B-side "Would I Love You" Format 7" single Length 2:58 | Released August 28, 1964 Genre Soul | |
Recorded Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); August 11, 1964 | ||
That's What Love Is Made Of was a 1964 hit song by Motown's original vocal group, The Miracles, issued on the label's Tamla records subsidiary (Tamla 54102). It was taken from the group's album Greatest Hits from the Beginning, but originally appeared on their abortive 1964 album, I Like It Like That.
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Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, and Pete Moore, this song was a Billboard Top 40 Pop hit, peaking at # 35, and a Top 10 Billboard R&B hit, peaking at # 9. A showcase for poetic word-play, The Miracles utilized several famous nursery rhymes in this song . In fact, the song's title itself is a variation of the rhyme : "What Are Little Girls/Little Boys Made Of?" . Parts of this famous rhyme were incorporated into the lyrics of this song, which, like many Miracles songs,starts with the guitar licks of Miracles member Marv Tarplin:Smokey, as the lead singer,serves as the song's narrator: " You take Sugar and Spice...Everything Nice... and you've got a little girl,yeah,yeah...You take Snakes and Snails....Puppy Dog's tails...and you've got a little boy , yeah,yeah...That's what Love Is Made Of...." The song illustrates that love is never easy, consisting of good times and bad times, heartbreak, and jubilation, breakups and makeups ..."That's What Love is Made Of" . While Marv plays and Smokey sings the lyrics, the other Miracles, Bobby, Ron, Pete, and Claudette, answer in classic call-and-response style.
The Miracles performed this song before a live audience at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on the 1964 American International Pictures film, The T.A.M.I. Show. Present on stage were Smokey, Marv, Bobby, Ronnie, and Pete. Although present on the original recording, Miracle Claudette (Mrs.Smokey) Robinson, was not present at the concert, as she had retired from live on-stage performances earlier that year for health reasons.
The Miracles' That's What Love Is Made Of has inspired cover versions by Michael Jackson, Bobby Vee, Choker Campbell, and The Magicians, and has appeared on many Miracles "Greatest Hits albums and CD Anthologies. The song's flip side was the popular regional Miracles hit tune, Would I Love You, which also appears on several Miracles "Greatest Hits" album and CD compilations.