We've Come Too Far to End It Now
"We've Come Too Far to End It Now" | ||||
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Single by The Miracles | ||||
from the album Flying High Together[1] | ||||
B-side | "When Sundown Comes" | |||
Released | April 25, 1972 | |||
Recorded | Hitsville USA (Studio A); September 21, 1971 | |||
Genre | Soul | |||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | Tamla / T 54220 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Johnny Bristol David H.Jones Wade Brown | |||
Producer(s) | Johnny Bristol | |||
The Miracles singles chronology | ||||
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We've Come Too Far to End It Now was a 1972 single by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles (AKA 'Smokey Robinson & The Miracles') on its Tamla Label subsidiary (T54220F) and taken from their 1972 album, Flying High Together, the group's final studio album with original lead singer Smokey Robinson. This song charted at #46 on the Billboard Pop Chart, and reached the Top 10 of its R&B chart, peaking at #9.
Background
Written by Motown staff songwriter Johnny Bristol, along with writers David H. Jones, and Wade Brown,[2] and arranged by legendary writer/producer H. B. Barnum, this song was conceived as the Miracles' "swan song" with Robinson, who left the group shortly thereafter (even though the group actually had one more single release with Robinson from that same LP, "I Can't Stand To See You Cry", this song was the group's way of saying goodbye to the Smokey Robinson era and Smokey's way of saying goodbye to the group's fans and to his friends and singing partners in The Miracles, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, and Ronnie White). Motown singer/songwriter Johnny Bristol also co-wrote The Supremes' final hit with Diana Ross, "Someday We'll Be Together").
After singing in the group from 1955 until 1972, Robinson decided to retire from the group to spend more time with his family, and to concentrate on his duties as Vice President of the Motown Record Corporation. His wife, and fellow Miracles member Claudette Robinson, left the group when her husband did. Despite having retired from live performances eight years prior in 1964, Claudette continued recording with the group in the studio, finally retiring in 1972 to raise the couple's two children, Berry and Tamla. Marv Tarplin stayed with the group an additional year, then decided to leave the Miracles to work with Smokey, writing songs and eventually touring with him, once Robinson decided to do limited touring as a solo artist.
Like the Miracles' 1965 hit, "Ooo Baby Baby", "We've Come Too Far" told the story of a troubled long-time relationship between a couple nearing a breakup, with Smokey, as the song's narrator, apologizing to his wife for his wrongs, with the hopes of saving the relationship:
- Last night ... we had an argument ...
- Oh but baby ... the things I said I never meant ...
- I'm so sorry, that I broke your tender heart ...
- For we've come too far to end it now.
In the 2006 Motown DVD, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Definitive Performances), Miracles bass singer and vocal arranger Pete Moore replied, when asked about Smokey's decision to depart the group, said it made him "very sad, because we had been together for so long, since we were kids, and had done so many wonderful things in the music industry up to that point ... and obviously, we didn't want to see Smokey leave ... because we loved him and he loved us ... so it took us a while ... for that idea to sink in ... but once it did ... we had to seek a replacement ..."[3]
This song has appeared in several Miracles "greatest hits" CD compilations. It was also performed by The Miracles live on their final live album with Smokey, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957-1972. The song's B-side, "When Sundown Comes", was earmarked as an A-side release, (Tamla 54211), but was cancelled in favor of the song "Satisfaction".[4][5]
Credits: The Miracles
- Lead vocals by Smokey Robinson
- Backing vocals by Pete Moore, Claudette Robinson, Ronnie White and Bobby Rogers
- Guitar by Marv Tarplin
- Additional instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Chart performance
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 46 |
US Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles[7] | 9 |
Cover versions
- The Escorts recorded a cover version of this song.
References
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- ^ "Lyrics: We've Come Too Far To End It Now by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles". Top40db.net. 1972-06-24. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ^ The Miracles : The Definitive Performances (1963–1987) DVD (2006)
- ^ Smokey Robinson & The Miracles : The 35th Anniversary Collection (1994)
- ^ Liner notes booklet, p. 62 : The Miracles Discography : The Singles
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 579.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 404.
- v
- t
- e
- Smokey Robinson
- Ronnie White
- Pete Moore
- Bobby Rogers
- Claudette Robinson
- Marv Tarplin
- Billy Griffin
- Donald Griffin
- Carl Cotton
- Mark Scott
- Dave Finley
- Sydney Justin
- Alphonse Franklin
- Tee Turner
- Hi... We're the Miracles (1961)
- Cookin' with the Miracles (1961)
- I'll Try Something New (1962)
- The Fabulous Miracles (1963)
- Christmas with The Miracles (1963)
- The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey (1963)
- I Like It Like That (1964)
- Going to a Go-Go (1965)
- Away We a Go-Go (1966)
- Make It Happen (The Tears of a Clown) (1967)
- Special Occasion (1968)
- Time Out for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1969)
- Four in Blue (1969)
- What Love Has Joined Together (1970)
- A Pocket Full of Miracles (1970)
- The Season for Miracles (1970)
- One Dozen Roses (1971)
- Flying High Together (1972)
- Renaissance (1973)
- Do It Baby (1974)
- Don't Cha Love It (1975)
- City of Angels (1975)
- The Power of Music (1976)
- Love Crazy (1977)
- The Miracles (1978)
- The Miracles Recorded Live on Stage (1963)
- Smokey Robinson & the Miracles LIVE! (1969)
- Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957–1972 (1972)
- Greatest Hits: From the Beginning (1965)
- Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1968)
- Anthology (1974)
- Anthology '86 (1986)
- Anthology: The Best of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1995)
- The Ultimate Collection (1998)
- Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (2002)
- Depend On Me: The Early Albums (2009)
- "Bad Girl"
- "Way Over There"
- "Shop Around"
- "Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues"
- "What's So Good About Goodbye"
- "I've Been Good to You"
- "I'll Try Something New"
- "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"/"Happy Landing"
- "A Love She Can Count On"
- "Mickey's Monkey"
- "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying"
- "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You"
- "I Like It Like That"
- "That's What Love Is Made Of"
- "Come On Do the Jerk"
- "Ooo Baby Baby"
- "The Tracks of My Tears"
- "A Fork in the Road"
- "My Girl Has Gone"
- "Going to a Go-Go"
- "Choosey Beggar"
- "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You)"
- "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need"
- "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage"
- "More Love"
- "I Second That Emotion"
- "If You Can Want"
- "Yester Love"
- "Special Occasion"
- "Baby, Baby Don't Cry"
- "Here I Go Again"
- "Doggone Right"
- "Abraham, Martin and John"
- "Point It Out"
- "The Tears of a Clown"
- "I Don't Blame You at All"
- "We've Come Too Far to End It Now"
- "Give Me Just Another Day"
- "Do It Baby"
- "Love Machine"
- The Definitive Performances (1963–1987) (2006)