There's a lot of competition for "the best Temptations song ever recorded", I'll say that. And Norman Whitfield produced more than his fair share of those.
The Tempts quite possibly are the most influential male vocal group in R&B history. From their first emergence in the 1960s, their recordings and live performances were sublime. And more than a few vocal groups would follow in their footsteps that cited them as one of their greatest inspirations.
David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards were three of the best lead singers a group could have, but it was Otis Williams (now the lone surviving original member) and Melvin Franklin who anchored the group on-record with their deep voices and off-stage by being the cool guys amongst so many hotheads. And they've been soul standard bearers for over 60 years, which is no mean feat.
Love every bit of this David, thanks for sharing, as always. The Temptations are commonly referred to as the "Black Beatles" and, influence-wise, it's not hard to see why. I could've done an entire week of Temptations appreciation, but this record still goes down in my book as the best track they've ever done. The experimentation, the storytelling, the orchestration -- everything just comes together so beautifully. That said, if I had to name a few others that come close, they'd be "Happy People," "Just My Imagination," "Psychedelic Shack," and "I Can't Get Next to You." I could go on, but this comment's already long enough hehe.
It's a damn good song, but the production bloated it far out of proportion on this version. Four minutes just for the intro? Nah.
Was (not was) did a leaner, punchier version in the 90s; that brought it back from the land of Rococo Mess and Excessive Handclaps. That's the one I go for when I want to hear the song.
Fair enough, the 90s version is decent. I'm a sucker for long, over-the-top R&B from the 60s and 70s. The fuller the orchestration, the better. See my write-up for the Love Unlimited Orchestra record lol.
I get it. I acknowledge that i have less patience than I used to; I feel the same about the frequent 2-3 minute interminable intros that "atmospheric black metal" bands use in their songs, too.
One of my favorite Motown bands. They seemed to have an edge to them that other label acts did not. Super soulful with a bit of darkness mixed in here and there.
With regards to the final paragraph of your essay - I think it's easy for all of us in 2024 to look at the Temptations/Norman Whitfield collab as a great and exciting aspect of their catalog. These deliciously funky LPs are definitely my favorite albums by The Temptations. However, the Temps have often dismissed their Norman Whitfield records. Egos aside, ultimately, they were a pop soul/r&b band and Whitfield was taking them in a more political direction that spoke directly to Black America in the early 70's. I don't know if the Temps were being influenced by The Black Panthers to move in a move political direction, but as they were a very popular band, that could have been happening (the Panthers were outspoken about James Brown and Jimi Hendrix and wanted both to be more vocal about politics). At the time, these Whitfield albums alienated the Temps white audience, which they had built with songs like 'My Girl'. Once they had ended their collab with Whitfield they immediately returned to their pop roots.
Hey Michael, thanks for the kinds words and great comment. I'd posit that lots of R&B artists were moving in a similarly political direction from 1970-1974. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" is an obvious one, but Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" and "Fulfillingness' First Finale" are also good examples -- he directly calls out Nixon on the former. It's a combination of several factors, for sure, but creativity doesn't happen in a vacuum. Eventually, their lyricism was bound to get at least a bit more political. Thanks for reading!
Thanks, Matt! I 100% agree with all of the above examples you cite as well as Sly and the direction of Jazz and Funk. I have read a few interviews with members of the Temptations where they said they struggled with the direction Norman was pushing them and they hinted at not wanting to become a political band but felt somewhat coerced into it. I'm sure that directly impacted their sound as well (which you point out) as funk and heavier soul was now the sound of the younger generation. I suspect they were also reflecting on the massive popularity of 'My Girl' in the '60s and perhaps wanted to return to that level of "pop" fame, which worked so well (and Disco was emerging out of the underground clubs and on to FM radio stations).
On a side note, The Undisputed Truth albums are also fantastic! The first couple are more soulful and funky while they too eventually moved into a heavier more Funkadelic/Whitfield influenced band. Even their disco years are fun, tho!
There's a lot of competition for "the best Temptations song ever recorded", I'll say that. And Norman Whitfield produced more than his fair share of those.
The Tempts quite possibly are the most influential male vocal group in R&B history. From their first emergence in the 1960s, their recordings and live performances were sublime. And more than a few vocal groups would follow in their footsteps that cited them as one of their greatest inspirations.
