2007年VOA标准英语-Motown Legend Continues with Hits, Performances

By Larry London
Washington
27 April 2007
 

From the streets of Detroit, a man named “Smokey” rose to achieve what no one expected.  He recorded 36 Top-40 hits during a career with Motown Records that started in 1959, and continues today.  A recipient¹ of the Grammy Living Legend Award, a National Medal of The Arts presented by the president of The United States, and a 1988 inductee into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, Smokey Robinson sat down with Larry London for a look into what it takes to make a career last as long as his.

Smokey Robinson

Smokey Robinson has been in the music business almost 50 years as a songwriter, producer, and performer.  He was described by Bob Dylan as "America's greatest living poet."

"I think my favorite part of my work … my business, is performing,” says Robinson. “I love being in a studio. I love writing songs. I write songs all the time.  I love making music. The reason that I still perform is because it's my favorite part. I get a chance then to [be] one-on-one with the fans. I get a chance to be with them. I get a chance to react with them and have them react to what we're doing onstage. I always say, I never do a concert for people; I do a concert with people.  We have a fun time, a good time. 

I can be feeling bad, but when that music starts it perks² something up in me or the alter ego³ comes out or something.  It's always fun."

Robinson has recently released a collection of songs by some of America's greatest songwriters.

"These songs are the first that I ever heard.  They were written when the song was king."

He describes what it takes to make a hit.

"I wish there was like this one little thing that I had the secret to.  That I would know, 'OK, this is a hit.' (laughs) Because you just never know.  My formula going into the studio, I always want to start with a song.  When I sit down to write I'm trying to write a song.  I hope it's a hit, but, if it isn't, it's a song and it has a chance.  If I had written it 50 years before then it would have meant something to people.  If I write it now it's going to mean something to people.  Fifty years from now its going to mean something if it's a song."

Robinson knows about writing hit songs.  He has penned Number One songs for Mary Wells, The Temptations, and for his own group, The Miracles.  His career in music began when he met Berry Gordy, and helped found legendary⁴ Motown Records.

"I'm so proud of Motown and of being affiliated⁵ and being there from the first day.  Because Motown has grown into something beyond any of our wildest dreams, those of us who were there on the very first day, there were five of us: Barry Gordy and four others.  To know that it was internationally, what it is, and what it means to the world is very, very, very special for me.

Many times when you are in other countries, the promoter who brought you there, after the concert that evening, will take you to the "in spot" [most-popular nightclub].  We go to this little club, and these guys are on stage, and they're playing and they're singing, and the guy is singing and you close your eyes and you think it's The Four Tops, they're here and they're singing.  So when the set was over, he came off stage, and I go over to the guy who was singing lead and say 'That was fantastic', and he says, 'No comprendo' ['I don't understand' in Spanish].  He doesn't speak English.  (laughs)  But he knew that song verbatim.  That's the impact that it's had on the world.

Smokey Robinson's impact on music has been enormous.  His voice and songs were the soundtrack for a generation of baby boomers [Americans born between 1945-1960].  As a solo artist, he inspired a radio format⁶ known as "The Quiet Storm."

This year, Robinson was selected as one of five Kennedy Center Honorees in recognition for his lifetime of achievements in the arts.  He was introduced by Caroline Kennedy as: "A quiet storm from Detroit's East End.  His songs made us all wish he was 'our guy'."

 

1 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

2 perks   

额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
• Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗？

3 ego   

n.自我，自己，自尊

参考例句：

• He is absolute ego in all thing.在所有的事情上他都绝对自我。
• She has been on an ego trip since she sang on television.她上电视台唱过歌之后就一直自吹自擂。

4 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

5 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

6 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。