Love Machine (Part 1) – The Miracles | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1) and R&B (#5); 1976
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Two years after the Miracles finally scored their first #1 pop single, 1970’s The Tears Of A Clown, lead singer and songwriter extraordinaire, Smokey Robinson, left to go solo.
By then the Miracles’ recording fortunes were at an all-time low. Well into 1975, they managed just two R&B Top 20’s, of which only one – Do It Baby – made a notable pop showing at #13.
This transitional period from old to new ended with the release of 1976’s concept album, City Of Angels. Angels‘ songs tell of the quest for stardom in Los Angeles, a feat achieved by Michael, a self-described “Love Machine.”
Penned by Smokey’s replacement, Billy Griffin, and long-time bass singer Warren “Pete” Moore, Love Machine spent a career-high 28 weeks on the Hot 100, and marked the end of the Miracles’ pop chart records.
Interestingly, the Miracles were bumped from the top spot by their contemporaries from the 1960’s, the Four Seasons, with their final #1, December, 1963 (Oh What A Night).
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Freddie Perren
Lyrics Written by:
- William Griffin
- Warren Moore
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).