David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards were three of the best lead singers a group could have, but it was Otis Williams (now the lone surviving original member) and Melvin Franklin who anchored the group on-record with their deep voices and off-stage by being the cool guys amongst so many hotheads. And they've been soul standard bearers for over 60 years, which is no mean feat.
Love every bit of this David, thanks for sharing, as always. The Temptations are commonly referred to as the "Black Beatles" and, influence-wise, it's not hard to see why. I could've done an entire week of Temptations appreciation, but this record still goes down in my book as the best track they've ever done. The experimentation, the storytelling, the orchestration -- everything just comes together so beautifully. That said, if I had to name a few others that come close, they'd be "Happy People," "Just My Imagination," "Psychedelic Shack," and "I Can't Get Next to You." I could go on, but this comment's already long enough hehe.
It's a damn good song, but the production bloated it far out of proportion on this version. Four minutes just for the intro? Nah.
Was (not was) did a leaner, punchier version in the 90s; that brought it back from the land of Rococo Mess and Excessive Handclaps. That's the one I go for when I want to hear the song.
Fair enough, the 90s version is decent. I'm a sucker for long, over-the-top R&B from the 60s and 70s. The fuller the orchestration, the better. See my write-up for the Love Unlimited Orchestra record lol.
I love the long version, as well!
I get it. I acknowledge that i have less patience than I used to; I feel the same about the frequent 2-3 minute interminable intros that "atmospheric black metal" bands use in their songs, too.
One of my favorite Motown bands. They seemed to have an edge to them that other label acts did not. Super soulful with a bit of darkness mixed in here and there.
Yes!! "Ball of Confusion" is another good example of the dynamic you mentioned, with more overtly political lyricism.
Excellent example. Damn great political song. We need more of those.
Absolutely!
My three favorite bass lines (not that anyone asked):
• "Papa Was A Rolling Stone"--The Temptations
• "Peace Sells"--Megadeth
• "N.I.B."--Black Sabbath
NIB is flames 🔥🔥🔥
Such a great song.
With regards to the final paragraph of your essay - I think it's easy for all of us in 2024 to look at the Temptations/Norman Whitfield collab as a great and exciting aspect of their catalog. These deliciously funky LPs are definitely my favorite albums by The Temptations. However, the Temps have often dismissed their Norman Whitfield records. Egos aside, ultimately, they were a pop soul/r&b band and Whitfield was taking them in a more political direction that spoke directly to Black America in the early 70's. I don't know if the Temps were being influenced by The Black Panthers to move in a move political direction, but as they were a very popular band, that could have been happening (the Panthers were outspoken about James Brown and Jimi Hendrix and wanted both to be more vocal about politics). At the time, these Whitfield albums alienated the Temps white audience, which they had built with songs like 'My Girl'. Once they had ended their collab with Whitfield they immediately returned to their pop roots.
Hey Michael, thanks for the kinds words and great comment. I'd posit that lots of R&B artists were moving in a similarly political direction from 1970-1974. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" is an obvious one, but Stevie Wonder's "Innervisions" and "Fulfillingness' First Finale" are also good examples -- he directly calls out Nixon on the former. It's a combination of several factors, for sure, but creativity doesn't happen in a vacuum. Eventually, their lyricism was bound to get at least a bit more political. Thanks for reading!
Thanks, Matt! I 100% agree with all of the above examples you cite as well as Sly and the direction of Jazz and Funk. I have read a few interviews with members of the Temptations where they said they struggled with the direction Norman was pushing them and they hinted at not wanting to become a political band but felt somewhat coerced into it. I'm sure that directly impacted their sound as well (which you point out) as funk and heavier soul was now the sound of the younger generation. I suspect they were also reflecting on the massive popularity of 'My Girl' in the '60s and perhaps wanted to return to that level of "pop" fame, which worked so well (and Disco was emerging out of the underground clubs and on to FM radio stations).
On a side note, The Undisputed Truth albums are also fantastic! The first couple are more soulful and funky while they too eventually moved into a heavier more Funkadelic/Whitfield influenced band. Even their disco years are fun, tho!
Love me some Undisputed Truth -- they shall now be the soundtrack for my commute back home/into the weekend. <3