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The Temptations
Current members:
Otis Williams Terry Weeks Joe Herndon Ron Tyson Bruce Williamson
Former members:
Elbridge "Al" Bryant Melvin Franklin Eddie Kendricks Paul Williams
David Ruffin Dennis Edwards Damon Harris Glenn Leonard Louis Price Ali-Ollie
Woodson Theo Peoples Ray Davis Harry McGilberry Barrington "Bo"
Henderson Richard Street G.C. Cameron
The Temptations were the
quintessential Motown vocal group. The quintet offered a rich blend of voices
accompanied by stylish, coordinated dance moves. With songs and production from
some of Motown’s brightest lights - most notably Smokey Robinson ("My
Girl") and Norman Whitfield ("Ain’t Too Proud to Beg") - the
Temptations lived up to their billing as emperors of soul. During the gilded age
of soul music in general and Motown in particular, the Temptations delivered the
intricate harmonies of streetcorner serenaders and the polished choreography of
a Sixties soul revue. Moreover, their story is a long, episodic one of
perseverance and dedication that extends from their origins in 1961 to the
present day.
The Temptations were initially
formed from two Detroit-based vocal harmony groups: the Primes (a trio of
relocated Alabamans that included Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams) and the
Distants (a quintet whose members included Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin and
Elbridge Bryant). When the latter group lost its other members, Kendricks and
Williams were invited to join the Distants, and the reconstituted quintet
auditioned for Berry Gordy. Not only were they signed to Motown, but after a
couple of singles on its Miracle affiliate, a new label imprint (Gordy) was
created with them in mind. Still, the Temptations had trouble establishing
themselves in the beginning, and by the end of 1963 - much like the early story
of the Supremes - they had only a string of non-charting singles to their
credit. Then singer David Ruffin entered the picture. Replacing Elbridge Bryant,
Ruffin brought a raspy, gospel-style tenor and fervent showmanship to the
Temptations, serving as a perfect complement to the group’s vocal blend, which
included Kendricks’ high tenor, Otis Williams’ middle tenor, Paul Williams’
baritone and Melvin Franklin’s deep bass voice. They liked to refer to
themselves as “five lead vocalists.”
A
photo of The Temptations, from the cover to the 2002 compilation My Girl: The
Very Best of the Temptations. The "Classic 5" lineup of the
Temptations, circa 1965. Left to right: Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Otis
Williams, Paul Williams, and David Ruffin.
This was the Temptations’
classic lineup, lasting from 1964 to 1968. Their career upturn began with the
Top Twenty success of the Smokey Robinson-penned “The Way You Do the Things
You Do” in early ‘64. Both Robinson and Whitfield vied to supply the group
with hit material. Backed by Motown’s peerless studio band, a veritable
in-house orchestra dubbed the Funk Brothers, the Temptations ruled the Top Forty
at mid-decade with such milestones of Motown soul as “My Girl,” “Ain’t
Too Proud to Beg,” “Beauty’s Only Skin Deep,” “(I Know) I’m Losing
You,” and “I Wish It Would Rain.” When Ruffin left to go solo in 1968, one
chapter in the Temptations saga ended and another equally successful one began.
His replacement, Dennis Edwards, formerly of the Contours, could later look back
on his lengthy tenure with the Temptations - which lasted through various
comings and goings for 20 years - and note that he sang lead on more hits than
Ruffin and Kendricks combined.
