JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS
THE TEMPTATIONS
THE ORIGINAL LINEUP
David Ruffin, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, Eddie Kendricks
The most successful group in black music history was formed in 1961 in Detroit, Michigan, USA, by former members of two local R&B outfits. Eddie Kendricks (b. 17 December 1939, Union Springs, Alabama, USA) and Paul Williams (b. 2 July 1939, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, d. 17 August 1973) both sang with the Primes; Melvin Franklin (b. David English, 12 October 1942, Montgomery, Alabama, USA, d. 23 February 1995, Los Angeles, California, USA), Eldridge Bryant and Otis Williams (b. Otis Miles 30 October 1941, Texarkana, Texas, USA) came from the Distants. Initially known as the Elgins, the quintet were renamed the Temptations by Berry Gordy when he signed them to Motown in 1961. After issuing three singles on the Motown subsidiary Miracle Records, one of them under the pseudonym of the Pirates, the group moved to the Gordy label. 'Dream Come Home' provided their first brief taste of chart status in 1962, although it was only when they were teamed with writer/producer/performer Smokey Robinson that the Temptations achieved consistent success. The group's classic line-up was established in 1963, when Eldridge Bryant was replaced by David Ruffin (b. 18 January 1941, Meridian, Mississippi, USA). His gruff baritone provided the perfect counterpoint to Kendricks' wispy tenor and falsetto, a contrast that Smokey Robinson exploited to the full. Over the next two years, he fashioned a series of hits in both ballad and dance styles, carefully arranging complex vocal harmonies that hinted at the group's doo-wop heritage. 'The Way You Do The Things You Do' was the Temptations' first major hit, a stunningly simple rhythm number featuring a typically cunning series of lyrical images. 'My Girl' in 1965, the group's first US number 1, demonstrated Robinson's graceful command of the ballad idiom, and brought Ruffin's vocals to the fore for the first time. This track, featured in the movie 'My Girl', was reissued in 1992 and was once again a hit.
'It's Growing', 'Since I Lost My Baby', 'My Baby' and 'Get Ready' continued the run of success into 1966, establishing the Temptations as the leaders of the Motown sound. 'It's Growing' brought a fresh layer of subtlety into Robinson's lyric writing, while 'Get Ready' embodied all the excitement of the Motown rhythm factory, blending an irresistible melody with a stunning vocal arrangement. Norman Whitfield succeeded Robinson as the Temptations' producer in 1966 - a role he continued to occupy for almost a decade. He introduced a new rawness into their sound, spotlighting David Ruffin as an impassioned lead vocalist, and creating a series of R&B records that rivalled the output of Stax and Atlantic for toughness and power. 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' introduced the Whitfield approach, and while the Top 3 hit 'Beauty Is Only Skin Deep' represented a throwback to the Robinson era, 'I'm Losing You' and 'You're My Everything' confirmed the new direction.
The peak of Whitfield's initial phase with the group was 'I Wish It Would Rain', a dramatic ballad that the producer heightened with delicate use of sound effects. The record was another major hit, and gave the Temptations their sixth R&B number 1 in three years. It also marked the end of an era, as David Ruffin first requested individual credit before the group's name, and when this was refused, elected to leave for a solo career. He was replaced by ex- Contour Dennis Edwards, whose strident vocals fitted perfectly into the Temptations' harmonic blend. Whitfield chose this moment to inaugurate a new production style. Conscious of the psychedelic shift in the rock mainstream, and the inventive soul music being created by Sly And The Family Stone, he joined forces with lyricist Barrett Strong to pull Motown brutally into the modern world. The result was 'Cloud Nine', a record that reflected the increasing use of illegal drugs among young people, and shocked some listeners with its lyrical ambiguity. Whitfield created the music to match, breaking down the traditional barriers between lead and backing singers and giving each of the Temptations a recognizable role in the group. Over the next four years, Whitfield and the Temptations pioneered the concept of psychedelic soul, stretching the Motown formula to the limit, introducing a new vein of social and political comment, and utilizing many of rock's experimental production techniques to hammer home the message. 'Runaway Child, Running Wild' examined the problems of teenage rebellion; 'I Can't Get Next To You' reflected the fragmentation of personal relationships (and topped the US charts with the group's second number 1 hit); and 'Ball Of Confusion' bemoaned the disintegrating fabric of American society. These lyrical tracts were set to harsh, uncompromising rhythm tracks, seeped in wah-wah guitar and soaked in layers of harmony and counterpoint. The Temptations were greeted as representatives of the counter-culture, a trend that climaxed when they recorded Whitfield's outspoken protest against the Vietnam War, 'Stop The War Now'. The new direction alarmed Eddie Kendricks, who felt more at home on the series of collaborations with the Supremes that the group also taped in the late 60s. He left for a solo career in 1971, after recording another US number 1, the evocative ballad 'Just My Imagination'. He was replaced first by Richard Owens, then later in 1971 by Damon Harris. This line-up recorded the 1972 number 1, 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone', a production tour de force which remains one of Motown's finest achievements, belatedly winning the label its first Grammy award. After that, everything was an anti-climax.
