"Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" YEAH YEAH YEAH! Mono/Stereo "Motown"
"Smokey Robinson & The Miracles Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" Mono/Stereo "Motown Deep Cuts"
Here's something I never realized about this recording until tonight: THIS was recorded by the Temptations first, and with THIS particular backing track. According to the site "Don't Forget The Motor City", Norman Whitfield recorded this track with the Funk Brothers at Motown's Hitsville Studio A (The Snakepit) and had the Temptations record a vocal. On Wednesday April 29, 1964, the Miracles overdubbed their vocals over the Tempts' vocals. The Temptations re-recorded the song two years later on May 11, 1966. Interestingly, Norman also recorded a version with Jimmy Ruffin precisely one day earlier on May 10, 1966.
So the question is, was the Miracles' version ever considered as a single or was it just shelved at the time. In '64, the Miracles were somewhat in a slump on the charts. Miracles singles released that year, (You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You, _I Like It Like That, and Come On Do the Jerk did not produce any major hits. Even an album that was scheduled, I Like It Like That was released then pulled from shelves. It wouldn't be until 1965's Ooo Baby Baby that the group would really experience a rebirth of sorts.
However, this is not to say the Miracles weren't busy in 1964. In fact, there was one record that was recorded back in 1963 that may have been making it rough for the group to get anything new rolling on the charts in 1964; as Smokey recalled, Mickey's Monkey was a record that just wouldn't die. It wouldn't go away and in fact, seems to have been an everlasting favorite with fans in live appearances.
So it's interesting to think that in 1964, Norman Whitfield, who was still proving himself at Motown, may have intended for "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" to be the record that would give the Miracles a much needed booster shot in record sales. Judge for yourself if this would have been a hit or not. In the end, it's also interesting that this resurfaced a couple years later on the Miracles Away We A Go-Go album. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah."
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep recording history:
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep (Norman Whitfield-Edward Holland Jr) published Jobete 01-Sep-65
The Miracles; recorded Hitsville, completed 29-Apr-64 ; produced by Norman Whitfield ; [odb on the Temptations v1]
[pressing date unknown] [acetate]; 45 (M): Jobete
16-Nov-66; LP (M): Tamla T271 Away We A Go-Go
Dec-66; LP (S): Tamla S271 Away We A Go-Go
Jimmy Ruffin; recorded Hitsville, completed 10-May-66 ; produced by Norman Whitfield ; [v2]
Mar-83; LP (M): Motown 5310 Motown Superstars Sing Motown Superstars [UK]
The Temptations; recorded Hitsville, completed 11-May-66 ; produced by Norman Whitfield ; [v2 lead David Ruffin]
04-Aug-66; 45 (M): Gordy G 7055 A [first issue with arrowhead label]
16-Nov-66; LP (M): Gordy G919 Temptations' Greatest Hits
16-Nov-66; LP (S): Gordy S919 Temptations' Greatest Hits
Recording info from the site "Don't Forget The Motor City" http://www.dftmc.info/titles/tb-03.htm
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