Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Compiling a single-disc set of tracks from William "Smokey" Robinson's long career and calling it a "definitive collection" is a bit absurd, since Robinson -- as a writer, singer, producer, and arranger -- has had a hand in countless hits over the years, at Motown and elsewhere, and nothing short of an extensive box set could hope to even come close to defining that kind of pop history. What My World as a single-disc compilation does do, though, is bring together tracks from all phases of Robinson's tenure, from his 1960s and early-'70s material with the Miracles through his smooth R&B hits as a solo artist in the later '70s and '80s, and then tops everything off with two brand new songs, making this a collection that spans four decades of elegantly arranged romantic pop in just over 70 minutes. You can't complain about a lack of quality, since the classic Miracles hits are here, including "The Tears of a Clown" and "The Tracks of My Tears," as well as Robinson's biggest solo hits, like the lush, irresistible "Cruisin'" from 1979 and his genre-defining "Quiet Storm," which lent its title to a whole new R&B radio format. Still, it will always be a little jarring to hear the earlier Miracles material next to the smoother (relatively) solo stuff, even if most of the musical ingredients are the same. The new tracks are lushly and lovingly arranged, and "My World" in particular seems to have the stamp of a future Smokey classic. Die-hard fans will want the two new songs, but undoubtedly will already have everything else collected here, so devotion will have to be measured. Casual listeners will benefit the most, getting an overview of Smokey's considerable achievements in one package, although that's no excuse for not going back and buying every Miracles album in the rack.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Larry Ball, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Timothy Bloom, Music Director & Conductor, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Remedy, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Daryl Holley, Sr., Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Holley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2005 Stevenson International, under exclusive license to Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, MainArtist - Timothy Bloom, Music Director & Conductor, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Remedy, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Daryl Holley, Sr., Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Justin Holley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2005 Stevenson International, under exclusive license to Universal Music Enterprises, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Tarplin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Chuck Rainey, Bass, AssociatedPerformer - Bernard Ighner, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Fred Smith, Saxophone, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Ashford, Tambourine, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Harris, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - JAMES GADSON, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - David T. Walker, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - SONNY BURKE, Keyboards, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, Mixer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, StudioPersonnel, ComposerLyricist - CHARLES WRIGHT, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paul Jackson, Jr., Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Patricia Henley Talbert, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Randy Dunlap, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel - Roger Dollarhide, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ronnie McNeir, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Claudette Robinson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Michael Lizzio, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Eddie Bongo Brown, Bongos, AssociatedPerformer - Ronnie Rancifer, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Cheryl Cooper, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ivory Davis, Tambourine, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Paula Dickerson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - James Sledge, Conga, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Michael Jacobsen, Horn, Strings, AssociatedPerformer - Gail Ritter, Engineer, Assistant Mixer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1979 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Peter Bunetta, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Chudacoff, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, MainArtist - Louis Joseph Pardini, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Pete Georgantones, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., ComposerLyricist - Henry Cosby, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist - Lamont Dozier, Producer - Brian Holland, Producer - Marv Tarplin, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Ronnie White, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Warren "Pete" Moore, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Claudette Robinson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bobby Rogers, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1970 UMG Recordings, Inc.
SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 2002 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Warren Moore, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Robert Rogers, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist - Lamont Dozier, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, Co-Producer, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2002 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Berry Gordy Jr., ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Berry Gordy, Producer - The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 1960 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Warren Moore, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
George Tobin, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Vocalist, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Mike Piccarillo, Producer, Associate Producer
℗ 1981 UMG Recordings, Inc.
SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, Recording Arranger, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Willie Hutch, Producer - Jerry Hudgins, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Greg Venable, Mixer, Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1975 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., ComposerLyricist - AL CLEVELAND, Producer, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., Producer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 1967 UMG Recordings, Inc.
AL CLEVELAND, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 1968 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Warren Moore, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, MainArtist
℗ 1965 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Willie Hutch, Producer, Co-Producer - Pamela Moffett-Young, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1973 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Reginald Burke, Producer, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1982 UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Willie Hutch, Producer - Rose Ella Jones, ComposerLyricist - Gene Pello, Flute, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., Producer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1980 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Peter Bunetta, Producer - Rick Chudacoff, Producer - Brian Ray, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, MainArtist - Steve LeGassick, ComposerLyricist
℗ 1987 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Compiling a single-disc set of tracks from William "Smokey" Robinson's long career and calling it a "definitive collection" is a bit absurd, since Robinson -- as a writer, singer, producer, and arranger -- has had a hand in countless hits over the years, at Motown and elsewhere, and nothing short of an extensive box set could hope to even come close to defining that kind of pop history. What My World as a single-disc compilation does do, though, is bring together tracks from all phases of Robinson's tenure, from his 1960s and early-'70s material with the Miracles through his smooth R&B hits as a solo artist in the later '70s and '80s, and then tops everything off with two brand new songs, making this a collection that spans four decades of elegantly arranged romantic pop in just over 70 minutes. You can't complain about a lack of quality, since the classic Miracles hits are here, including "The Tears of a Clown" and "The Tracks of My Tears," as well as Robinson's biggest solo hits, like the lush, irresistible "Cruisin'" from 1979 and his genre-defining "Quiet Storm," which lent its title to a whole new R&B radio format. Still, it will always be a little jarring to hear the earlier Miracles material next to the smoother (relatively) solo stuff, even if most of the musical ingredients are the same. The new tracks are lushly and lovingly arranged, and "My World" in particular seems to have the stamp of a future Smokey classic. Die-hard fans will want the two new songs, but undoubtedly will already have everything else collected here, so devotion will have to be measured. Casual listeners will benefit the most, getting an overview of Smokey's considerable achievements in one package, although that's no excuse for not going back and buying every Miracles album in the rack.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 21 track(s)
- Total length: 01:13:59
- Main artists: Smokey Robinson
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: UNI - MOTOWN
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2004 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2004 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.