Paul Williams left the group in 1971, to be replaced by another former Distant member, Richard Street; Williams shot himself in 1973, after years of depression and drug abuse. Whitfield's partnership with Strong was broken the same year, and although he continued to rework the 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' formula, the commercial and artistic returns were smaller. The Temptations still had hits, and 'Masterpiece', 'Let Your Hair Down' (both 1973) and 'Happy People' (1975) all topped the soul charts, but they were no longer a leading force in black music.
Whitfield left Motown in 1975; at the same time, Glenn Leonard replaced Damon Harris in the group. After struggling on for another year, the Temptations moved to Atlantic Records for two albums, which saw Louis Price taking the place of Dennis Edwards. When the Atlantic partnership brought no change of fortunes, the group returned to Motown, and to Dennis Edwards. 'Power' in 1980 restored them to the charts, before Rick James engineered a brief reunion with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks for a tour, an album, and a hit single, 'Standing On The Top'. Ruffin and Kendricks then left to form a duo, Ron Tyson replaced Glenn Leonard, and Ali-Ollie Woodson took over the role of lead vocalist from Edwards. Woodson brought with him a song called 'Treat Her Like A Lady', which became their biggest UK hit in a decade. Subsequent releases confirmed the quality of the current line-up, although without a strong guiding hand they are unlikely to rival the achievements of the late 60s and early 70's line-ups, the culmination of Motown's classic era.
Encyclopedia of Popular Music Copyright Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 1998
 | Motown 40 Temptation's Archive |
| R&B Page Real Audio Interview and Article form 1997 |
| WDIV Temptations Special (Real Audio/ Real Video] from 11/1/1998 |
| iMusic Urban Music - Temptations |
| LOOK | TITLE | YEAR |
 | Phoenix Rising | 1998 |
| Ultimate Collection | 1997 |
| One by One | 1996 |
| For Lovers Only | 1995 |
| Emperors of Soul | 1994 |
| My Girl | 1994 |
| Just My Imagination | 1994 |
| More of the Best- Hum along and Dance | 1993 |
| The Temptations 25th Anniversary | 1986 |
| To Be Continued | 1986 |
| Touch Me | 1985 |
| Truly for You | 1984 |
| Surface Thrills | 1983 |
| Reunion | 1982 |
| Back to Basics | 1981 |
| All the Million Sellers | 1981 |
| Give Love at Christmas | 1980 |
| Power | 1980 |
| Bare Back | 1978 |
| Hear to Tempt You | 1977 |
| House Party | 1975 |
| Song for You | 1975 |
| Anthology- Best of the Temptations | 1973 |
| Masterpiece | 1973 |
| Solid Rock | 1972 |
| All Directions | 1972 |
| Sky's the Limit | 1971 |
| Volume 2 - Greatest Hits | 1970 |
| Live At London's Talk Of The Town | 1970 |
| Psychedelic Shack | 1970 |
| Temptations' Christmas Card | 1970 |
| Cloud Nine | 1969 |
| Together | 1969 |
| In a Mellow Mood | 1967 |
| With a Lot 'O Love | 1969 |
| Volume 1 - Greatest Hits | 1966 |
| Gettin' Ready | 1966 |
| Temptin' Temptations | 1965 |
| Temptations Sing Smokey | 1965 |
| Meet the Temptations | 1964 |
Phoenix Rising 1998
| 01. Hereafter (Interlude) 02. Stay 03. False Faces 04. How Could He Hurt You 05. I'm Calling You (Interlude) 06. This Is My Promise 07. My Love |
08. Tempt Me 09. If I Give You My Heart 10. Take Me In Your Arms 11. That's What Friends Are For 12. Just Like I Told You 13. Stay (Remix) |
Ultimate Collection 1997
|
01. The Way You Do The Things You Do 02. My Girl 03. It's Growing 04. Since I Lost My Baby 05. Don't Look Back 06. Get Ready 07. Ain't Too Proud To Beg 08. (I Know) I'm Losing You 09. All I Need 10. You're My Everything 11. Angel Doll |
12. I Wish It Would Rain 13. Cloud Nine 14. I Can't Get Next To You 15. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) 16. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) 17. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone 18. Shakey Ground 19. Treat Her Like A Lady 20. Error Of Our Ways 21. My Girl (A Cappella) (Excerpt) |
