I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying

Infobox Single
Name = I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying


Artist = The Miracles
from Album = The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey
A-side =
B-side =
Released = October 311963
Format = 7" single
Recorded = 1963
Genre = R&B
Label = Motown Records
Writer = Holland-Dozier-Holland
Producer = Brian Holland
Lamont Dozier
Last single = "Mickey's Monkey" (1963)
This single = "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" (1963)
Next single = "The Christmas Song" (1963)

I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying was a 1963 hit by The Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label. It was a Billboard Top 40 Pop hit,reaching # 35 on that chart,and a Top 20 hit on it's R&B chart, peaking at # 17 . It was written and produced by Motown's main songwriting team , Brian Holland,Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, and was the follow-up to the group's Top 10 pop hit, Mickey's Monkey,written by the same team. The smash success of that song ,according to Motown policy, automatically gave Holland-Dozier-Holland the green light to write and produce The Miracles' next release, which resulted in this song . Like "Mickey's Monkey", I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying features a "live party" feel. The song's title is a take-off on the old expression, "I Gotta "Laugh" to Keep From Crying" , highlighting the all-too-human tendency to escape from heartbreak or personal pain by dancing , laughing and having a good time. Miracles lead singer,Smokey Robinson, as the song's narrator, portrays a young man trying to get over the heartbreak of a recent breakup with his girl: "Gather 'round me, swingers and friends...help me forget my hurt again...I lost the only girl i've ever loved....the only one I'm thinking of..and I've Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying..." " Holland-Dozier-Holland later went on to write another Top 20 hit for The Miracles in 1966 : "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need",which was the last song to bill the group as "The Miracles" before their name was officially changed to "Smokey Robinson" and The Miracles. " I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" has inspired cover versions by The Who and Jimmy James , and was included on the groups' album (and CD), "The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey", "Greatest Hits from the Beginning", and several other Miracles "Greatest Hits" albums and CD Anthologies .

Personnel-The Miracles

*Smokey Robinson - Lead vocals
*Bobby Rogers - Background vocals
*Marv Tarplin - Guitar
*Claudette Robinson - Background vocals
*Pete Moore - Background vocals
*Ronnie White - Backgrond vocals

Other Credits

*Other Instruments: The Funk Brothers

*Written and Produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland