The Temptations
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1961-63) - Elbridge Bryant (RIP 1975) -- vocals - Melvin Franklin -- vocals - Eddie Kendricks (RIP) -- vocals - Otis Williams -- vocals - Paul Williams (RIP 1973) -- vocals
line up 2 (1963-68) - Melvin Franklin -- vocals - Eddie Kendricks (RIP) -- vocals NEW - David Ruffin (RIP) -- vocals (replaced Elbrige Bryant) - Otis Williams -- vocals - Paul Williams (RIP 1973) -- vocals
line up 3 (1968-71) NEW- Dennis Edwards -- vocals (replaced David Ruffin) - Melvin Franklin -- vocals - Eddie Kendricks (RIP) -- vocals - Otis Williams -- vocals - Paul Williams (RIP 1973) -- vocals
line up 4 (1971) - Dennis Edwards -- vocals - Melvin Franklin -- vocals NEW - Damon Harris -- vocals NEW - Ricky Owens -- vocals NEW - Richard Street -- vocals - Otis Williams -- vocals
line up 5 (1971-73) - Dennis Edwards -- vocals - Melvin Franklin -- vocals - Damon Harris -- vocals - Richard Street -- vocals - Otis Williams -- vocals
line up 6 (1975-76) - Dennis Edwards -- vocals - Melvin Franklin -- vocals NEW - Glenn Leonard -- vocals (replaced Damon Harris) - Richard Street -- vocals - Otis Williams -- vocals
line up 7 (1976) - Melvin Franklin -- vocals - Glenn Leonard -- vocals NEW - Louis Price -- vocals (replaced Dennis Edwards) - Richard Street -- vocals - Otis Williams -- vocals
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- The Distants - The Dramatics (Elbridge Bryant) - The Drifters - The Elgins - The Ethics - For Lovers Only - The Four Tops - The Futures - Damon Harris (solo efforts) - Love Committee - The Minitors - The Original Lead Singers of the Temptations - The Pirates - The Primiers
(Elbridge Bruant) - The Spanils - The S[inners - The True Reflection (Glenn Leonard) - The Vibrations
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Genre: soul Rating: ***** (5 stars) Title: The Temptations Sing Smokey Company: Gordy Catalog: G 912 Year: 1965 Country/State: US Grade (cover/record): VG-/VG Comments: some ring wear; stamp on back cover; some hiss and pop on last two tracks; mono pressing Available: 1 Price: $10.00
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The group's breakthrough LP (and still one of
their most acclaimed offerings), 1965's "The Temptations Sing Smokey"
stands as a masterpiece. With namesake Robinson credited with writing,
producing and arranging, the results were as much a success for Smokey as
The Temptations. As for the material, what can ya' say? Powered by the
Kendricks and Ruffin vocal team, selections such as "The Way You Do the
Things You Do", "My Girl" (Motown's first #1 single),
"You've Really Got a Hold of Me" and "It's Growing" were
all hits that have become established classics. Backed by an appearance on
CBS television's "It's What's Happening Baby" the LP hit #37. The
LP is simply a must own for any Motown fan
...
