I Second That Emotion
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song was the group's first Top 5 hit on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart credited to "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles" (as the group had been credited on their albums since 1965).
The song finds lead singer 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.")
Robinson got the idea for the song from his friend and Motown colleague Al Cleveland, who mispronounced the phrase "I second that motion" as "I second that emotion" while the pair were Christmas shopping in late 1966. "I Second That Emotion" was a #1 hit on the Billboard Black Singles Chart, and reached #4 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart, and was a million- selling hit for The Miracles, their sixth overall.. Their original version was also a Top 30 hit in England, reaching # 27.
Today, the song, used to anchor the release of the Miracles' Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 release, is one of the most familiar tunes recorded by the Miracles. A 1968 joint cover by Motown labelmates Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations was a Top 20 hit in the United Kingdom, and later covers by Jerry Garcia and Japan were also popular hits. Michael McDonald has also covered the song on his compilation of Motown classics. Brad Nowell of Sublime uses a verse from this song in the end of Sublime's "STP". The Miracles can be seen performing a live version of this song on the 2006 Motown DVD release, "Smokey Robinson And The Miracles: The Definitive Performances".
A recording by The Chosen Few featured in the film "Madagascar" (2005).
