Going to a Go-Go (song)
Encyclopedia
"Going to a Go-Go" is a 1965
single recorded by The Miracles
for Motown's Tamla label. Issued in December 1965, "Going to a Go-Go" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
in the United States the following spring. In addition, the single peaked at number-two on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles
chart and was The Miracles' fifth million-selling record.
sings lead on "Going to a Go-Go", which he co-wrote with fellow Miracles Pete Moore
, Bobby Rogers
, and Marv Tarplin
. Moore, Rogers, Ronnie White, and Smokey Robinson's wife Claudette Robinson
provide backing vocals for the song, an up-tempo dance song inviting people of all walk of life to attend a go-go party. Miracles Robinson and Pete Moore were the song's producers.In the Motown DVD release Smokey Robinson And The Miracles: The Definitive Performances, Miracles member and co- author Bobby Rogers
commented that this song was inspired by the success of the "Go-Go" clubs that grew in popularity throughout the United States in the 1960s.
"Going to a Go-Go" is featured on the Miracles' album of the same name
, which proved to be their highest-charting LP of all-original material. The album reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in early 1966, peaking at number eight, and reached #1 on the Billboard top R&B albums chart.In 2003, the
Miracles' Going To A Go-Go album was ranked number 271 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
.
One of the tracks from the Going to a Go-Go LP, "Choosey Beggar
", was issued as the single's b-side, and was also a hit, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard R&B chart.
recorded a cover during the sessions of his 2010 album Going Back
by The Rolling Stones
on their 1982 album "Still Life" (American Concert 1981). Released as the album's first single
, the Stones' version "Going To A Go-Go" reached number 26 in the British charts and number 25 in the United States. Both the single and the album were released in the middle of the European tour of the band in 1982.
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
single recorded by The Miracles
The Miracles
The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
for Motown's Tamla label. Issued in December 1965, "Going to a Go-Go" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the United States the following spring. In addition, the single peaked at number-two on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart and was The Miracles' fifth million-selling record.
The Miracles' original version
Smokey RobinsonSmokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
sings lead on "Going to a Go-Go", which he co-wrote with fellow Miracles Pete Moore
Pete Moore
Pete Moore is an African American soul singer, record producer, and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards, and is one of the group's original members...
, Bobby Rogers
Bobby Rogers
Bobby Rogers is an American soul singer and songwriter, notable as a member of Motown Records' first signed act and first million selling group The Miracles from 1956 to present. He is also the grandfather of R&B singer Brandi Williams from R&B girl group Blaque-Life:Rogers is the son of the late...
, and Marv Tarplin
Marv Tarplin
Marvin "Marv" Tarplin was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their biggest hits, including the 2007 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted "The Tracks...
. Moore, Rogers, Ronnie White, and Smokey Robinson's wife Claudette Robinson
Claudette Rogers Robinson
Claudette Rogers Robinson is an African-American soul singer, a member of The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson "Sonny" Rogers was an original member of the group, which was originally called "The Matadors" before 1957; Claudette Rogers took her brother's place after he was drafted...
provide backing vocals for the song, an up-tempo dance song inviting people of all walk of life to attend a go-go party. Miracles Robinson and Pete Moore were the song's producers.In the Motown DVD release Smokey Robinson And The Miracles: The Definitive Performances, Miracles member and co- author Bobby Rogers
Bobby Rogers
Bobby Rogers is an American soul singer and songwriter, notable as a member of Motown Records' first signed act and first million selling group The Miracles from 1956 to present. He is also the grandfather of R&B singer Brandi Williams from R&B girl group Blaque-Life:Rogers is the son of the late...
commented that this song was inspired by the success of the "Go-Go" clubs that grew in popularity throughout the United States in the 1960s.
"Going to a Go-Go" is featured on the Miracles' album of the same name
Going to a Go-Go
Going to a Go-Go is a 1965 album by The Miracles', the first to bill the group as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. It includes four of the Miracles' Top 20 hits: "Ooo Baby Baby", "The Tracks of My Tears", "Going to a Go-Go", and "My Girl Has Gone"...
, which proved to be their highest-charting LP of all-original material. The album reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in early 1966, peaking at number eight, and reached #1 on the Billboard top R&B albums chart.In 2003, the
Miracles' Going To A Go-Go album was ranked number 271 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is the title of a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.Related news articles:...