One by One 1996
|
01. My Whole World Ended (The Moment You
Left Me) 02. I've Lost Everything I've Ever Loved 03. I'm SoGlad I Fell For You 04. The Double Cross 05. Each Day Is A Lifetime 06. I Miss You (Pt. I) 07. Walk Away From Love 08. Heavy Love 09. Statue Of A Fool 10. Everything's Coming Up Love 11. Just Let Me Hold You For A Night 12. You're My Peace Of Mind 13. Which Way To My Baby 14. When The Lights Come Down 15. Don't Look Any Further (featuring Siedah Garrett) 16. Aphrodisiac 17. Coolin' Out 18. Soulmate |
19. It's So Hard For Me To Say Good-Bye 20. This Used To Be The Home Of Johnnie Mae 21. Can I 22. If You Let Me 23. Girl You Need A Change Of Mind 24. Date With The Rain 25. Eddie's Love 26. Darling Come Back Home 27. Keep On Truckin' 28. Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need 29. Boogie Down 30. Shoeshine Boy 31. Happy 32. Get The Cream Off The Top 33. He's A Friend 34. Feel Like Givin' Up 35. Once You Had A Heart |
For Lovers Only 1995
|
01. Some Enchanted Evening 02. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face 03. At Last 04. Night And Day 05. Time After Time 06. Melvin's Interlude |
07. Life Is But A Dream 08. What A Difference A Day Makes 09. I'm Glad There Is You 10. South Shell Interlude 11. That's Why (I Love You So) 12. For Your Love/You Send Me |
Emperors of Soul 1994
Disc 1 | |
| 01. Come On 02. Oh, Mother Of Mine 03. Romance Without Finance 04. Check Yourself 05. Dream Come True 06. Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine) 07. I'll Love You 'Til I Die 08. Paradise 09. Slow Down Heart 10. I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To 11. Witchcraft (For Your Love) 12. I Want A Love I Can See 13. The Further You Look, The Less You See 14. Farewell My Love |
15. A Tear From A Woman's Eyes 16. The Way You Do The Things You Do 17. I'll Be In Trouble 18. The Girl's Alright With Me 19. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) 20. Baby, Baby I Need You 21. My Girl 22. (Talking 'Bout) Nobody But My Baby 23. It's Growing 24. You'll Lose A Precious Love 25. Since I Lost My Baby 26. You've Got To Earn It 27. My Baby 28. Don't Look Back |
Disc 2 | |
| 01. Get Ready 02. Fading Away 03. Ain't Too Proud To Beg 04. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby 05. Who You Gonna Run To 06. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep 07. I Got Heaven Right Here On Earth 08. (I Know) I'm Losing You 09. All I Need 10. Sorry Is A Sorry Word 11. I'm Doing It All 12. No More Water In The Well 13. You're My Everything |
14. Just One Last Look 15. Angel Doll 16. It's You That I Need 17. Don't Send Me Away 18. Hello Young Lovers 19. Ol' Man River 20. I Wish It Would Rain 21. I Truly, Truly Believe 22. I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) 23. Please Return Your Love To Me 24. How Can I Forget 25. For Once In My Life (Live) |
| |
| 01. Cloud Nine 02. Why Did She Have To Leave Me 03. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me 04. I'll Try Something New 05. Runaway Child, Running Wild 06. Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down 07. I Can't Get Next To You 08. Message From A Black Man 09. War 10. Psychedelic Shack |
11. Hum Along & Dance 12. Ball Of Confusion 13. Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World) 14. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) 15. Take A Look Around 16. It's Summer 17. Superstar 18. I Ain't Got Nothin' 19. Mother Nature 20. Papa Was A Rolling Stone |
Disc 4 | |
| 01. Masterpiece 02. Plastic Man 03. Hey Girl (I LIke Your Style) 04. Law Of The Land (Alt. Mix) 05. Let Your Hair Down 06. Heavenly 07. You've Got My Soul On Fire 08. Happy People 09. Shakey Ground 10. Glasshouse |
11. A Song For You 12. Memories 13. Keep Holdin' On 14. Darling, Stand By Me 15. Who Are You 16. In A Lifetime 17. Power 18. Isn't The Night Fantastic 19. Aiming At Your Heart |
Disc 5 | |
