Yes It's You Lady

by William Ruhlmann Surprisingly, having scored his biggest solo success with the self-penned, self-produced Being with You, Smokey Robinson turned to an outside producer and outside writers for the followup. Both of the singles from Yes It's You Lady, which was produced by George Tobin, "Tell Me Tomorrow" (number three R&B, number 33 Pop) and "Old Fashioned Love" (number 17 R&B, number 60 Pop) were mid-tempo rhythm numbers written by Gary Goetzman and Mike Piccirillo. Robinson's own compositions, notably the title track, which would have made a perfect follow-up to "Being with You," were de-emphasized. The result was a retreat from the careful career-building Robinson had been engaged in since 1979; the album peaked at only number 33 after three straight Top 20 LPs. It was as though, having established himself as a solo voice, Robinson was now content to be "Cruisin'."