Smokey Robinson’s 1981 solo album Being With You came along after he conquered a period of writer’s block. The Motown singer, writer, and Vice-President left The Miracles in 1972. His albums did not consistently produce hits because it was difficult for him to fulfill all three roles simultaneously. Marv Tarplin, the guitarist for The Miracles and a frequent collaborator with Robinson, shared a song he wrote earlier and Robinson turned the tune into “Being With You,” the single. Sixteen years after he enchanted audiences with his unmistakable falsetto singing “Ooh Baby Baby” with The Miracles, his ability to finesse a love song was unchanged. “Being With You” was his highest-charting single hitting number one in the UK. The album reached Gold status and put Robinson in the company of other Motown artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye who were relevant in the ’80s. In 2023, Robinson released the album Gasms. The title was purposely controversial but it meant “anything that makes you feel good.”
