"I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying" was the follow-up to the group's Top 10 pop hit, "Mickey's Monkey", also written by Holland, Dozier and Holland. The smash success of that song, according to Motown policy, automatically gave Holland-Dozier-Holland the green light to write and produce the Miracles' next release, which resulted in this song. Like "Mickey's Monkey", "I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying" features a "live party" feel. The song's title is a play on the old expression, "I Gotta Laugh to Keep from Crying", highlighting the all-too-human tendency to escape from heartbreak or personal pain by dancing, laughing and having a good time. Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson, as the song's narrator, portrays a young man trying to get over the heartbreak of a recent breakup with his girl:
Gather 'round me, swingers and friends Help me forget my hurt within I lost the only girl I've ever loved The only one I'm thinking of And I've gotta dance to keep from crying
Cash Box described it as "an infectious rocker that the pro belters deliver in their inimitable, ultra-commercial manner."[1]
Holland-Dozier-Holland later wrote another Top 20 hit for the Miracles in 1966, "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need", which was the last song to bill the group as "the Miracles" before their name was officially changed to "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles". "I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying" has inspired cover versions by the Who and Jimmy James, and was included on the group's albums The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey, I Like It Like That (withdrawn from the U.S.), Greatest Hits from the Beginning, and several other Miracles "greatest hits" albums and CD anthologies. However, the original stereo version of this song (as found on Greatest Hits from the Beginning and other compilations) does not fade out the background music towards the end of the song, as it does in the single version. This is corrected in the stereo mix found in 2002's Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology.
It was a Billboard Top 40 Pop hit, reaching number 35 on that chart, and a Top 20 hit on Casbox's R&B chart, peaking at number 17.[2]
Accoladesedit
The song was ranked at number 356 out of the 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made by the American rock critic Dave Marsh, who wrote: "no band ever cut a deeper groove than the Motown group does here".[3] The British rock journalist Jon Wilde ranked it Number 6 among his top ten favourite songs in 2007, calling it "pure Motown gold and the greatest party-on record there ever was".[4]
Referencesedit
^"CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 16, 1963. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
^Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 404.
^Dave Marsh (1999). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Da Capo Press. p. 246. ISBN030680901X.
^Wilde, Jon (9 August 2007). "Would your favourite songs pass the Weller taste test?". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
January 01, 1970
gotta, dance, keep, from, crying, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, . This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying news newspapers books scholar JSTOR June 2014 Learn how and when to remove this message I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying is a 1963 hit by the Miracles on Motown s Tamla label It was written and produced by Motown s main songwriting team Brian Holland Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying Single by The Miraclesfrom the album The Miracles Doin Mickey s MonkeyReleasedOctober 31 1963 1963 10 31 Recorded1963GenreR amp BLabelMotownSongwriter s Holland Dozier HollandProducer s Brian Holland Lamont DozierThe Miracles singles chronology Mickey s Monkey 1963 I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying 1963 The Christmas Song 1963 Contents 1 Background 2 Personnel 3 Chart performance 4 Accolades 5 ReferencesBackground edit I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying was the follow up to the group s Top 10 pop hit Mickey s Monkey also written by Holland Dozier and Holland The smash success of that song according to Motown policy automatically gave Holland Dozier Holland the green light to write and produce the Miracles next release which resulted in this song Like Mickey s Monkey I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying features a live party feel The song s title is a play on the old expression I Gotta Laugh to Keep from Crying highlighting the all too human tendency to escape from heartbreak or personal pain by dancing laughing and having a good time Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson as the song s narrator portrays a young man trying to get over the heartbreak of a recent breakup with his girl Gather round me swingers and friends Help me forget my hurt within I lost the only girl I ve ever loved The only one I m thinking of And I ve gotta dance to keep from crying Cash Box described it as an infectious rocker that the pro belters deliver in their inimitable ultra commercial manner 1 Holland Dozier Holland later wrote another Top 20 hit for the Miracles in 1966 Come Round Here I m the One You Need which was the last song to bill the group as the Miracles before their name was officially changed to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying has inspired cover versions by the Who and Jimmy James and was included on the group s albums The Miracles Doin Mickey s Monkey I Like It Like That withdrawn from the U S Greatest Hits from the Beginning and several other Miracles greatest hits albums and CD anthologies However the original stereo version of this song as found on Greatest Hits from the Beginning and other compilations does not fade out the background music towards the end of the song as it does in the single version This is corrected in the stereo mix found in 2002 s Ooo Baby Baby The Anthology Personnel editThe Miracles Smokey Robinson lead vocals Bobby Rogers background vocals Marv Tarplin guitar Claudette Robinson background vocals Pete Moore background vocals Ronnie White background vocals Other credits The Funk Brothers instrumentation Holland Dozier Holland producerChart performance editIt was a Billboard Top 40 Pop hit reaching number 35 on that chart and a Top 20 hit on Casbox s R amp B chart peaking at number 17 2 Accolades editThe song was ranked at number 356 out of the 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made by the American rock critic Dave Marsh who wrote no band ever cut a deeper groove than the Motown group does here 3 The British rock journalist Jon Wilde ranked it Number 6 among his top ten favourite songs in 2007 calling it pure Motown gold and the greatest party on record there ever was 4 References edit CashBox Record Reviews PDF Cash Box November 16 1963 p 10 Retrieved 2022 01 12 Whitburn Joel 2004 Top R amp B Hip Hop Singles 1942 2004 Record Research p 404 Dave Marsh 1999 The Heart of Rock amp Soul The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made Da Capo Press p 246 ISBN 030680901X Wilde Jon 9 August 2007 Would your favourite songs pass the Weller taste test The Guardian Retrieved 12 April 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying amp oldid 1150400528, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
