''Pure Smokey'' is

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 ...

's second post-

Miracles A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divin ...

album, released in 1974. It features the single "Virgin Man." Several songs were written by Robinson with fellow Miracle

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 ...

, who left the group a year after Robinson's departure to join him in California and assist him in his solo projects.

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Smokey Robinson; except "A Tattoo". All tracks arranged by Russ Turner,

Gene Page Eugene Edgar Page Jr. (September 13, 1939 – August 24, 1998) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and record producer, most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. His sound can be heard in the arrangements he did for Jeffer ...

and Smokey Robinson; except where indicated. #"It's Her Turn to Live" (Robinson,

Marvin 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 ...

) - 3:15 #"The Love Between Me and My Kids" (Robinson) - 2:52 #"Asleep on My Love" (Robinson, Tarplin) - 3:58 #"I Am I Am" (Robinson) - 3:53 #"Just Passing Through" (Tarplin,

Janie Bradford Janie Bradford (born June 2, 1939 in Charleston, Missouri, United States) is an American songwriter, most known for her tenure with Motown. With Berry Gordy, she co-wrote "Money (That's What I Want)", originally recorded by Barrett Strong, and ...

Al Cleveland Al Cleveland (born Alfred W. Cleveland; March 11, 1930 – August 14, 1996) was an American songwriter for the Motown label. Among his most popular co-compositions are 1967's " I Second That Emotion" and 1969's " Baby, Baby Don't Cry" performed by ...

) - 3:17 #"Virgin Man" (Robinson, Rose Ella Jones) - 5:07 #"She's Only a Baby Herself" (Robinson) - 2:47 #"Fulfill Your Need" (Robinson, Tarplin, Pamela Moffett) - 2:50 #"A Tattoo" (Robinson) - 4:30 "I Am, I Am" arranged by Smokey Robinson and Gene Page "A Tattoo" produced and arranged by Smokey Robinson and

Willie Hutch William McKinley Hutchison (December 6, 1944 – September 19, 2005), better known as Willie Hutch, was an American singer, songwriter as well as a record producer and recording artist for the Motown record label during the 1970s and 1980s. Biog ...

Personnel

*Smokey Robinson – vocals, arranger *

– arranger *

Bobbye Hall Bobbye Jean Hall is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 20 songs that reached the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Early career, work for ...

– percussion *Henry Davis – bass guitar *

Jeffrey Osborne Jeffrey Linton Osborne (born March 9, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and lyricist. He is the former drummer and lead singer of the American R&B/soul group L.T.D. (band), L.T.D., with whom he began his musical career in 1970. B ...

– drums * Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin – guitar *Russ Turner – keyboards, arranger *

– guitar ;Technical *Bruce Ellison, Jim Hilton, Larry Miles,

Russ Terrana Russ Terrana is an American recording engineer and sound mixer who worked at Motown Records for 18 years, serving as the label's chief engineer. Early life and education Terrana developed an interest in music at a young age, forming a band with ...

, Tom Knox - recording engineers *Russ Terrana - mixing engineer *Robert Gleason - design *Jim Britt - photography

References

1974 albums Smokey Robinson albums Albums arranged by Gene Page Albums produced by Smokey Robinson Tamla Records albums {{1970s-R&B-album-stub