1.) The Way You Do the Things You Do (Smokey
Robinson - Rogers) - 2:35 (side 2) 1.) Who's Loving
You (Smokey Robinson) - 2:55
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Genre: soul Rating: ***** (5 stars) Title: Gettin' Ready Company: Gordy Catalog: GM 918 Year: 1966 Country/State: Detroit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: mono pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1301 Price: $20.00 |
Okay, I'll readily admit I'm completely biased, but I grew up listening to this album and no matter what anyone says, it's a classic slice of Motown. It was also the start of transition time for The Temptations. Longtime producer, songwriter, and mentor Smokey Robinson was still actively involved in 1966's 'Gettin' Ready". Robinson produced and wrote, or co-wrote about half of the material, but this time around his work was supplemented by material from outside parties including songwriter/producer Norman Whitfield. In spite of the album liner notes said, crediting production to Robinson, Whitfield handled three of the tracks, with IIvy Joe Hunter and William Mickey Stevenson handling 'It's a Lonely World without Your Love. All of that aside, this result was a classic Temptations (and a classic Motown) album. It's one of those collections that simply sounds timeless and doesn't have a single bum performance across the twelve songs. The great David Ruffin handled most of side one, turning in various classic performances along the way (check out 'Little Miss Sweetness'), but he wasn't the only member to shine. Eddie Kendricks turned in one of the group's classic performances on the hit 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' and the grossly overlooked 'Too Busy Thinking About My Baby'. Even the frequently overlooked Paul Williams got a chance to shine on 'Lonely, Lonely Man Am I' and 'the stunning 'Who You Gonna Run To'. One of those albums that no self-respecting music fan should be without. By the way, the CD reissue may include a pair of inconsequential bonus tracks ('Give It Up' and 'The Man Who Don't Believe In Love'), but this is one where you want to hear the original Gordy vinyl release in all of its glory. That classic Motown sound is just so special .... The album proved a commercial gold mine for Mlotown and the group, spinning off three hits. Powered by the singles the album hit # 12 on the Billboard US pop charts and # 1 on the US R&B charts.
By the way, to show you how clever I am, it only took me about forty years
to recognize the link between the album title and the Frank Dandridge cover
photo ... the concept being peekin' through a door keyhole to see the group gettin' ready for a
show. 1.) Say You (Charles Jones - Robert Dobyne - Robert Staunton) - 2:30 rating: **** stars I've always liked The Monitors original version with future Temptation Richard Street turning in a dynamic lead vocal. That said, it's hard to compete with anything featuring David Ruffin on lead vocals and when you had in Melvin Franklin's bass the task becomes even more difficult. So in the final outcome ... Ruffin and the Temptations by a hair. In this case the secret ingredient was actually Motown house drummer Benny Benjamin. 2.) Little Miss Sweetness (Smokey Robinson) - 3:11 rating: **** stars Another overlooked Robinson-penned treasure (the lyrics are simply hysterical) and classic Ruffin performance ... my goodness the man may have had his problems, but he could sing. 3.) Ain't Too Proud To Beg (Eddie Holland - Norman Whitfield) - 2:32 rating: **** stars Hard to add much of value with respect to this all time classic. In terms of Temptations history the song's actually kind of interesting in that up to this point Smokey Robinson had been the group's major source of material (and singles). That remained the case with respect to picking the album's first single - 'Get Ready'. Co-writer Whitfield lobbied to have this song released as the first single, but Berry Gordy went with the title track, promising to release this as a follow-on if 'Get Ready' didn't go top-20 on the pop charts. It ultimately peaked at # 29. Not sure where it was recorded, but YouTube has a clip of the group lip synching the tune for television: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDqJaBAPN6A - 1966's 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' b/w 'You'll Lose a Precious Love' (Gordy catalog number 7054) # 13 pop; # 1 R&B 4.) Get Ready (Smokey Robinson) - 2:37 ating: ***** stars For a guy best known for heartbreaking ballads, 'Get Ready' was a major change for Smokey Robinson; showing he could write an up-tempo, dance ready track. ' Eddie Kendrick's first lead vocal on the album and he simply killed it. It may have only hit # 29 on the pop charts, but it did top the R&B charts. For anyone interested, YouTube has a cool black and white clip of the group lip synching the song for tan unknown television program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3Ix4hKSnxQ - 1966's 'Get Ready' b/w 'Fading Away' (Gordy catalog number 7049) # 29 pop,; # 1 R&B 5.) Lonely, Lonely Man Am I (Eddie Holland - Eddie Kendricks - Norman Whitfield)- 2:45 rating: *** stars I've always loved Paul Williams low and gruff voice and while he sounded a bit ragged here, 'Lonely, Lonely Man Am I' gave him a nice forum for showcasing his talents. 6.) Too Busy Thinking About My Baby (Janie Bradford - Barrett Strong - Norman Whitfield) - 2:39 rating: **** stars Funny,
