Special Occasion Songwriting Credits by Smokey Robinson

Special Occasion is the ninth studio album by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, released in 1968 on Tamla Records. The album produced two major hits that represent some of Robinson's most celebrated songwriting: 'I Second That Emotion,' co-written with Al Cleveland, became a Top 5 pop hit and one of the most frequently covered Motown songs of the era, later sampled by Japan's Yellow Magic Orchestra. 'Yester Love,' also written with Cleveland, demonstrated Robinson's lyrical gift for expressing ambivalence and nostalgia with an almost literary precision. The album arrived at the peak of Motown's cultural dominance, with Robinson at the height of his songwriting powers, simultaneously crafting hits for Mary Wells, The Temptations, and Marvin Gaye while leading the Miracles. Special Occasion captures a songwriter in complete command of his craft, producing timeless soul with a depth that belied the era's pop format.