O.C. POP MUSIC REVIEW : Smokey-Filled Room Has Anaheim Fans Misty-Eyed

Could it be that Smokey Robinson--the man Bob Dylan once called “America’s greatest living poet”--finally will be better known as a sex symbol, something akin to a falsetto-voiced Tom Jones, than as the man who wrote and sang “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” and “The Tracks of My Tears”?

That’s the impression left after his appearance Friday at the Celebrity Theatre, a show marked by his sexy hip swiveling and shoulder-grabbing intimacy with a constant parade of women approaching the circular stage to present him with roses. At one point, a spry, grandmotherly-type sprung up (with help from security) to groove and gyrate with the crooner. And to leave the stage at show’s end, Robinson had to wade through an impossibly devoted gantlet. No wonder he didn’t come back for an encore.

But that doesn’t mean his devotees didn’t recognize his true genius--for songwriting. Before he came to the stage, his backup ensemble played an overture of his greatest hits and the crowd applauded each familiar melody as soon as it was sounded. At times, there was so much singing by the fans that Robinson’s trio of backup vocalists was rendered practically superfluous.

Robinson’s own strengths as a singer--that creamy falsetto, his ability to float easily over the most soulful rhythms while maintaining an inviting intimacy with the lyric--remain intact. There were times, especially during sustained notes, where an uncharacteristic roughness in his tone became apparent despite the reverb. But such moments were infrequent.

He did a pair of tunes from his most recent recording, the 2-year-old “Double Good Everything,” but his strongest efforts were reserved for his earlier numbers, including a medley of tunes he wrote for the Temptations. He paid tribute to guitarist Marvin Tarplin with whom he co-wrote a number of his hits, by bringing him onstage to play “The Tracks Of My Tears.” Robinson further honored the craft of songwriting with a no-frills version of the Billy Rose-Edward Eliscu-Vincent Youmans classic “More Than You Know” before coaxing the crowd back into participation with his own “Cruisin’.”

His musicians, including a 10-piece string section, gave the selections the kind of depth that the original Motown arrangements carried, with slight differences. Written and conducted by musical director Sonny Burke, the arrangements relied on a mix of violins, cellos and viola to bring richness to the rhythm section’s lead. While the original recordings used the bass guitar for primary underpinning, here the hip-hop-inspired thunk of the bass drum provided the touchstone.

Dressed in a cool green sport coat and pants, Robinson scooted coyly around the stage’s perimeter as he sang and chatted with the audience. The crowd clapped its way through “The Tears Of A Clown,” surprised him with its volume during the chorus of “I Second That Emotion” and just plain took over “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me.” He seemed to love every minute.

He did look embarrassed when one fan up near the stage made an unseemly grab for a certain part of him. But at least no one was throwing undies.