammy Hall of Famein 2006.
- The Motown Record Corporation's firstBillboardnumber-one R&B hit. It held the No. 1 position on theBillboardR&B Chart for 8 consecutive weeks.[9]
- Ranked as No. 500 onRolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[10]
- Reached number one on the 'Cashboxmagazine pop chart.
- The first Motown Records song to reach the top 5 on theBillboardpop chart (No. 2).
- Honored by theRock and Roll Hall of Fameas one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".
Personnel
editThe Miracles
- Smokey Robinson– lead vocals, writer
- Marv Tarplin– guitar
- Claudette Rogers Robinson– background vocals
- Pete Moore– background vocals
- Ronnie White– background vocals
- Bobby Rogers– background vocals
Additional personnel[11]
- Berry Gordy– piano, writer, producer
- The Funk Brothers– other instrumentation
- Joe Hunter– keyboards[12]
- James Jamerson– bass[13]
- Benny Benjamin– drums
- Ron Wakefield – tenor saxophone
- Mike Terry– baritone saxophone[14]
Chart performance
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Captain & Tennille version
edit| "Shop Around" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| SinglebyCaptain & Tennille | ||||
| from the albumSong of Joy | ||||
| B-side | "Butterscotch Castle" | |||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 3:29 | |||
| Label | A&M | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Daryl Dragon, Toni Tennille | |||
| Captain & Tennillesingles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editIn 1976, the Americanpop musicduoCaptain & Tennillereleased their version of "Shop Around" for their second studio album,Song of Joy,issued on theA&M Recordslabel.Toni Tennillechanged the lyrics slightly so that they were sung from a woman's perspective. The "Shop Around" single was produced by the duo and featured the song "Butterscotch Castle" as itsB-side.The single first entered the USBillboardHot 100chart on May 1, 1976, at number 62.[18]
Reception
editReleased as the second single of Captain & Tennille from theSong of Joyalbum, their version of "Shop Around" was a success. The single reached number 4 in Canada on theRPMsingles chart and peaked at number 4 on the US Hot 100 chart on July 9, 1976.[19]While not out-charting The Miracles' original, their version became a gold record, and also topped theBillboardeasy listening chartfor one week in 1976.[20]
Chart performance
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Personnel
edit- Toni Tennille– piano, vocals, background vocal
- Daryl Dragon– guitar, bass guitar, keyboards
- Hal Blaine– drums, percussion
- Gary Sims – bass vocal
Other versions
edit"Shop Around" has been covered many times, including versions by:
- Mary Wells(1961)[28]
- Johnnie Ray(1961)[29]
- Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames(1964)[30]
- Johnny Kidd & the Pirates(1964)
- Bobby Vee(1965)[31]
- Russ Giguere (1971)
- The Spinners(1983)[32]
- The Astronauts[33]
- Don Bryant[34]
- The Allusions[35]
- Clarence Reid[36]
- Neil Merryweather[37]
- Lynn Carey[38]
- Angela Miller
See also
editReferences
edit- Hits of the Sixties: The Million Sellersby Demitri Coryton & Joseph Murrells, Batsford Ltd., 1990,ISBN978-0713458510,(pg 43).
Notes
edit- ^Breihan, Tom (November 15, 2022). "The Supremes -" Where Did Our Love Go ".The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music.New York:Hachette Book Group.p. 52.
- ^Breihan, Tom (March 19, 2018)."The Number Ones: Lawrence Welk's" Calcutta "".Stereogum.RetrievedJune 8,2023.
...the Miracles came close to #1 with "Shop Around," an absolutely perfect pop song...
- ^"45cat - The Miracles - Shop Around / Who's Lovin You - Tamla - USA - T-54034".
- ^Gilliland, John(1969)."Show 25 – The Soul Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story. [Part 4]"(audio).Pop Chronicles.University of North Texas Libraries.
- ^Pollock, Bruce (2017).America's Songs III: Rock!.Taylor & Francis.ISBN9781317269632.
- ^Whitburn, Joel(2004).Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004.Record Research. p. 404.
- ^"The Hot 100 Chart".Billboard.
- ^abFinkelman, Paul (2009).Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: O-T.Oxford University Press. p. 315.ISBN978-0-19-516779-5.
- ^"Inductee explorer | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame".Rockhall.Retrieved2016-09-26.
- ^"The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".Rolling Stone. Archived fromthe originalon September 4, 2009.Retrieved2008-06-19.
- ^The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 1: 1959–1961 [liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
- ^Laing, Dave (6 February 2007)."Obituary: Joe Hunter".The Guardian.
- ^Jamerson, James (1989).Standing in the Shadows of Motown: The Life and Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson.Hal Leonard Corporation.ISBN9780881888829.
- ^Thornton, Jason H. 'The Andrew "Mike" Terry Story', There's That Beat! The Rare Soul Magazine, Issue 4, 2007, UK
- ^"CHUM Tribute Charts, January 30, 1961".
- ^ab"Top 100 Year End Charts: 1961".Cashbox Magazine.Retrieved2016-03-12.
- ^ "Chart Toppers: Hot 100 for 1961".Billboard.Vol. 74, no. 1. January 6, 1962. p. 33.ISSN0006-2510.
- ^"The Hot 100 – week of May 1, 1976".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 3,2021.
- ^"Chart History: Captain & Tennille – Hot 100".Billboard.RetrievedSeptember 3,2021.
- ^Whitburn, Joel(2002).Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001.Record Research. p. 45.
- ^"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada".Collectionscanada.gc.ca.1976-07-03.Retrieved2018-08-02.
- ^"Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada".Collectionscanada.gc.ca.1976-06-19.Retrieved2018-07-09.
- ^"The Official New Zealand Music Chart".THE OFFICIAL NZ MUSIC CHART.
- ^abJoel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002,ISBN978-0898201550
- ^"Top 100 1976-06-26".Cashbox Magazine.Retrieved2016-07-26.
- ^"Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977".RPM.Library and Archives Canada.Archived fromthe originalon March 19, 2016.RetrievedJune 13,2016.
- ^"Top 100 Year End Charts: 1976".Cashbox Magazine.Retrieved2016-06-05.
- ^Benjaminson, Peter (2012)."Pair REcords Albums".Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown's First Superstar.Chicago Review Press.ISBN978-1-61374-529-8.
- ^1,000 UK Number One Hits.Omnibus Press. 26 May 2010.ISBN978-0-85712-360-2.
- ^Flory, Andrew (2017).I Hear a Symphony: Motown and Crossover R&B.University of Michigan Press. p. 204.ISBN978-0472-0368-68.
- ^The Music of Bobby Vee.Lulu. 19 April 2016.ISBN978-1-365-05412-9.
- ^"The Miracles –" Shop Around "".
- ^"The Astronauts – Astronauts Orbit Kampus".July 4, 1964 – via discogs.
- ^"45cat - Don Bryant - Shop Around / I'll Go Crazy - Hi - USA - 45-2143".
- ^"Allusions – The Allusions Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic"– via allmusic.
- ^"Clarence Reid – 1969 – Dancin' With Nobody But You Babe Free Download".April 20, 2009.
- ^"45cat - Merryweather And Carey - If I Were You / Shop Around - RCA - USA - SP-45-249".
- ^"Merryweather & Carey – Vacuum Cleaner".November 4, 1971 – via discogs.
