The Temptations | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The "Classic Five" lineup of the Temptations in 1967 Clockwise from top:David Ruffin,Melvin Franklin,Otis Williams,Eddie Kendricks andPaul Williams | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Elgins, The Pirates |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | Otis Williams Ron Tyson Terry Weeks Tony Grant Jawan M. Jackson |
| Past members | Melvin Franklin Eddie Kendricks Paul Williams Elbridge "Al" Bryant David Ruffin Dennis Edwards Ricky Owens Richard Street Damon Harris Glenn Leonard Louis Price Ali-Ollie Woodson Theo Peoples Ray Davis Harry McGilberry Barrington "Bo" Henderson G. C. Cameron Joe Herndon Bruce Williamson Larry Braggs Willie Greene Mario Corbino |
| Website | www |
The Temptations is an American vocal group formed inDetroit, Michigan, in 1961 asThe Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums withMotown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producerNorman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hitsingle "Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneeredpsychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution ofR&B andsoul music.[2] The group members were known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and dress style. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups inpopular music.[3][4][5]
Featuring five male vocalists and dancers (save for brief periods with fewer or more members), the group's founding members came from two rival Detroit vocal groups:Otis Williams, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, andMelvin Franklin of(Otis Williams &) The Distants, andEddie Kendricks andPaul Williams ofThe Primes. In 1964, Bryant was replaced byDavid Ruffin, who was the lead vocalist on a number of the group's biggest hits, including "My Girl" (1964), "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (1966), and "I Wish It Would Rain" (1967).[6] Ruffin was replaced in 1968 byDennis Edwards, with whom the group continued to record hit records such as "Cloud Nine" (1968), "I Can't Get Next to You" (1969), and "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (1970). Kendricks and Paul Williams both left the group in 1971, with subsequent members includingRichard Street,Damon Harris, Glenn Leonard,Ron Tyson, andAli-Ollie Woodson, the last of whom was the lead singer on late-period hit "Treat Her Like a Lady" in 1984 and the theme song for the children's movement programKids in Motion in 1987.
Over the course of their career, the Temptations released fourBillboard Hot 100 number-one singles and fourteenR&B number-one singles. The group was the first Motown act to win aGrammy Award – for "Cloud Nine" in 1969[7] – and theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award, received in 2013.[8] They won four Grammy Awards in total. The Temptations – specifically Edwards, Franklin, Kendricks, Ruffin, Otis Williams and Paul Williams – wereinducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Three Temptations songs, "My Girl", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (1971), and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972), are included among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The Temptations were ranked No. 68 onRolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2010. In 2023, the group were ranked No. 1 byBillboard magazine on its list of the on the "100 Greatest R&B/Hip-Hop Artists Of All Time".[9]
As of 2025[update], The Temptations continue to perform with Otis Williams in the lineup, who is the group's last surviving original member. Williams owns the rights to "The Temptations" name.
Eddie Kendricks andPaul Williams started singing together in church as children inBirmingham, Alabama. By their teenage years, they formed aDoo-wop quartet in 1955 withKell Osborne and Wiley Waller, naming themselvesThe Cavaliers.[10]
After Waller left the group in 1957, the remaining trio left Birmingham to break into the music business. The group settled in Detroit where they changed their name toThe Primes under the direction of Milton Jenkins. The Primes soon became well known around the Detroit area for their meticulous performances.[11] Jenkins later created a sister group,The Primettes, later known asThe Supremes. Kendricks was already seen as a "matinee idol" in the Detroit area, while Williams was well received for his baritone vocals.[10]
Meanwhile, concurrently,Texas teenager Otis Williams moved to Detroit as a youngster to be with his mother. By 1958, Williams was the leader of a vocal group namedOtis Williams and the Siberians. The group included Elbridge "Al" Bryant, James "Pee-Wee" Crawford, Vernard Plain and Arthur Walton. The band recorded a song, "Pecos Kid" for a label run by radio deejay Senator Bristol Bryant.[12] Shortly after its release, the group changed its name toThe El Domingoes. Subsequently,Montgomery native Melvin Franklin replaced Arthur Walton as bass vocalist and Detroit-born Richard Street (claimed by Melvin Franklin to be his cousin)[13] replaced Vernard Plain as lead singer. Signing withJohnnie Mae Matthews' Northern Records, the group had their name changed again toThe Distants.
The group recorded two Northern Records singles including "Come On" (1959) and "Alright" (1960).[14] Between these releases, "Come On" became a local hit, and the Warwick Records label picked the record up for national distribution.[14] Following the release of "Alright", Matthews appointed Williams the group leader, and the group's name was changed toOtis Williams & The Distants.[15] During this period, both The Primes and The Distants were influenced by other vocal groups includingThe Miracles.[16] Other inspirations includedThe Cadillacs,Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers,The Drifters, andThe Isley Brothers.[17] Though "Come On" was a local hit in the Detroit area, The Distants never saw much record sales, and "Alright" was not so successful. After receiving an offer fromBerry Gordy to sign withMotown Records, The Distants got out of their contract with Northern Records. However, James "Pee-Wee" Crawford and Richard Street shortly departed from the group and the remaining members lost use of "The Distant" name. Richard Street later formed another 'Distants' band who recorded for the Thelma label in the early 1960s.[citation needed]
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Members of The Distants were acquainted with The Primes, as both groups participated in the same talent shows and performed at the same public venues. Friendly rivals, The Primes were considered to be the more polished and vocally stronger group of the two. However, this last group disbanded in 1960 after Kell Osborne moved toCalifornia. Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams returned to Alabama following the band's dissolution. While visiting relatives in Detroit, Kendricks called Otis Williams, who desperately needed two more members for an audition for Gordy's label and offered Kendricks a lead singer place in this new group, which would also include fellow former Distants members Franklin and Bryant. Kendricks agreed on the condition he bring Paul Williams with him. Otis Williams happily agreed, and Kendricks and Paul Williams moved back to Detroit to join the new group.
The original name for the new lineup of Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams wasThe Elgins. Under that name, the group auditioned for Motown in March 1961. Already impressed with some of the members after hearing session work, Berry Gordy agreed to sign the group to the Motown imprint, Miracle Records. However, before signing, Gordy discovered another group was using the name of "Elgins". The group began tossing about ideas for a new name on the steps of theHitsville U.S.A. studio. On a suggestion from Miracle Records employee Billy Mitchell, songwriterMickey Stevenson, and group members Otis Williams and Paul Williams,The Temptations became the group's new moniker.[18] The "Elgins" name re-surfaced at Motown in 1965, when Gordy renamed a quartet calledThe Downbeats asThe Elgins.
The Temptations' first two singles, "Oh Mother of Mine" and "Check Yourself", with Paul Williams on lead, were released on Miracle before Gordy closed the label down and reassigned the band to his latest imprint, Gordy Records. On the Gordy imprint, Eddie Kendricks sang lead on The Temptations' first charted single, "(You're My) Dream Come True", which peaked at number 22 on the R&B chart in 1962. Later that year, The Temptations began touring as part of theMotortown Revue. The group issued eight recordings between 1961 and 1963 without much success.
Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks split the leads during this early period, with Al Bryant, Otis Williams, and Melvin Franklin occasionally singing lead, as they did on a song titled "Isn't She Pretty". For a brief time, the group almost had their name changed toThe Pirates, and under that name they recorded the songs "Mind Over Matter" and "I'll Love You Till I Die". Eventually the label and the group decided against it. One hit song, "Do You Love Me", was originally to be recorded by The Temptations. When he couldn't get in contact with the group, Gordy produced a version forThe Contours. In 1963, The Temptations began working withSmokey Robinson as producer and writer. Robinson's first work with the group was the Paul Williams-led "I Want a Love I Can See". While the song failed to chart, it did eventually become a popular live performance spot for the group and particularly for Paul Williams in general. Some called the group "The Hitless Temptations" due to their lack of hits.
During this time,David Ruffin began following the group around as he aspired to join them. During a local Detroit performance, Ruffin joined the group onstage and impressed the group with his vocal talent and dancing skills.[19] Following that same time, Al Bryant had grown frustrated with the group's lack of success and became restless and uncooperative, preferring the mundane routine of his day job as a milkman over the rigors of rehearsal and performing. After a second altercation onstage at aChristmas performance, following an incident where he struck Paul with a beer bottle during a heated quarrel at an earlier gig in the middle of the year, Bryant was summarily fired from the group. As a result, David Ruffin was brought in as his replacement in January 1964.[20] Though Ruffin's brotherJimmy was also considered for the slot, David was selected following his performance with them in 1963.
Bryant continued to perform in a number of other local groups and died at the age of 36 inFlagler County, Florida, ofliver cirrhosis on October 26, 1975.[21]
The Temptations then consisted of Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and David Ruffin; the success that followed the group resulted in what would, in later years, be frequently referred to as the "Classic Five" lineup. InJanuary 1964, Smokey Robinson and Miracles bandmateBobby Rogers co-wrote and produced "The Way You Do the Things You Do" with Eddie Kendricks on lead and the single became The Temptations' first Top 20 hit that April.
Shortly afterward, "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and several pre-David Ruffin singles were compiled into the group's first album,Meet the Temptations, released in early 1964. The next two Temptations singles in 1964, "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" along with "I'll Be in Trouble" and itsB-side "The Girl's Alright with Me", all featured Kendricks on lead (although Franklin sang one line in "I'll Be in Trouble"). However, producer Smokey Robinson saw potential in the "mellow yet gruff" voice of David Ruffin, and thought that if he could write the perfect song for his lead, then the group could have a Top 10 hit.[22]
While traveling as part of Motown'sMotortown Revue later that year, Robinson and fellow Miracles memberRonnie White wrote "My Girl", which The Temptations recorded in the fall of 1964 with Ruffin singing his first lead vocal for the group. Released as a single on December 21, 1964, the song became The Temptations' first number-one pop hit inMarch 1965. Over 50 years and multiple chart topping songs later, it is still their signature song to this day.
