Renaissance

Renaissance (Tamla T-325L) was a critically acclaimed 1973 album by R&B group The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label, noted as the first-ever album by the group not to feature original lead singer Smokey Robinson on lead vocals. Instead, his replacement, new lead singer, Billy Griffin did the lead chores on this album.

History

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Once Robinson decided to retire from the group to concentrate on his duties as Vice President of the Motown Record Corporation, Miracles members Claudette Robinson (Smokey's then-wife) and Marv Tarplin decided to leave as well. Tarplin,after staying for a year, decided to leave the Miracles and began touring and working with Smokey. Claudette retired to concentrate on raising the couple's two children, Berry and Tamla. The other Miracles, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, and Ronnie White,decided to conduct a nation-wide search for a singer to replace Smokey. After auditioning several hopefuls, the group decided on Billy Griffin, a native of Baltimore, Maryland. In the 2006 Miracles DVD release The Definitive Performances (1963-1987), Miracles Pete Moore & Bobby Rogers, commented that the group decided on Billy because, in addition to being a great singer,he also demonstrated " some writing ability". Smokey Robinson served as the album's executive producer, and took pains to add, in the album's liner notes, that Billy was "a determined young man with a fresh new sound, who is sure to become dynamic in the industry". In his answer to "unnamed skeptics" who claimed that The Miracles couldn't make it without him ...his reply was, concerning the new lineup, " All you have to do is listen".

Renaissance included several songs from noted writer-producers....including Marvin Gaye, Willie Hutch, Leon Ware, Fonce Mizell, Freddie Perren, Pam Sawyer,and others. Griffin proved to be a more-than-capable lead singer,and Bobby,Ron and Pete's vocal blends were among their best. The album's first intended single was "What Is a Heart Good For" which was performed by the group on a July 13, 1973, telecast of NBC's The Midnight Special which marked the group's first national television appearance with Billy... and was hosted by Smokey himself. Radio began playing the uptempo single (Tamla 54240), when it was inexplicably withdrawn, and replaced with a ballad "Don't Let It End (Til You Let It Begin)", which, while not a bad song, may have been a poor choice for the group's inaugural single: the weakest song in an otherwise very strong album. As a result "Don't Let It End" only reached #56 Pop,#26 R&B on the Billboard chart,and without a big hit single to promote it, Renaissance only reached #174 Pop,#33 R&B on the Billboard album chart. An undeserved fate for an album otherwise filled with potential hits that never saw the light of day as singles,^[2] including "Nowhere to Go"...a powerful song featuring all of The Miracles on lead vocals, the Willie Hutch written-and-produced "I Didn't Realize the Show Was Over". (Interestingly, Hutch also contributed to Smokey's first Post-Miracles solo album), and Marvin Gaye's "I Love You Secretly"- a song about inter-racial love. Critics at the time gave the album almost universally positive reviews. However, the group's next album, Do It Baby, based on their #13 million-selling hit single of the same name, would fare far better. The Miracles' Renaissance has never been re-issued on CD. However, several of its songs have appeared on the 2003 Motown compilation CD The Miracles-Love Machine: The 70's Collection.

Track listing

1. "What is a Heart Good For" (Arthur Ross, Leon Ware)
2. "If You're Ever in the Neighborhood" (Don Fenceton, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson)
3. "I Wanna Be With You" (Willie Hutch)
4. "Wigs and Lashes" (Larry Mizell)
5. "Don't Let It End (Til You Let It Begin)" (Christine Yarian, Freddie Perren) featuring lead vocals by Billy Griffin and Ronnie White, spoken word segment by Bobby Rogers
6. "I Love You Secretly" (Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover, Marvin Gaye)
7. "I Don't Need No Reason" (Leon Ware, Pam Sawyer)
8. "Nowhere To Go" (Clay McMurray, Dennis Jackson, Gary Fears) featuring leads by all of The Miracles
9. "I Didn't Realize The Show Was Over" (Richard Hutch, Willie Hutch)

Personnel: The Miracles

• Billy Griffin
• Ronnie White
• Pete Moore
• Bobby Rogers
• Marv Tarplin
• Executive Producer :Smokey Robinson

Charts

Singles

References

External links

• The Miracles-Renaissance at Discogs
• The Miracles- Renaissance: Original album cover artwork : [1]

Selected songs from The Miracles' Renaissance: (1973) From YouTube:

• What Is A Heart Good For
• Nowhere To Go
• I Didn't Realize That The Show Was Over
• I Love You Secretly
• If You're Ever in the Neighborhood
• Don't Let It End (Til' You Let It Begin)

Allmusic- http://www.allmusic.com/album/r67491 The Miracles: Renaissance - reviews:

• http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=4nsjcjbh34
• http://music.aol.com/album/renaissance/54678
• The Miracles celebrate the release of Renaissance-their first album with Billy Griffin: L to R : Bobby Rogers,Billy Griffin,Ronnie White,Pete Moore
• Commentary on The Miracles:Renaissance from the Soulful Detroit website

v t e The Miracles Bobby Rogers Mark Scott Claudette Robinson Dave Finley Tee Turner Smokey Robinson Ronnie White Pete Moore Marv Tarplin Billy Griffin Donald Griffin Carl Cotton Sidney Justin Alphonse Franklin Pre-Miracles: Emerson "Sonny" Rogers James Grice Clarence Dawson Production Berry Gordy Smokey Robinson Pete Moore Studio albums Hi... We're The Miracles (1961) Cookin' with The Miracles (1961) I'll Try Something New (1962) The Fabulous Miracles (1963) The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey (1963) I Like It Like That (1964) Going To A Go-Go (1965) Away We A Go-Go (1966) Make It Happen/The Tears Of A Clown (1967) Special Occasion (1968) Time Out For Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1969) Four in Blue (1969) What Love Has Joined Together (1970) A Pocket Full Of Miracles (1970) One Dozen Roses (1971) Flying High Together (1972) Renaissance (1973) Do It Baby (1974) Don't Cha Love It (1975) City of Angels (1975) The Power of Music (1976) Love Crazy (1977) The Miracles (1978) Live albums The Miracles Recorded Live on Stage (1963) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles LIVE! (1969) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957-1972 (1972) Other albums Christmas with The Miracles (1963) The Season for Miracles (1970) Compilations Greatest Hits from the Beginning (1965) Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1968) Anthology (1974) Greatest Hits (1977) Anthology '86 (1986) The Thirty-Fifth Anniversary Collection (1994) Anthology: The Best of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1995) The Ultimate Collection (1998) Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (2002) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: Gold (2006) Depend On Me: The Early Albums (2009) Singles (US/UK Top Twenty singles) "Shop Around" "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"/"(Have a) Happy Landing" "Mickey's Monkey" "Ooo Baby Baby" "The Tracks of My Tears" "My Girl Has Gone" "Going to a Go-Go" "(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need" "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" "I Second That Emotion" "If You Can Want" "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" "The Tears of a Clown" "I Don't Blame You At All" "Do It Baby" "Love Machine - Pt. I" Videography The Definitive Performances (1963–1987) (2006) Discography Albums Songs Related topics Berry Gordy See also Motown Records Book:The Miracles