Point It Out

"Point It Out"
"Point It Out"
Single by The Miracles
from the album A Pocket Full Of Miracles
B-side	"Darling Dear"
Released	November 18, 1969
Genre	Soul/pop
Length	2:38
Label	Tamla; T 54189
Songwriter(s)	Smokey Robinson ; Marv Tarplin ; Al Cleveland
Producer(s)	Smokey Robinson,Al Cleveland
The Miracles singles chronology

"Point It Out" is a 1969 recording by Motown Records R&B group The Miracles (AKA "Smokey Robinson & The Miracles") on that label's Tamla subsidiary (Tamla 54189).^[1] This mid-tempo song was a national Billboard Top 40 Pop hit, reaching #37 on the Hot 100, and was a Top 10 R&B hit was well, reaching #4.^[2]^[3] It was taken from their album "A Pocket Full Of Miracles", and was written by Miracles members William "Smokey" Robinson and Marv Tarplin, along with Motown staff songwriter Al Cleveland.

Background[edit]

Robinson and Cleveland were the song's producers. It was recorded by the group on September 18, 1969. "Point It Out" has inspired a cover version by The Supremes and The Temptations. As with many Miracles hit tunes, "Point It Out" begins with Miracles member/co-composer Marv Tarplin's guitar, while Robinson, as the song's narrator, explains the sheer joy of being in a new love relationship with a special lady, one so special that he simply can't think of a reason for not loving her:

"You're the one that I'm crazy for
And, every day it seems I love you more and more
Now, if there's a reason why I shouldn't love you
The way that I do, with a love that is true
Somebody Point It Out...
Point It Out to me".

Unlike some Miracles songs, where the background vocalists' voices are partially obscured under the music, Miracles Bobby Rogers, Ronnie White, Pete Moore, and Claudette Rogers Robinson's voices are clearly audible in this song, giving it more of a "group" sound, their tight harmonies adding to the song's overall quality feel, while Robinson's trademark poetry and mastery with wordplay are clearly evident throughout. This song is the closest that The Miracles have come to pure Funk in any of their records.

The song's "B" side, Darling Dear, was also a hit, reaching #100 on the Billboard Pop chart that same year. It has inspired a cover version by The Jackson Five, who in their career, covered many Miracles tunes, including "Who's Lovin' You", "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need," and "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage". Both songs have appeared on several Miracles' "Greatest Hits" CD compilations, including their 35th Anniversary Collection box set.

Credits: The Miracles[edit]

Other Instruments[edit]

The Funk Brothers

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1969-70)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100^[4]	37
US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)	4

References[edit]

^ "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Point It Out".
^ "Point It Out - Smokey Robinson | Song Info | AllMusic". AllMusic.
^ Smokey Robinson and The Miracles; The 35th Anniversary Collection Liner Notes, Pgs 58 & 62
^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 579.

External links[edit]

Smokey Robinson and The Miracles; The 35th Anniversary Collection Liner Notes, Pgs 58 & 62
Point It Out by The Miracles-Allmusic Guide Song Review
"Point It Out" -by The Miracles on YouTube

[1] "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Point It Out".

[2] "Point It Out - Smokey Robinson | Song Info | AllMusic". AllMusic.

[3] Smokey Robinson and The Miracles; The 35th Anniversary Collection Liner Notes, Pgs 58 & 62

[4] Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 579.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e The Miracles singles discography
1950s	"Got a Job" (1958) · "Your Love (Is All I Need)" (1958) · "I Cry" (1958) · "I Need a Change" (1959) · "It" (1959) · "Bad Girl" (1959) · "The Feeling Is So Fine" (1959) / "(You Can) Depend on Me" (1959)
1960s	"Way Over There" (1960) · "Shop Around" (1960) / Who's Lovin' You" (1960) · "Ain't It Baby" (1961) · "Mighty Good Lovin'" (1961) / Broken Hearted" (1961) · "Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues" (1961) · "What's So Good About Goodbye" (1961) / "I've Been Good To You" (1961) · "I'll Try Something New" (1962) · "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (1962) / "Happy Landing" (1962) · "A Love She Can Count On" (1963) / "I Can Take a Hint" (1963) · "Mickey's Monkey" (1963) · "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" (1963) · "The Christmas Song" (1963) · "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You" (1964) · "I Like It Like That" (1964) · "That's What Love Is Made Of" (1964) · "Come On Do The Jerk" (1964) · "Ooo Baby Baby" (1965) · "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965) · "My Girl Has Gone" (1965) · "Going to a Go-Go" (1965) / "Choosey Beggar" (1965) · "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You)" (1966) · "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" (1966) · "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage"/"Come Spy with Me" (1967) · "More Love" (1967) · "I Second That Emotion" (1967) · If You Can Want" (1968) · "Yester Love" (1968) · "Special Occasion" (1968) · "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" (1969) · "Here I Go Again" (1969) / "Doggone Right" (1969) · "Abraham, Martin & John" (1969) · "Point It Out" (1969) / "Darling Dear" (1969)
1970s	"Who's Gonna Take the Blame" (1970) · "The Tears of a Clown" (1970) · "I Don't Blame You At All" (1970) · "Crazy About the La La" (1971) · "Satisfaction" (1971) · "We've Come Too Far to End It Now" (1972) · "I Can't Stand to See You Cry" (1972) · "Don't Let It End ('Til You Let It Begin)" (1973) · "Give Me Just Another Day" (1973) · "Do It Baby" (1974) · "Don't Cha Love It" (1974) · "Gemini" (1975) · "Love Machine" (1975) · "Night Life" (1976) · "Spy for Brotherhood" (1977) · "I Can Touch the Sky" (1977) · "Mean Machine" (1978)