but the sweet and bubbly
'Too Busy Thinking About My Baby' has always reminded me of something Smokey
Robinson would have penned. Nice Kendricks' performance, though he
sounded a bit uncomfortable with the high pitch. I can here the
groans, but as good as The Temptations version was, I'd actually go with the
Marvin Gaye performance. rating:
**** stars (side 2) 1.) I've Been Good To You (Smokey Robinson) - 2:59 rating: *** stars Instantly recognizable as a Robinson tune, 'I've Been Good To You' was kind of a throwback to an earlier, almost doo wop sound. Sweet, but kind of old school-ish. - 1967's 'I've Been Good To You' b/w 'You're My Everything' (Gordy catalog number 7063) # 124 pop 2.) It's a Lonely World without Your Love (Ivy Joe Hunter - William Mickey Stevenson) - 2:32 rating: **** stars Nice up-beat tune that probably could have been a major hit had it not been on an album with as many classics as this one. Great horn charts on this one. 3.) Fading Away (Warren Pete Moore - Smokey Robinson - Bobby Rodgers) - 2:37 rating: *** stars Overlooked tune with some of Robinson's most interesting lyrics ... the big problem with this one was the tune simply lacked a distinguishing melody, instead sounding like it had been cobbled together from a couple of other tunes. 4.) Who You Gonna Run To (Smokey Robinson) - 3:05 rating: **** stars With a breezy, almost bossa nova-ish melody, 'Who You Gonna Run To' was another Paul Williams spotlight moment and truly one of the album's overlooked treasures. 5.) You're Not an Ordinary Girl (Moore - Smokey Robinson - Bobby Rodgers - Mary Tarplin - Ronnie White) - 2:49 rating: **** stars The Miracles wrote it and Kendricks and The Temptations did it proud. The tune reappeared as the 'B' side to the 1966 non-LP single 'Beauty Is Only Skin Deep'. 6.) Not Now (I'll Tell You Later) (Smokey Robinson - Otis Williams) - rating: *** stars Probably because it was originally recorded in 1963, 'Not Now (I'll Tell You Later) ' had a goofy, old-school feel that didn't quite match the rest of the album. It was fun, but came off as little more than an in-studio jam and was apparently added to the end of the album to pad the running time. By the way, The Supremes provide backing vocals.
© Scott R. Blackerby November, 2024
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: 1990 Company: Gordy Catalog: G966V1 Year: 1973 Country/State: Detroit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: original gimmick sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 1301 Price: $20.00
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Geez time flies ... I can remember this album coming out in 1973. I was a clueless freshman in high school and was lucky enough to have been taken in by some older kids who were heavily into music, including the whole Motown scene. I can remember looking at this album at a Kemp Mill store and thinking that 1990 seemed a lifetime away (though it was only 17 years off).
"1990"
was The Temptations' final outing with producer/songwriter Norman Whitefield
and not a bad way to end the partnership. True, by this point in the
relationship The Temptations were growing increasingly tired of Whitfield's
control, his penchant for heavy social commentary and
Shortly after the album was released personality, creative and business issues erupted with Otis Williams and the rest of The Temptations complaining to Berry Gordy Jr. Within a year Whitfield had left Motown, forming his own Whitfield label where he enjoyed considerable success with Rose Royce and other bands. The album was also clouded by the August 1972 suicide of founding member Paul Williams. Adding to the group's rising tide of issues, they were suddenly confronted with a radio airplay boycott. Shortly before leaving The Contours, following a performance in Baltimore, Edwards was accused of hooking up with the wife of a local DJ. As part of the resulting divorce the DJ started a boycott of Edwards which rolled over to The Temptations. Motown eventually stepped in to end the boycott, but not before it had begun to spread and effect sales.
