More Love by The Miracles

Album: Make It Happen (1967)

Charted: 23

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In the book Where Did Our Love Go?: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound, Smokey Robinson explained that he wrote this for his wife Claudette, and it's one of his most personal songs. Claudette had a series of miscarriages and gave birth to twins who were stillborn. She felt like she was letting Smokey down, and he wrote this song to let her know how he felt.

"I wanted to reassure her that I was cool no matter what happened, because I still had her," Robinson explained.
The subject of this song, Claudette Robinson, had left The Miracles a few years earlier, but she returned to sing backup on this track.
Kim Carnes recorded this in 1980, taking it to #10 in the US. Her version was produced by George Tobin, who was working at Motown at the time. The next year, Smokey Robinson called Tobin to record another one of this songs with Carnes: "Being With You." By that time, Tobin and Carnes had had a falling out, so George convinced Smokey to record the song himself, and it became his biggest hit as an artist.

Comments: 4

Virginia from ConnecticutOn September 30, 2020 my husband of 42 years, Denis, passed away. Smokey Robinson is his favorite artist. My husband was a disabled Vietnam veteran who was forever changed by that experience. So two days after burying my sweetheart when returning from his grave, More Love, More Joy came on the radio. The minute I heard the first notes of the song and then the lyrics, I knew it was a sign from my husband that he had now found “more love, more joy” than he could have ever imaged. I am blessed to have loved him and that he sent me the message that he is at peace and experiencing “More Love, More Joy” in Heaven with Our Father.
Jennifur Sun from RamonaAnd sadly he played around and they got divorced.
Paul from Detroit, MiI'm a big Smokey fan, but I think Kim Carnes did a better version in 1980. Loved it.
Kristin from Bessemer, AlThis is the most quintessential of all the love songs that Smokey Robinson ever wrote - one listen to this song, then you will remember what it was about your significant other you fell in love with-

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