Maxwell track written by Smokey Robinson

[maarten]

I was listening to Smokey Robinson the other day on Delta Horizons radio (I fly a lot for my job). He presented songs from his new album but also played some songs that he himself had written but were recorded by others.

There was one song for which Smokey never gave the title. It was by Maxwell and it went something like "Sugar pie, honey bunch" and NO!!!!!!! It was not the Surpremes song. It was very jazzy and groovy, sounded like a Smooth Jazz song. Lot's of wah-wah guitar and high hats and orchestra.

I have been checking Maxwell albums but have as yet not found this track. Can a kind soul who has the Maxwell albums see if there is a Smokey Robinson penned track somewhere on there and tell me the name and the album it's on?

This is how the program is described by Delta, but no track listing - AARRGGHHH:

Really Smokey Robinson“Ooh, Baby Baby”—Smokey’s “In the Mood for Love” and ready to “Fly You To The Moon.” The man Bob Dylan called “America’s greatest living poet” is on board as your exclusive Delta Radio DJ. Smokey will “Speak Low” in your headphones about his new album, Timeless Love. For the first time, Smokey Robinson puts his indelible vocal stamp on some of the most romantic songs ever written. Tune in and let a star shine on your flight.

[hotmixbk]

It maybe 'Ascension' by Maxwell off his debut album '...surely I realize... your the highest of the high... if u dont know then i'll say it,so dont ever wonder...'

[maarten]

That's the one! I just found it - on "Urban Hang Suite". Thanks so much!

[hotmixbk]

Glad to be of help...


P.S. I knew because of the 'sugar pie' I thought thats what he was saying too LOL...

[NickNack]

Maarten, I have to ask: Where does "Smokey" fit into this? I was looking at my CDs last night trying to help you. I bought URBAN HANG SUITE because of "Ascension". I dont' see Mr. Robinson's name anywhere.

[maarten]

Nicky... I am now as confused as you are... :-?

Smokey presented the show on Delta Horizons radio, and played the track towards the end of the show in a segment where he plays tracks he has written but are sung by others - at least so he says. So I assumed this track to be written by Smokey.

Or is it perhaps one of those tracks where Maxwell used a Smokey track as the basis? The bass-line? The refrain?

I am clueless, because I am not a huge Smokey Robinson fan. The only 12" I have of him is "Love don't give no reason" from 1987, and I only bought that one because it is remixed by David Morales (I am a huge collector/fan of tracks written/produced/remixed by any one of the members of the Def Mix collective: David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Satoshi Tomiie and (until recently) Bobby D'Ambrosio).

Perhaps someone can solve the mystery... or perhaps Smokey just liked the song (just like I did!).

[eddie]

On Smokey's 1999 Lp Intimate, he borrows very liberally from Maxwell's Ascention groove. The first track from Mr. Robinson's Lp is "Sleeping in" and that repetitive bass pattern is used as the basis for this cut.

[maarten]

Eddie - thanks! I listened via Amazon to the Smokey track, and I would say the music is almost the same, but Smokey lays a completely different vocal track on top. And as "Ascension" was released on Maxwell's 1996 album, and Smokey released "Sleepin in" in 1999... who is the copy cat here???

So I changed the title of this thread for this post - and reversed it. What I still don't get is why Smokey presented the Maxwell track as written by him, i.e. Smokey Robinson.

I ordered the Maxwell CD from Amazon, but have not received it yet. Eddie: can you tell who has writing credits for "Sleeping in"? And Nicky: who has writing credits for "Ascension"?

I know this is not going anywhere, but as some of you know, I love factoids and I just want to get to the bottom of this one :roll:

PS I just read there is a 12"/CD Single of "Ascension" - does anybody know if this is wildly different?

[eddie]

Musze wrote Maxwell's "Ascention (Don't ever wonder)" and Smokey Robinson and Michael Stokes wrote "Sleeping in".

There was also a live version of Ascention on Maxwell's Unplugged Ep form around 1997. So many artists borrow from other artists stuff. I've honestly listened to many albums were every track has sounded like something somebody else released.

[hotmixbk]

On another site 'Smokey' makes reference to the "new" artist and Maxwell was on of them on his IPOD... Maybe the connection??? Who knows... Check the quote...

Chris: People don't do that anymore. They don't record "a song." Or someone will compose, such as...someone such as yourself will compose a song, and then as you said, all the greats will record it. I'm curious, what do you think of contemporary songs or contemporary music? Smokey: Well, it's according to who you're talking about, Chris, because there are some wonderful, wonderful young writers out there and young talent and young artists who are doing wonderful music. You know, there's Alicia Keys and there's Maxwell and there's Beyoncé Knowles and there's Usher and people like that. They're making some great music man. They're making some really wonderful music. And if you listen to their songs, their songs are talking about life as they know it. Chris: Right. Smokey: Yeah, so hey man, there’s a lot of wonderful young talent out there. Chris: So you are keeping up. Smokey: Absolutely I do. I listen to everybody, man. I have everybody on my iPod. I listen to everybody, man. You know why? Because I'm still in the record business. I'm still all competing against these people. I'm a fan, but I still know that I have to know what they're doing in order to compete with them. I have to know what they're doing. I'm not going to try to be like them, you know what I mean, but I have to know what they're doing so I can know the quality of music that they're making so I can keep my quality up. You know. So, yeah I have everybody. I have Nelly on there, you know what I mean. I listen to everybody, man.

http://www.mp3.com/features/stories/4346.html

[maarten]

Thanks Eddie. And thanks Ben. I am going to let it rest. Fact remains that "Ascension" is a beautiful track. And fact remains I learned about it from Smokey. It only took me 10 years to discover...

[eddie]

Keep an eye on Maxwell and the albums that he releases which are all of high quality. The live Ep was probably his second best. His music is very old school with strings and actual falsetto singing. Maxwell think is probably the last falsetto singer to emerge in R&B. Today the genre is plagued by everyone singing monotone.