1.) Let You Hair Down (Norman Whitfield) - 2:45 rating: **** stars Folks tend to focus on the voices of David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks, but Dennis Edwards was every bit as good. Witness the way he handled the throbbing opener. With backing from the band Rose Royce, The Tempts seldom sounded as funky as on 'Let Your Hair Down'. Would you dare ignore the man's advice to let your hair down ? Of course Whitfield managed to add a touch of social commentary to the mix. Gordy tapped it as the leadoff single.
- 1973's 'Let Your Hair Down' b/w 'Ain't No Justice' (Gordy catalog number G 7133F) 2.) I Need You (Norman Whitfield) - 3:05 rating: **** stars With Damon Harris effortlessly handling the lead on 'I Need You' you had to wonder what all the fuss surrounding Eddie Kendricks departure had been about. A sultry, breezy ballad with a nifty, jazzy electric piano solom the tune stood as a nice change of pace given the activist sentiment on most of Whitfield's material. 3.) Heavenly (Norman Whitfield) - 4:01 rating: **** stars 'Heavenly' featured Damon Harris and Richard Street sharing lead vocals and was a simply gorgeous ballad with a to-die-for hook. Sure, The Temptations are remembered for their Eddie Kendricks ballads, but 'Heavenly' was every bit as good as those classic performances. Released as a single, the tune should have been a massive hit for the group, but got tangled up in a mindless nationwide DJ boycott of Temptations product.
- 1973's 'Heavenly' b/w 'Zoom' (Gordy catalog number G 7135F)
4.) You've Got My Soul On Fire (Norman Whitfield) - 3:59 rating: **** stars With Edwards back on lead vocals, 'You've Got My Soul On Fire' managed to find the sweet spot taking Whitefield's instantly recognizable psych-soul sound with a driving funk feel. Kicked along by some wonderful, driving acoustic guitar and punchy horn charts, this was one of the album highlights and another single that sadly died in the face of a DJ boycott of Temptations material.
- 1973's 'You've Got My Soul On Fire' b/w 'I Need You' (Gordy catalog number G 7136F) 5.) Ain't No Justice (Norman Whitfield) - 5:59 rating: *** stars Complete with Dennis Coffey wah-wah guitar, 'Ain't No Justice' was a patented example of Whitfield's soul-psychedelia social commentary and also served as a good example of why The Temptations had seemingly reached a point where they were ready for a change in direction. It was certainly nice to hear each Temptation given a shot at the solo spot, but it was one heavy, heavy, heavy tune and ultimately sounded very much like some of earlier tunes in the Whitfield/Temptations catalog.
1.) 1990 (Norman Whitfield) - 4:06 rating: *** stars After the soothing opening instrumentation segment, the abrupt sound collage came as a major shock. How many Temptations tunes include a racial epitaph ? Come to think of it, how many songs would include a lyric like '"How can you spend another dollar on the space race, with families at home starving right in your face ..." And yet there was still something uplifting in hearing Edwards express his faith in the country. Normally I'm not a big fan of Whitfield's extended arrangements, but '1990' should have benefited from a longer arrangement. And while the country has come a long way since 1973, you have to wonder why we haven't advanced even further in social equity. 2.) Zoom (Norman Whitfield) - 13:45 rating: *** stars Yeah, listening to the group members talk about outer space was momentarily entertaining, but after a couple of minutes you were ready for them to get on with it. 'Zoom' eventually kicked into gear, though stretching out over thirteen minutes it ultimately sounded like a re-tread of 'Papa was a Rolling Stone'. Lots of instrumentation, precious little Temptations. An abbreviated version of the song had appeared as the "B" side of their American 'Heavenly' 45. The 45 was flipped in a number of countries with 'Zoom' was tapped as the "A" side in a number of other countries.
