Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology [Original recording remastered]

Smokey Robinson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Motown
• ASIN: B00006J3KH
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,607 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No other Smokey anthology can touch this: all the hits (collected for the first time, many of 'em extended versions), rare singles and B-sides in stereo for the first time and vastly improved remastered sound! Includes Shop Around; The Tears of a Clown; I Second That Emotion; You've Really Got a Hold on Me; Going to a Go-Go; The Tracks of My Tears; Mickey's Monkey; My Girl Has Gone; Baby, Baby Don't Cry ...52 in all!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Miracles never sounded so good!!!, September 27, 2002

By 

T. A. Shepherd "tas50l" (Lancaster, Ca. 93536) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (Audio CD)

It doesn't matter whither you already have the box set AND the two previous anthologies (1986 and 1995 respectively). The price of admission is well worth the sixteen re-mixed stereo versions of classics dating from 1962 to 1965. When the stereo LP "From the Beginning" came out in 1964, the tracks were, for the most part, shorter than the mono singles. Most of these new mixes have not only been brought to thier original length, but are quite a bit longer than the originals. The original version of "What's So Good About Goodbye" lacked the strings ending, but on this new collection, the ending has been restored. You've Really Got A Hold On Me, Mickey's Monkey and I Like It Like That have all been extended. In addition, there are the B-sides, "I Can Take A Hint" and "When Sundown Comes" both released here on disc for the first time. The rarer hits like "Everybody's Got To Pay Some Dues", "Mighty Good Lovin'" and "The Man In You" are also here. Brighter guitar solos from Marv Tarpin and a crisp brass section previously burried on the originals are noticed more. Strings and chiming backup singing are heard up front giving the listener renewed appreciation of this remarkable group. (A warmed-over version of the Platters, indeed!) It's a good thing Barry Gordy was at the audition and rescued The Miracles from obscurity. We can only hope they do the same type of sound treatment with other classic Motown artists.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Miracle of Miracles, March 8, 2003

By 

Zub "Zubenelgenubi" (Forks Twp., PA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (Audio CD)

Master of wordplay, Smokey Robinson was the premier lyricist of the classic rock era, period. Add his incredible voice and you have some of the most superbly crafted music of the era. And while many of his best efforts went to supplying other Motown artists with some of the most engaging pop of all time (Mary Wells' "My Guy" and the Marvelettes' "Don't Mess With Bill" to just start that list), his writing and singing talents along with the other Miracles group members combined to provide us with a decade and a half of incomparably stunning music. An incredible 42 pop chart hits were racked up during that time before Robinson left the Miracles to embark on his prolific solo career.

While collections of the Miracles' recordings have been reissued throughout the CD-era, this two-disc collection does it best. First off, every top-100 hit is here so this is truly an anthology. Beyond the repertoire though, is the inclusion of many new stereo mixes of earlier hits, taken from the original three-track masters. Lots of early Motown stuff is horribly muddy sounding but these new mixes are clean and crisp sounding and add new life to these tracks. For the mono purist, there are compilations available with the original mono mixes but these stereo versions give a whole new dimension to these early classic tracks. Finishing up the piece is a 24-page liner notes booklet with pics, a group history and track details.

Robinson and his Miracles were indeed miracles of the early rock era and this new anthology does them well-deserved justice. An absolutely top-notch CD - there is no pop music collection that this should not be a part of.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MIRACLES AT THEIR BEST, October 4, 2002

By 

L. Roberts "raven" (virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (Audio CD)

THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ALL SMOKEY FANS AND FANS OF THE MOTOWN SOUND PERIOD, THIS SET HAS SMOKE DOING HIS THING BUT THOSE TIGHT HARMONIES OF THE MIRACLES ARE STRONG AND CLEAR A GOOD EXAMPLE IS "WHATS SO GOOD ABOUT GOOD-BYE" CHECK OUT THE CHIMES, CD IS FULL OF UNRELEASED "STEREO" VERSIONS NOT HEARD BEFORE......TRUST ME....I'VE GOT THEM ALL