"I Like It Like That" was a 1964 hit song by

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

group

The Miracles The Miracles (later known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1955. They were the first successful recording act for Motown Records and are considered one of the most ...

on its

Tamla Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''motor'' ...

label subsidiary. This is not the

Chris Kenner Christophe Kenner (December 25, 1929 – January 25, 1976) was an American, New Orleans–based R&B singer and songwriter, best known for two hit singles in the early 1960s, " I Like It Like That" and " Land of 1000 Dances", which became staple ...

hit song of the same name but a Miracles original, written by Miracles members

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...

and

Marv Tarplin Marvin Tarplin (June 13, 1941 – September 30, 2011) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the Miracles from the 1950s through the early 1970s. He was one of the group's original members and co-wrote several of their bigges ...

, and is included on the group's first greatest hits album, '' Greatest Hits from the Beginning''. It was also the title song from their deleted 1964 album of the same name.

Background

Like many of the Miracles' hit songs, "I Like It Like That" begins with Tarplin's guitar. It has a "live party" feel, similar to their earlier 1963 hit, " Mickey's Monkey". Smokey encourages everybody to "clap your hands now, everybody, we're gonna have some fun tonight...we're gonna sing and shout...knock ourselves out...and everything's gonna be alright". The other Miracles, Bobby, Ronnie, Pete and Claudette, join in with their trademark harmony vocals, with chants of "alright", and "I like it like that" as

The Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

add additional instruments to the mix. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' described it as "an infectious rhythmic

shuffle Shuffling is a technique used to randomize a deck of playing cards, introducing an element of chance into card games. Various shuffling methods exist, each with its own characteristics and potential for manipulation. One of the simplest shuff ...

-thumper...that sports a 'live' audience cheer and handclap support." "I Like It Like That" was released during a period (1964) when Smokey and the Miracles were so busy touring as the headline act with the famed

Motortown Revue The Motortown Revue was the name given to the package concert tours of Motown artists in the 1960s. Early tours featured Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Mary Wells, The Marvelettes, Barrett Strong, and The Contours as headlining acts, and gave the ...

shows, and writing big hits for other Motown acts, principally

Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with the Supremes, the Miracles, the Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...

and

The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

, that their own chart action suffered. Of the group's four single releases that year (the others were " Come On Do The Jerk", " (You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You" and " That's What Love Is Made Of"), "I Like It Like That" was the only one to enter the Billboard Pop Top 30, while two songs that they wrote for the two aforementioned acts, "

My Guy "My Guy" is a 1964 hit single by American singer Mary Wells for the Motown label. Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of The Miracles, the song is a woman's rejection of a sexual advance and affirmation of her fidelity to her boyfriend, who i ...

" and " My Girl" respectively, both reached No.1. "My Girl" was originally intended to be recorded by The Miracles. However, The following year, 1965, would prove to be The Miracles' biggest year ever.

Personnel

The Miracles: *

- lead vocals *

Bobby Rogers Robert Edward Rogers (February 19, 1940 – March 3, 2013) was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a founding member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Mira ...

Ronnie White Ronald Anthony White (April 5, 1938 – August 26, 1995) was an American baritone singer, best known as the co-founder of the Miracles and its only consistent original member. White was also known for bringing Stevie Wonder to the attention of ...

, Pete Moore, Claudette Robinson - background vocals *

- guitar *Additional instruments:

Chart history

"I Like It Like That" reached the Top 30 of the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Pop chart, charting at No.27 and the Top 10 of

R&B chart, peaking at No.10. (Billboard Magazine's R&B chart was temporarily suspended during this time).

Cover versions

"I Like It Like That" has been covered by: *

Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty- ...

* Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. *The song's B side, "You're So Fine And Sweet", featured a rare lead by the Miracles' second tenor,

(who had sung co-lead vocals with Smokey on the group's smash single "

You've Really Got A Hold On Me "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, which became a 1962 top 10 hit single for the Miracles. One of the Miracles' most covered tunes, this million-selling song received a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award. It has als ...

" the previous year), and inspired a cover version by The Undertakers.

References

External links

''I Like It Like That'' by The Miracles- Song review from the ''Motown Junkies'' website
* {{authority control The Miracles songs Motown singles 1964 songs Songs written by Smokey Robinson Songs written by Marv Tarplin Song recordings produced by Smokey Robinson