| 01. Standing On The Top (Pt. I) 02. Sail Away 03. Treat Her Like A Lady 04. My Love Is True (Truly For You) 05. Do You Really Love Your Baby 06. Magic 07. Lady Soul 08. I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now 09. Look What You Started |
10. Soul To Soul 11. Special 12. My Kind Of Woman 13. Hoops Of Fire 14. Error Of Our Ways 15. Givin' U The Best 16. Elevator Eyes 17. Blueprint For Love |
My Girl 1994
|
01. My Girl 02. I'm Ready For Love 03. Don't Look Back 04. You've Really Got A Hold On Me 05. Paradise 06. (I Know) I'm Losing You |
07. My Baby 08. Two Sides To Love 09. I've Passed This Way Before 10. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) 11. The End Of Our Road |
Just My Imagination 1994
|
01. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) 02. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep 03. What You Need Most (I Do Best Of All) 04. A Song For You 05. Darling, Stand By Me (Song For My Woman) 06. It's Growing |
07. I'm On Fire (Body Song) 08. There's No Stopping (Till We Set The Whole World Rockin') 09. For Once In My Life 10. Let Me Count The Ways (I Love You) 11. If I Don't Love You This Way |
More of the Best- Hum along and Dance 1993
|
01. I Want A Love I Can See 02. What Love Has Joined Together 03. You've Got To Earn It 04. No More Water In The Well 05. Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone 06. Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got 07. He Who Picks A Rose 08. Fan The Flame 09. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me |
10. Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love 11. Hum Along And Dance 12. Ungena Za Ulimengu (Unite The World) 13. It's Summer 14. Stop The War Now 15. Take A Look Around 16. The Plastic Man 17. Heavenly 18. You've Got My Soul On Fire |
The Temptations 25th Anniversary 1986
|
ALBUM 1 01. I Want a Love I can See 02. So Much Joy 03. It don't Have to be This Way 04. The Further You Look, the Less You See 05. My Girl 06. Since I lost my Baby 07. A Tear from a Woman's Eyes 08. Wherever I Lay My Hat (that's my Home) 09. Don't Look Back 10. Get Ready 11. Ain't too Proud to Beg 12. Truly Yours |
ALBUM 2 01. I Can't get Next to You 02. Cloud Nine 03. Just My Imagination 04. Come to Me 05. Soulmate 06. Papa was a Rolling Stone 07. Thanks to You 08. Glass House 09. Power 10. Treat her like a Lady |
To be Continued 1986
|
01. Lady Soul 02. Message to the World 03. To Be Continued 04. Put Us Together Again 05. Someone |
06. Girls (They Like It) 07. More Love, Your Love 08. A Fine Mess 09. You're the One 10. Love Me Right |
Touch Me 1985
Truly for You 1984
Surface Thrills 1983
Reunion 1982
Back to Basics 1981
|
01. Miss Busy Body 02. Sail Away 03. Outlaw 04. Stop the World Right Here |
05. The Battle Song 06. Hollywood 07. Isn't the Night Fantastic 08. Make me Believe in Love Again |
All the Million Sellers 1981
|
01. My Girl 02. Ain't Too Proud To Beg 03. I Wish It Would Rain 04. Cloud Nine 05. Runaway Child, Running Wild |
06. I Can't Get Next To You 07. Psychedelic Shack 08. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) 09. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) 10. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone |
Give Love at Christmas 1980
|
01. Give Love On Christmas Day 02. The Christmas Song 03. Love Comes With Christmas 04. The Little Drummer Boy |
05. This Christmas 06. Everything For Christmas 07. Christmas Everyday 08. Silent Night |
Power 1980
Bare Back 1978
Hear to Tempt You 1977
House Party 1975
Song for You 1975
|
01. Happy People 02. Glasshouse 03. Shakey Ground 04. The Prophet 05. Happy People - (instrumental) |
06. A Song For You 07. Memories 08. I'm A Bachelor 09. Firefly |
Anthology- Best of the Temptations 1973
| Disc 1 | |
| 01. The Way You Do The Things You Do 02. I'll Be In Trouble 03. The Girl's Alright With Me 04. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) 05. My Girl 06. It's Growing 07. What Love Has Joined Together 08. Who's Lovin' You 09. Since I Lost My Baby 10. You've Got To Earn It 11. Nobody But You 12. My Baby 13. Don't Look Back 14. Ol' Man River (Live) |
