I Second That Emotion

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For the Futurama episode, see I Second That Emotion (Futurama).

"I Second That Emotion"
side-A label
One of side-A labels of the US single
Single by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
B-side"You Must Be Love"
ReleasedOctober 19, 1967 (1967-10-19)
RecordedSeptember 21, 1967
StudioHitsville U.S.A. (Studio A)
GenreSoul[1]
Length2:48
LabelMotown T 54159
Songwriters
Producers
  • Smokey Robinson
  • Al Cleveland
Smokey Robinson & the Miracles singles chronology
"More Love"
(1967) 		"I Second That Emotion"
(1967) 		"If You Can Want"
(1968)
Audio
"I Second That Emotion" on YouTube

"I Second That Emotion" is a 1967 song written by Smokey Robinson and Al Cleveland. First charting as a hit for Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the Tamla/Motown label in 1967, "I Second That Emotion" was later a hit single for the group duet Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations, also on the Motown label.

Song origin

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One morning in 1967, Robinson and Cleveland were shopping at Hudson's, a Detroit department store. Robinson found a set of pearls for his wife, Claudette. "They're beautiful." he said to the salesperson. "I sure hope she likes them." Cleveland then added "I second that emotion." Both songwriters laughed at Cleveland's malapropism - a pun on the phrase "I second that motion." The two were immediately inspired to write a song using the incorrect phrase.[2]

The Miracles' original version

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The Miracles' original version of the song finds lead singer and co-writer Smokey Robinson courting a girl who, weary of the game of love, prefers to string her boyfriends along and not get romantically involved. Robinson "wants no part" in such a relationship, but promises that if the girl changes her mind, he'll be around ("If you feel like lovin' me/if you've got the notion/I second that emotion.")

This version peaked for three weeks in the United States at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1967.[3][4][5] It became the Miracles highest charting popular single since "Shop Around". In this song, guitarists Eddie Willis and Robert White came up with their own guitar licks and riffs for this song based on a chord chart that was given to them by Robinson (this is a classic example of the creativity the Funk Brothers brought to the table during the recording sessions they participated in at the Snake Pit). Regular Miracles guitarist Marv Tarplin was also present on the song.[6]

The song also topped the Billboard Best Selling R&B Singles chart[7][8] and was a million-selling hit for The Miracles, their sixth overall.[9] The song was also a top 30 hit in the UK in 1967, reaching No. 27.

Cash Box called it an "electrically sparkling slow-midspeed session" with "outstanding lead and the well worked team sound."[10]

Personnel

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The Miracles

Charts

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Chart (1967–1968) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] 98
Canada (CHUM)[12] 2
Canada Soul Survey (RPM)[13] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 27
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 4
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[16] 27
US Cash Box Top 100[17] 3

Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations version

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"I Second That Emotion"
side-A label
Solid center variant of the UK single
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"
ReleasedSeptember 20, 1969 (1969-09-20) (UK)
Recorded1968
StudioHitsville U.S.A. (Studio A)
Genre
Length2:19
LabelMotown TM 709
Songwriters
  • Smokey Robinson
  • Al Cleveland
ProducerFrank Wilson
Diana Ross & the Supremes singles chronology
"No Matter What Sign You Are"
(1969) 		"I Second That Emotion"
(1969) 		"Someday We'll Be Together"
(1969)
The Temptations singles chronology
"I Can't Get Next to You"
(1969) 		"I Second That Emotion"
(1969) 		"Psychedelic Shack"
(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 Second That Emotion" on YouTube

The song was covered and released by a group duet of Motown labelmates Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations in 1969. This version peaked at No. 18 in the UK.[18]

Personnel

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Track listing

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7" single (1969) (United Kingdom)

  1. "I Second That Emotion" – 2:55
  2. "The Way You Do the Things You Do" – 1:39

Charts

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Chart (1969) Peak
position
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn)[19] 20
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 18
UK R&B (Record Mirror)[20] 2

Japan version

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"I Second That Emotion"
File:Japan I Second That Emotion 1982.jpg
One of the UK covers of the 1982 release
Single by Japan
B-side
Released
  • 21 March 1980 (1980-03-21)
  • June 1982 (1982-06)
GenreNew wave
Length
  • 3:45 (1980)
  • 3:52 (1982 remix)
  • 5:15 (1982 extended remix)
Label
Songwriters
ProducerJohn Punter
Japan singles chronology
"Life in Tokyo"
(1979) 		"I Second That Emotion"
(1980) 		"Gentlemen Take Polaroids"
(1980)
Japan singles chronology
"Cantonese Boy"
(1982) 		"I Second That Emotion"
(1982) 		"Life in Tokyo"
(1982)
Music video
"I Second That Emotion" on YouTube

"I Second That Emotion" was covered by British new wave band Japan, originally released as a single in 1980[21] without success. The single was re-released in 1982, on the back of the band's increased success in 1981, peaking at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in July, making it their second most successful single after "Ghosts".[22]

Releases

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The song was first released in March 1980 in the UK with a fade-out version of "Quiet Life" on the B-side. In Japan, "Quiet Life" had been released as a single in 1979, so "European Son" was released as the B-side instead. In 1982, the song was remixed by Steve Nye and released as a single, with the B-side "Halloween" originally released on the album Quiet Life. In Australia, the single's B-side was the 1978 re-recorded version of "Adolescent Sex", of which the original version appears on the band's debut album of the same name.[23]

Track listings

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7": Ariola Hansa / AHA 559 (1980, UK)

  1. "I Second That Emotion" – 3:45
  2. "Quiet Life" – 3:51

7": Ariola Hansa / VIPX-1501 (1980, Japan)

  1. "I Second That Emotion" – 3:46
  2. "European Son" – 3:40

7": Hansa / HANSA 12 (1982, UK)

  1. "I Second That Emotion" – 3:52
  2. "Halloween" – 4:23

12": Hansa / HANSA 12-12 (1982, UK)

  1. "I Second That Emotion" (extended remix) – 5:15
  2. "Halloween" – 4:23

7": RCA Victor / 104039 (1982, Australia)

  1. "I Second That Emotion" – 3:50
  2. "Adolescent Sex" – 4:10

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1980) Peak
position
Japan (Oricon Singles Chart) 87
Chart (1982) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[24] 14
UK Singles (OCC)[25] 9
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The song was often performed by the Jerry Garcia Band. Between the years 1976 to 1994, the Jerry Garcia Band performed the song 156 times,[26] not including seven live performances by the Grateful Dead.[27]

In 1983, the song appeared on The Big Chill soundtrack Disc 1, Track 8.

"I Second That Emotion" is the title of a 1999 Futurama episode.

In the 2005 film Madagascar, in the scene where the penguins arrive on the boat, the captain is listening to this song before one of the penguins hits him on the back of the head.

On June 18, 2012, American Songwriter named "I Second That Emotion" its "Lyric of The Week". The publication wrote: the song "marches to the beat of its own drum, thanks to three stanzas of crafty doo-wop poetry and one punny one-liner—a malapropism, if you want to get technical—that never really loses its novelty appeal".[28]

References

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  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 7: 1967, Motown/Hip-O Select B0008993-02, 2007, liner notes, p. 85.
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  8. ^ "Best Selling R&B Singles", Billboard, January 13, 1968. p. 31. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  9. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  15. ^ "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Smokey Robinson & the Miracles Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ^ a b "Diana Ross and the Supremes and the Temptations: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  19. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  23. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  24. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I Second That Emotion". Irish Singles Chart.
  25. ^ "Japan: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  26. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  27. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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Further reading

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