I'll Try Something New (song)

"I'll Try Something New"
Single by The Miracles
from the album I'll Try Something New
B-side"You Never Miss a Good Thing"
ReleasedApril 9, 1962
RecordedHitsville USA (Studio A);
1961–1962
GenreSoul, pop
Length3:00
LabelTamla
T 54059
Songwriter(s)Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)Smokey Robinson
Berry Gordy
The Miracles singles chronology
"What's So Good About Goodbye"
(1961) 		"I'll Try Something New"
(1962) 		"You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
(1962)
Audio
"I'll Try Something New" by The Miracles on YouTube
"I'll Try Something New"
Single by Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations
from the album Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations
B-side"The Way You Do the Things You Do"
ReleasedFebruary 20, 1969
RecordedHitsville USA (Studios A & B); 1968
GenreSoul, pop
Length2:25
LabelMotown
M 1142
Songwriter(s)Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)Frank Wilson
Nickolas Ashford
Smokey Robinson
Deke Richards
Diana Ross & the Supremes singles chronology
"I'm Livin' in Shame"
(1969) 		"I'll Try Something New"
(1969) 		"The Composer"
(1969)
The Temptations singles chronology
"Run Away Child, Running Wild"
(1969) 		"I'll Try Something New"
(1969) 		"Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down"
(1969)
Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations track listing
11 tracks
Side one
  1. "Try It Baby"
  2. "I Second That Emotion"
  3. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
  4. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
  5. "This Guy's in Love with You"
  6. "Funky Broadway"
Side two
  2. "I'll Try Something New"
  3. "A Place in the Sun"
  4. "Sweet Inspiration"
  5. "Then"
  6. "The Impossible Dream"
Audio
"I'll Try Something New" by Diana Ross and the Supremes & The Temptations on YouTube

"I'll Try Something New" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and originally released in 1962 by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla subsidiary label. Their version was a Billboard Top 40 hit, peaking at #39, and just missed the Top 10 of its R&B chart, peaking at #11. The song was released later as a joint single by Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations, also becoming a charting version on the Billboard 100 pop singles chart, peaking for two weeks in April 1969 at number 25.[1][2]

Background

[edit]

Song information

[edit]

In the song, the narrator (Smokey Robinson) describes how if he feels that if his first attempt at trying to show his lover affection was not good enough, then he'd try something new to keep their love alive:

I will build you a castle with a tower so high it reaches the Moon. I'll gather melodies from birdies that fly and compose you a tune. Give you lovin' warm as Mama's oven, and if that don't do, then I'll try something new.

The Miracles issued the original version of the song in 1962, and with wife and fellow Miracles member Claudette's voice clearly audible in the chorus (hey Venus...). Smokey and Motown founder Berry Gordy produced the song with an Oriental feel to it, with unusually lush-for-the-period orchestration and sweeping strings, showcasing The Miracles' harmonies and Robinson's production style.

The Miracles' original version peaked number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 In 1982. Twelve years after going solo, Robinson re-recorded the track with a more contemporary arrangement for his hit album "Yes It's You Lady." [3]

Personnel

[edit]

Miracles version

[edit]

Supremes and Temptations version

[edit]

Chart history

[edit]

Miracles version

[edit]
Chart Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 39
U.S. Billboard R&B Singles Chart 11

The Supremes and The Temptations version

[edit]
Chart (1969) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[4] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 25
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[6] 8
US Cashbox Top 100[7] 21
US Cashbox R&B[8] 16
US Record World 100 Top Pops[9] 19
US Record World Top 50 R&B[10] 14

Track listing

[edit]
  • 7" single (20 February 1969) (North America) (Diana Ross & the Supremes/The Temptations)
  1. "I'll Try Something New" – 2:18
  2. "The Way You Do the Things You Do" – 1:39

Cover versions

[edit]

In 1966, R&B artist Spyder Turner covered the song as an excerpt of his hit cover of the Ben E King song "Stand by Me". Several years later, in 1969, the group's Motown label-mates The Supremes and The Temptations released a duet version that became a hit reaching number 25 on the Hot 100 and number 8 on the R&B chart. Disco/pop group A Taste of Honey also covered the song 20 years later, in 1982 peaking at number 41 on the Hot 100 and number 9 on the R&B chart.

Singer/actress Barbara McNair also recorded a version of “I’ll Try Something New” for Motown. Backed by Los Angeles-based area musicians and produced by Frank Wilson and Richard Morris, McNair’s version also included background vocals by The Andantes. The McNair cover is included on “The Ultimate Motown Collection,” which includes both of her released albums as well as the unreleased “Barbara Sings Smokey” album.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 81, no. 15. Nielsen Company. 1969. p. 57.
  2. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 81, no. 16. Nielsen Company. 1969. p. 74.
  3. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Vol. 74, no. 26. Nielsen Company. 1962. p. 4.
  4. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5981." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  5. ^ "The Supremes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  6. ^ "The Supremes Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  7. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles". Cashbox. April 12, 1969. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  8. ^ "The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations". Cashbox. April 5, 1969. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  9. ^ "100 TOP POPS: Week of April 12, 1969" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. April 12, 1969. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  10. ^ "TOP 50 R&B: Week of April 12, 1969" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. April 12, 1969. p. 37. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=I%27ll_Try_Something_New_(song)&oldid=1257514910"