- 1973's 'Zoom' b/w 'Heavenly' (Tamla catalog number 1C 006-95 331)
© Scott R. Blackerby November, 2024
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Genre: soul Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: House Party Company: Gordy Catalog: G6-973S1 Year: 1975 Country/State: Detroit, Michigan Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened) Available: 1 Catalog ID: -- Price: $15.00
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I've long wondered
why portions of The Temptations recording catalog seems to have fallen off
the face of the earth. Does it have something to do with the fact
their catalog is so large? Is it a reflection of changing audience
tastes? Or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Motown
seemingly lost interest in the group in the mid-'70s, leaving The
Temptations to feel overlooked and abused by the label?
1975's "House Party" seems to make a pretty good argument for the latter. A clear money making grab by Motown, the album was compiled and released with little or no input from the group. Otis Williams went on record trashing the album in his 1988 autobiography "Temptations" (printed by Putnam, ISBN: 0671684159). For a release by a world known, multi-million selling group signed to a major label, try to find a detailed review of the album. There's just not much to be found on-line. Shame since, in spite of it's troubled background, I've always found it to be an enjoyable set that deserved far more attention than it got.
The album featured
ten previously unreleased studio numbers reflecting various mid-'70s
Temptations line-ups, including former member Damon Harris and a line-up
featuring the then-newest member Glenn Leonard. Showing the breadth of
material, the liner notes credited five different production teams,
including
1.) Keep Holdin' On (Brian Holland - Eddie Holland - Dennis Edwards) - 3:55 rating: **** stars So the good news is Dennis Edwards remained one helluva singer. His roar simply dominated the funky opening track. Admittedly 'Keep Holdin' On' may not have been the most original thing they've ever recorded (imagine 'Papa was a Rolling Stone' set to a Sly and the Family Stone funky arrangement). Regardless, producer Brian Holland and arranger James Carmichael brought more than enough energy to overcome whatever other shortcomings the song may have had. Besides, how could you not smile when the burping bass and cheesy '70s synthesizers kicked in?
- 1975's 'Keep Holding On' b/w 'What You Need Most (I Do Best of All) (Gordy catalog number G-7146F) 2.) It's Just a Matter of Time (Frank Johnson - Deniis Edwards) - 3:31 rating: **** stars Even though it was produced by Clayton Ivey and Terry Woodward, 'It's Just a Matter of Time' bore more than a passing resemblance to The Temptation's work with Norman Whitfield. The skittering wah-wah guitar; the echo on the vocals and the song's slightly ominous feeling all underscored the comparison, though the refrain was atypically bouncy. 3.) You Can't Stop a Man in Love (George Soule - Terry Woodford - Dennis Edwards) - 3:50 rating: **** stars Edwards again on lead vocals, but the pounding 'You Can't Stop a Man in Love' sounded like something the David Ruffin era Temptations could have cut. The group performance on the refrain is glistening and worth the price of admission alone. 4.) World of You, Love, and Music (Steve Cropper - Artie Wayne - Dennis Edwards) - 4:04 rating: *** stars The first Steve Cropper produced tune, 'World of You, Love, and Music' was a surprise given it reflected a Philadelphia International-styled flavor (complete with references to God). The Temptations performance was far better than the pedestrian song. 5.) What You Need Most (I Do Best of All) (Dennis Edwards - David English - Damon Harris - Richard Street - Otis Williams Williams) - 3:19 rating: **** stars Apparently
one of the newer songs and a rare example of a Temps original tune, to my
ears the breezy 'What You Need Most (I Do Best of All)' came close to
capturing that classic Temptations sound. It was equally enjoyable
given it spotlighted the entire current Temptations line-up, including Glenn
Leonard's falsetto and Williams' instantly recognizable baritone. Sure
it may have sounded a little old fashioned, but it was a shame it wasn't
