What 1970 song by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles became a number-one hit?

The 1970 song by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles that became a number-one hit was “The Tears of a Clown.”

The song was written by Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, and Motown producer Hank Cosby. Wonder and Cosby created the distinctive instrumental track, whose calliope-like sound suggested a circus to Robinson; he then supplied the lyrics about hiding heartbreak behind a performer’s smile.

“The Tears of a Clown” first appeared as an album track on the Miracles’ 1967 album Make It Happen, but it was not initially issued as a single. Motown’s British division released it as a single in 1970, where it reached number one. Motown then released a revised and remixed version in the United States, and it topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts.

A common mix-up is “Shop Around,” another major Miracles recording. It was an important early Motown success, but “The Tears of a Clown” was the group’s first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit with Smokey Robinson as lead singer. Its success also persuaded Robinson to remain with the group until 1972.