I Second That Emotion

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

For the Futurama episode, see I Second That Emotion (Futurama).
"I Second That Emotion"
Single by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
from the album Greatest Hits, Vol. 2
B-side "You Must Be Love"
Released October 19, 1967
Format Vinyl record (7", 45 RPM)
Recorded Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); September 21, 1967
Genre Soul
Length 2:48
Label Motown
T 54159
Writer(s) Smokey Robinson
Al Cleveland
Producer(s) Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles singles chronology
"More Love"
(1967)		 "I Second That Emotion"
(1967)		 "If You Can Want"
(1968)
Music sample
"I Second That Emotion"
noicon
"I Second That Emotion"
File:TS - I Second That Emotion.jpg
Single by Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations
from the album Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations
B-side "The Way You Do the Things You Do"
Released September 20, 1969 (U.K.)
Format Vinyl record (7", 45 RPM)
Recorded Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); 1968
Genre Soul, pop
Length 2:19
Label Motown
TM 709
Writer(s) Smokey Robinson
Al Cleveland
Producer(s) Frank Wilson
Diana Ross & the Supremes singles chronology
"The Weight"
(1969)		 "I Second That Emotion"
(1969)		 "Someday We'll Be Together"
(1969)
The Temptations singles chronology
"I Can't Get Next to You"
(1969)		 "I Second That Emotion"
(1969)		 "The Weight"
(1969)
Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations track listing
Music sample
"I Second That Emotion"
noicon

"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 song written by Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland. First charting as a hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the Tamla/Motown label in 1967, "I Second That Emotion" was later a hit single for the group duet Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, also on the Motown label.

Song origin

One morning in 1967, Robinson and Cleveland were shopping at Hudson's, a Detroit department store. Robinson found a set of pearls for his wife, Claudette. "They're beautiful." he said to the salesperson. "I sure hope she likes them." Cleveland then added "I second that emotion." Both songwriters laughed at Cleveland's malapropism; he had meant to say "I second that motion." The two were immediately inspired to write a song using the incorrect phrase.[1]

The Miracles' original version

The Miracles' original version of the song finds lead singer and co-writer Smokey Robinson courting a girl who, weary of the game of love, prefers to string her men along and not get romantically involved. Robinson "wants no part" in such a relationship, but promises that if the girl changes her mind, he'll be around ("If you feel like lovin' me/if you've got the notion/I second that emotion.")

This version peaked for three weeks in the United States at #4 on the Billboard pop singles chart in December 1967.[2][3][4] It became the Miracles highest charting popular single since "Shop Around". In this song, guitarists Eddie Willis and Robert White came up with their own guitar licks and riffs for this song based on a chord chart that was given to them by the song's producers (this is a classic example of the creativity the Funk Brothers brought to the table during the recording sessions they participated in at the Snake Pit).

The song also topped the Billboard Black Singles Chart[5] and was a million-selling hit for The Miracles, their sixth overall.[6] The song was also a top 30 hit in the UK in 1967, reaching #27,

1967 personnel: The Miracles

Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations version

The song was covered and released by a group duet of Motown labelmates Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations in 1969. This version peaked at #19 in the UK.

1969 personnel

1969 track listing

  • 7" single (1969) (United Kingdom)
  1. "I Second That Emotion" – 2:55
  2. "The Way You Do the Things You Do" – 1:39

Other cover versions

Barbara McNair recorded the song for the intended, but ultimately not released album Barbara McNair Sings Smokey in 1968 (her version was unreleased until 2003) as well as by British singer Kiki Dee on her 1970 Motown album Great Expectations.

The song was covered by the English new wave band Japan in 1979. Initially unsuccessful, it was later rereleased and became a UK Top 10 hit in 1982.

In popular culture

On 18 June 2012, American Songwriter named "I Second That Emotion" its "Lyric of The Week". The publication wrote: the song "marches to the beat of its own drum, thanks to three stanzas of crafty doo-wop poetry and one punny one-liner—a malapropism, if you want to get technical—that never really loses its novelty appeal".[7]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 7: 1967, Motown/Hip-O Select B0008993-02, 2007, liner notes, p. 85.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Hits of the Sixties: The Million Sellers - by Demitri Coryton & Joseph Murrells (pg 182).
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Bibliography

External links

Preceded by Billboard Hot R&B Singles number-one single
January 13, 1968		 Succeeded by
"Chain Of Fools" by Aretha Franklin
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=I_Second_That_Emotion&oldid=1251489"