Edwards’ arrival coincided with
the onset of the Temptations’ “psychedelic” period, a turn toward more
contemporary sounds and incisive subject matter inspired by the likes of Sly and
the Family Stone. This inaugurated the most successful run of singles in the
Temptations’ long career. During the years 1968-72, the group - under the
continuing direction of songwriter/producer Norman Whitfield - turned out a
dizzying array of timely, funky relevant hits, including “Cloud Nine,” “Runaway
Child, Running Wild,” “I Can’t Get Next to You,” “Psychedelic Shack,”
“Ball of Confusion” and their masterpiece of social realism and ensemble
vocals, “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” Amid this onslaught of psychedelic soul,
the Temptations also cut “Just My Imagination,” a velvety, Kendrick-sung
ballad that harked back to the days of “My Girl” and returned them to the
top of the charts in 1971. Kendrick left shortly thereafter to embark on a solo
career, striking paydirt on his own with “Boogie People” and “Keep On
Truckin’.” One new member who came on-board in 1971 was Richard Street, who
had belonged to the Distants.
During the Seventies, in the
spirit of that album-oriented era, the Temptations recorded some of their
strongest and most cohesive long players, including Masterpiece (1973), A Song
for You (1975) and The Temptations Do the Temptations (1976). In 1982, Ruffin
and Kendrick rejoined the Temptations for the Reunion album and a wildly
successful reunion tour. In May 1983, the Temptations’ vocal duel with the
Four Tops served as a highlight of Motown’s 25th anniversary TV special.
Over the years, the Temptations
suffered a series of tragic losses: the suicide of Paul Williams in 1971; the
death of David Ruffin, after years of substance abuse, in 1991; Eddie Kendricks’
succumbing to lung cancer in 1992; and the loss of Melvin Franklin from
complications following a brain seizure in 1995. However, the Temptations have
proven durable despite the setbacks. With a lineup that includes founding member
Otis Williams, the group has remained active, perpetuating what they’ve long
referred to as “the tradition.”
TIMELINE
July 2, 1939: Paul Williams was born.
December 17, 1939: Eddie Kendrick
of the Temptations is born.
January 18, 1941: David Ruffin
was born.
October 30, 1941: Otis Williams
was born.
October 12, 1942: Melvin Franklin
was born.
February 3, 1943: Dennis Edwards
was born.
April 11, 1964: The Temptations
hits #11 with “The Way You Do the Things You Do.”
March 6, 1965: The Temptations
hit #1 with “My Girl”.
October 1, 1966: The Temptations
hit #3 with “Beauty’s Only Skin Deep”.
February 1, 1969: The Temptations
win Motown its first Grammy for “Cloud Nine.”
October 18, 1969: The Temptations
hit #1 with “I Can’t Get Next To You”.
March 28, 1971: Just My
Imagination (Running Away With Me) (The Temptations) was a hit.
November 26, 1972: Papa Was a
Rollin’ Stone (The Temptations) was a hit.
Essential Recordings
My Girl
Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
Papa Was a Rolling Stone
(I Know) I’m Losing You
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
The Way You Do the Things You Do
I Can’t Get Next to You
I Wish It Would Rain
Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)
Ball of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)
People moving out,
People moving in.
why, because of the color of their skin
run, run, run but you sho' can't hide
An eye for an eye,tooth for a tooth,
vote for me and I'll set you free
rap on, brother, rap on
The only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher
and it seems nobody's interested in learning
but the teacher
segregation, determination, demonstration, integration,
Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to our nation
Ball of confusion, oh yeah
That's what the world is today, hey
The sale of pills are at an all time high
young folks walking round with their heads in the sky
the cities ablaze in the summertime, and oh
the beat goes on
evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul
shooting rockets to the moon
kids growing up too soon
politicians say more taxes, will solve everything
and the band played on
So, round and around and around we go
where the world's headed, nobody knows
Oh, Great Googamooga, can't you hear me talking to you
just a ball of confusion, oh yeah
that's what the world is today, hey
Fear in the air, tension everywhere
unemployment rising fast, the Beatles new record's a gas
and the only safe place to live, is on an indian reservation
and the band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction
city inspectors, bill collectors
mod clothes in demand,
population out of hand,
suicide, too many bills
hippies moving to the hills
people all over the world are shouting end the war
and the band played on
Oh, Great Googamooga, can't you hear me talking to you
just a ball of confusion,
that's what the world is today, hey
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