15. Get Ready 16. Ain't Too Proud To Beg 17. You'll Lose A Precious Love 18. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep 19. (I Know) I'm Losing You 20. All I Need 21. You're My Everything 22. (Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need 23. I Wish It Would Rain 24. I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) 25. Please Return Your Love To Me 26. Lullaby Of Love 27. The Impossible Dream |
| Disc 2 | |
| 01. Cloud Nine 02. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me 03. Runaway Child, Running Wild 04. Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down 05. I Can't Get Next To You 06. Psychedelic Shack 07. Ball Of Confusion 08. Just My Imagination 09. Superstar 10. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone |
11. Masterpiece 12. Hey Girl 13. Let Your Hair Down 14. Shakey Ground 15. A Song For You 16. Power 17. Standing On The Top-Pt. 1 18. Treat Her Like A Lady 19. Lady Soul |
Masterpiece 1973
Solid Rock 1972
All Directions 1972
Sky's the Limit 1971
Volume 2 - Greatest Hits 1970
| 01. Cloud Nine 02. I Wish It Would Rain 03. Ball Of Confusion 04. I'm Losing You 05. I Can't Get Next To You 06. You're My Everything |
07. Psychedelic Shack 08. Please Return Your Love To Me 09. Runaway Child, Running wild 10. I Could Never Love Another 11. Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down 12. It's You That I Need |
Live At London's Talk Of The Town 1970
Psychedelic Shack 1970
Temptations' Christmas Card 1970
| 01. Rudoph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 02. My Christmas Tree 03. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town 04. Silent Night 05. Someday At Christmas |
06. White Christmas 07. Let It Snow 08. Silver Bells 09. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) 10. The Little Drummer Boy |
Cloud Nine 1969
| 01. Cloud Nine 02. I Heard It Through The Grapevine 03. Runaway Child, Running Wild 04. Love Is A Hurtin' Thing 05. Hey Girl |
06. Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did
She Have To Go) 07. I Need Your Lovin' 08. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me 09. I Gotta Find A Way (To Get You Back) 10. Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love |
Together 1969
In a Mellow Mood 1967
|
01. A Taste Of Honey 02. Try To Remember 03. Hello, Young Lovers 04. I'm Ready For Love 05. Ol' Man River 06. For Once In My Life |
07. What Now My Love 08. With These Hands 09. That's Life 10. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) 11. The Impossible Dream 12. Somewhere |
With a Lot 'O Love 1967
|
01. I'm Losing You 02. Ain't No Sun Since You Been Gone 03. All I Need 04. It's You That I Need 05. No More Water In The Well 06. Save My Love For A Rainy Day |
07. Just One Last Look 08. Sorry Is A Sorry Word 09. You're My Everything 10. Now That You've Won Me 11. Two Sides To Love 12. Don't Send Me Away |
Volume 1 - Greatest Hits 1966
|
01. The Way You Do The Things You Do 02. My Girl 03. Ain't Too Proud To Beg 04. Don't Look Back 05. Get Ready 06. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep |
07. Since I Lost My Baby 08. The Girl's Alright With Me 09. My Baby 10. It's Growing 11. I'll Be In Trouble 12. Girl ( Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) |
Gettin' Ready 1966
Temptin' Temptations 1965
|
01. Since I Lost My Baby 02. The Girl's Alright With Me 03. Just Another Lonely Night 04. My Baby 05. You've Got To Earn It 06. Everybody Needs Love |
07. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) 08. Don't Look Back 09. I Gotta Know Now 10. Born To Love You 11. I'll Be In Trouble 12. You're The One I Need |
Temptations Sing Smokey 1965
|
01. The Way You Do The Things You Do 02. Baby, Baby I Need You 03. My Girl 04. What Love Has Joined Together 05. You'll Lose A Precious Love 06. It's Growing |
07. Who's Lovin' You 08. What's So Good About Good Bye 09. You Beat Me To The Punch 10. Way Over There 11. You've Really Got A Hold On Me 12. You Can Depend On Me |
Meet the Temptations 1964
