It’s Black Friday, so we’re having cocktails early. I’ve posted Steely Dan’s song of that title on the day after Thanksgiving three of the last five years. I’m trying something different in 2025 with a song dedicated to shopping. Make that listening to your mama about shopping.

Shop Around was written by Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy in 1960 for the Motown spin-off label, Tamla. It was the hit that laid the foundation for a decade of success for Motown moguls Robinson and Gordy; at least that’s what my mama told me.

We begin at the beginning with Smokey Robinson & The Miracles:

Smokey’s label mate Mary Wells was the first to heed mama’s call and record this week’s tune:

Clarence Reid aka Blowfly funked up the Robinson-Gordy classic in 1969:

I never thought I’d post something by Captain & Tennille, but their 1976 cover of Shop Around charted and is pretty darn good to boot:

What would the Friday Cocktail Hour be without an instrumental version of the week’s tune? This time, The Afro Blues Quintet:

That’s it for this week. Let’s toast the holidays. We need a respite after an exhausting year of MAGA madness and malakatude. It’s what Harry and Frank would want. Never argue with them.