Smokey

Named after the famed Mardi Gras train-engine parade float, singer/pianist Harry Connick, Jr.'s funk-oriented 2013 studio album Smokey Mary coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Krewe of Orpheus, the Mardi Gras super krewe that Connick co-founded in 1993.

In the early days of the CD age, Motown released an astonishing number of CDs, including a whole line of single-disc sets that contained two original records on one CD. Motown's initial CD two-fers were criticized in many quarters for shoddy, unattractive packaging and indifferent remastering, but less discriminating consumers found them perfectly acceptable, since they offered a lot of music at a reasonable price. By the mid-'90s, Motown eventually phased these discs out of print, replacing them with remastered individual discs, but some of the records never were re-released on CD, which made this series valuable for Motown collectors. This particular disc contained two of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' albums from the mid-'60s: "Doin' Mickey's Monkey" and "Away We A-Go-Go". Like many Motown albums of the '60s, they're uneven, containing a couple of great singles, a few solid album tracks and some filler, but they're worth exploring by hardcore fans, especially in this context, since the highlights on both records tend to balance out the weaknesses.

Released in 1971 but unavailable on CD for many years, "One Dozen Roses" from Smokey Robinson & The Miracles includes the reappearance of the huge hit song "The Tears Of A Clown", a multi-million selling number one single in both the US and the UK, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. The song also holds the distinction of being the Miracles' first (and only) number one hit with Smokey Robinson as lead singer.

"Flying High Together" is an album by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label, released in 1972. It is noted as The Miracles' last studio album with original lead singer Smokey Robinson, who retired from the act to concentrate on his duties as Vice President of The Motown Record Corporation. The album charted at #46 on the Billboard Pop Album chart.

"Smokin'" is a Smokey Robinson live album released in 1978. Although it opens with "The Tracks of My Tears," Smokin' isn't an oldie revue heavy on hits with the Miracles. Instead, this double album is very much of its time, relying heavily on recent hits with everything, even the classic '60s sides, given a bit of a disco makeover. While these new arrangements hardly trump the originals, they make for a better overall experience: perhaps this isn't Smokey at his absolute peak, but it is a reflection of a legend working hard to build upon his legacy without living in the past.

'Smokey Loops: Future Deep House' is a Construction Kit pack inspired by the best and the most creative Future House and Deep House tracks out there. This package contains five full Construction Kits and Bonus Loops, each containing a single song demo and all its audio components. Add these ultra-modern elements to your House mix.