.
One of the tracks from the Going to a Go-Go LP, "Choosey Beggar
Choosey Beggar
"Choosey Beggar" was a 1965 song recorded by Motown R&B group The Miracles on its Tamla label subsidiary. It was issued as the B-side of the group's top-20 million-selling single, "Going to a Go-Go", and was taken from the group's Billboard Top 10 Pop album of the same name.Written by Miracles...
", was issued as the single's b-side, and was also a hit, peaking at number 35 on the Billboard R&B chart.
Other Cover
Phil CollinsPhil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
recorded a cover during the sessions of his 2010 album Going Back
Going Back (Phil Collins album)
Going Back is Phil Collins's eighth studio album. It was released on 13 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and 28 September 2010 in the United States. and features covers of 60s Motown & Soul standards...
Personnel: The Miracles
-
- Smokey RobinsonSmokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
: Lead vocals, co-writer, producer - Bobby RogersBobby RogersBobby Rogers is an American soul singer and songwriter, notable as a member of Motown Records' first signed act and first million selling group The Miracles from 1956 to present. He is also the grandfather of R&B singer Brandi Williams from R&B girl group Blaque-Life:Rogers is the son of the late...
: Background vocals, co-writer - Ronnie White: Background vocals
- Pete MoorePete MoorePete Moore is an African American soul singer, record producer, and songwriter, notable as the bass singer for Motown group The Miracles from 1955 onwards, and is one of the group's original members...
: Background vocals, co-writer, vocal arranger - Claudette Rogers RobinsonClaudette Rogers RobinsonClaudette Rogers Robinson is an African-American soul singer, a member of The Miracles from 1957 to 1972. Her brother Emerson "Sonny" Rogers was an original member of the group, which was originally called "The Matadors" before 1957; Claudette Rogers took her brother's place after he was drafted...
: Background vocals - Marv TarplinMarv TarplinMarvin "Marv" Tarplin was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known as the guitarist for The Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their biggest hits, including the 2007 Grammy Hall Of Fame inducted "The Tracks...
: Guitar, co-writer
- Smokey Robinson
- Other Instrumentation: The Funk BrothersThe Funk BrothersThe Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972...
, featuring:- Benny BenjaminBenny BenjaminWilliam "Benny" Benjamin , nicknamed Papa Zita, was an American musician, most notable as the primary drummer for the Motown studio band known as The Funk Brothers. He was a native of Birmingham, Alabama....
: Drums - James JamersonJames JamersonJames Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
: Bass - Eddie WillisEddie WillisEddie "Chank" Willis is an African-American musician. Willis played electric guitar and occasional electric sitar for Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers, during the 1960s and early 1970s....
: Rhythm guitar - Eddie "Bongo" Brown: Percussion
- Jack AshfordJack AshfordJack Ashford , known to his friends as Jashford, is an African-American musician, widely known as the percussionist for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the 1960s and early 1970s. Ashford is most famous for playing the tambourine on hundreds of Motown recordings...
: Tambourine
- Benny Benjamin
- Production: Smokey RobinsonSmokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
The Rolling Stones live version
"Going to a Go-Go" was coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
on their 1982 album "Still Life" (American Concert 1981). Released as the album's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, the Stones' version "Going To A Go-Go" reached number 26 in the British charts and number 25 in the United States. Both the single and the album were released in the middle of the European tour of the band in 1982.
The Rolling Stones credits
- Singing/Instrumention: Rolling Stones, featuring:
- Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
: Lead vocals, harmonica - Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
: Guitar, background vocals - Charlie WattsCharlie WattsCharles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
: Drums - Ronnie Wood: Guitar, background vocals
- Bill WymanBill WymanBill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
: Bass
- Mick Jagger
- Other Instrumentation:
- Ian StewartIan Stewart (musician)Ian Andrew Robert Stewart was a Scottish keyboardist, co-founder of The Rolling Stones and inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
: Piano - Ian McLaganIan McLaganIan McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
: Piano - Ernie WattsErnie WattsErnest James "Ernie" Watts is an American jazz and rhythm and blues musician. He plays saxophone and flute. He might be best known for his work with Charlie Haden's Quartet West and his Grammy Awards as an instrumentalist...
: Saxophone
- Ian Stewart
- Production: The Glimmer Twins