tapped as a single. (side 2) 1.) Ways of a Grown-Up Man (Steve Cropper - Richard Cason - Billy Ray - Charles Franklin) - 4:05 rating: **** stars Perhaps my favorite performance, 'Ways of a Grown-Up Man' found Steve Cropper trotting out his best Norman Whitefield production tricks. The fact Melvin Franklin was given a rare chance to take the spotlight made this a special Temptations performance. Awesome song with the rest of the group chiming in with some classic Temptations harmonies !!! Soul's best bass singer !!! 2.) Johnny Porter (Bobby Ray Appleberry - Bill Cuomo Edwards) - 4:39 rating: *** stars ''Johnny Porter' was a nice addition to the young-men-falling-astray-of-the-law niche of soul songs. Damon Harris on lead vocals? Certainly Melvin Franklin handling the lower notes ... 3.) Darling, Stand by Me (Song for My Woman) (Dennis Edwards - David English - Richard Street -Otis Williams) - 3:44 rating: **** stars The breezy ballad 'Darling, Stand by Me (Song for My Woman)' gave Otis Williams a rare moment in the spotlight which is unfortunate given his voice was quite sweet. YouTube has an interesting clip of the group performing the song at a 1975 concert in Hamburg, Germany: (Darling) Stand By Me - The Temptations (1975) | Live in Hamburg, Germany 4.) If I Don't Love You This Way (Leon Ware - Pam Sawyer - Richard Street) - 3:31 rating: *** stars Most folks will know The Jackson 5's version (off their 1974 "Dancing Machine" LP). The Temptations' version isn't nearly as precious (remember a young Michael Jackson handled lead vocals on the original). I find The Temptations version interesting for featuring the overlooked Richard Street on lead vocals. Perhaps just me, but their version had kind of a Spinners vibe too it.
© Scott R. Blackerby November, 2024
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his reluctance to
taken into consideration Temptations-penned material, or creative
ideas. That said, Whitfield was apparently at least aware of the
group's growing unhappiness, witness the album included a couple of
non-topical ballads in the form of 'I Need You' and the overlooked gem
'Heavenly'. Still those, were the exceptions to the rule with
most of the album sounding like a patented Whitfield effort.
Mind you, I'm a big fan of Whitfield's
soul-psych mixture, but spread across tunes like
'Ain't No Justice', the title track and 'Zoom' (the latter clocking in at
over thirteen minutes), it did start to sound the same. The
album's saving grace came in the form of the mid-career line-up.
The Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Damon Harris, Richard Street
and Otis Williams line-up may not have attracted the same attention
and dedication as earlier line-ups, but these guys were every bit as
talented as those earlier line-ups. Miss Eddie Kendricks? Well
check out Damon Harris' performance on the sultry ballad 'I Need
You'. And with Dennis Edwards around, David Ruffin was a distant
memory.
Motown staff (Brian and Eddie Holland, Suzee Ikeda and Michael Carmichael
and The Temptations themselves) as well as outside producers like Steve
Cropper and the production team of Clayton Ivey and Terry Wooward.
Easy to see why you might not hold high expectations for such a fragmented
project, but I have to tell you the results were surprisingly
enjoyable. On tracks like the funky single 'Keep
Holdin' On' and the Norman Whitfield flavored 'It's Just a Matter of Time'
Dennis Edwards repeatedly demonstrated
what a talented vocalist he was. Sure, everyone thinks of David Ruffin and
Eddie Kendricks as the Temptations hearts and souls, but Edwards was just as
talented a singer. As good as Edwards was, for me the album's
real pleasures came from the tracks that featured the lesser known members
of the group: Melvin
Franklin on 'Ways of a Grown-Up Man', Damon Harris (?) on 'Johnny Porter',
Otis Williams on 'Darling, Stand by Me (Song for My Woman)' and Richard
Street handling the breezy closing ballad 'If I Don't Love You This
Way'. The other revelation came in hearing the mid-'70s Temptations
were capable of writing and producing their own material. Check out
tracks such as the lovely 'What You Need Most (I Do Best of All)', or the
breezy ballad 'Darling, Stand by Me (Song for My Woman) '. Makes you
wonder what might have happened had Motown given the group a little more
creative control.