After the success of "My Girl", Ruffin sang lead on the next three singles: "It's Growing", "Since I Lost My Baby", and "My Baby", which all made it to the Top 20 in 1965. TheB-side to "My Baby", "Don't Look Back", featured a stirring lead from Paul Williams, and was asleeper hit on the R&B charts and a standard for vocal group playlists.
Norman Whitfield had requested the opportunity to write for the group and in 1966, Berry Gordy promised him that if Robinson's "Get Ready", with Eddie Kendricks on lead, failed to chart in the Top 20, Whitfield would be allowed to produce the next song. "Get Ready" subsequently missed its mark, so Gordy issued the Whitfield-produced "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", with David Ruffin on lead, as the next single. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" outperformed "Get Ready" on theBillboard charts, and Whitfield became The Temptations' new main producer. He began pulling the group away from theballad-based productions espoused by Robinson, toward a harder-edged andbrass-heavy soul sound reminiscent ofJames Brown.
Nearly all singles Whitfield produced prior to 1968 featured David Ruffin on lead, including the R&B number-one/pop Top 10 hits "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep", "(I Know) I'm Losing You"[23] and the early 1967 hit "(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need". Other important singles from this period include "All I Need", produced byFrank Wilson, a Whitfield protégé, and the "You're My Everything", on which Kendricks and Ruffin share lead. Studio albums during the "Classic Five" period, apart fromMeet the Temptations, includeThe Temptations Sing Smokey (1965),The Temptin' Temptations (1965),Gettin' Ready (1966),The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul (1967), andThe Temptations Wish It Would Rain (1968).
During this period, the various songwriting partners of Norman Whitfield includedRoger Penzabene,Edward Holland, Jr., and The Temptations road show manager and guitaristCornelius Grant. Subsequently,Barrett Strong, who sang the first hit at Motown in 1959, "Money (That's What I Want)", began working with Whitfield and Penzabene on The Temptations material after Eddie Holland left Motown with the rest of theHolland-Dozier-Holland songwriting/production team in 1967. Two of the Whitfield-Strong-Penzabene collaborations, "I Wish It Would Rain" and "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)", became hits in early 1968 after thesuicide of Roger Penzabene in December 1967. Subsequently, Barrett Strong became the sole collaborator of Norman Whitfield.
From early 1964 to mid-1968, The Temptations went from unknown hopefuls to international stars and as a result, appeared frequently on television shows such asAmerican Bandstand,The Ed Sullivan Show, andThe Hollywood Palace. At the same time, the group began to achieve a crossover popularity, catering to middle America with a pop standards album (The Temptations in a Mellow Mood, 1967), the success of which resulted in performances at the famousCopacabana inNew York City along with dates at other similar supper clubs. Outside of music, The Temptations were also made honorary members ofPhi Beta Sigma fraternity.
By 1967, David Ruffin had begun demanding special treatment as lead singer, riding to and from gigs in a privatemink-linedlimousine with his then-girlfriend, Motown singerTammi Terrell, instead of the limousine used by the other four bandmates. The other members slowly became irritated and annoyed with Ruffin's behavior. Following Motown's decision to rechristenThe Supremes asDiana Ross & The Supremes andMartha & the Vandellas asMartha Reeves & the Vandellas, Ruffin felt entitled to the same treatment, and demanded that his group be renamed as well toDavid Ruffin & The Temptations. Ruffin was also causing friction with Berry Gordy by demanding an accounting of the group's earnings;[24] Motown partially acquiesced by allowing The Temptations to retain an outside accounting firm, but the firm did not have full access to the books from The Temptations' manager, International Talent Management, Inc., which was a subsidiary of Motown.[24]
Some of this behavior was attributed to the fact that by this time Ruffin had begun usingcocaine regularly, building further tension within the group and causing him to miss a number of group meetings, rehearsals, and concerts. There was a consensus among the rest of the group that Ruffin needed to be replaced. When Ruffin missed a June 1968 engagement at a Cleveland supper club in order to attend a show by his new girlfriend, Barbara Gail Martin (daughter ofDean Martin),[25] the group decided that he had crossed the line. The other four Temptations drew up legal documentation, officially firing Ruffin on June 27, 1968.[26] The next day,Dennis Edwards, a singer formerly of The Contours that Eddie Kendricks and Otis Williams already had pegged as a potential Ruffin replacement,[27] was hired to take Ruffin's place.
Edwards and Ruffin were good friends, and at first, Ruffin accepted his dismissal and encouraged Edwards. However, at Edwards' official debut with The Temptations inValley Forge, Pennsylvania, on July 7, Ruffin came to the show and jumped onstage, taking the microphone from Edwards, singing lead on "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", and disappearing as quickly as he had appeared.[28] Ruffin repeated this stunt several times throughout the group's July tour run. Despite the group hiring extra security to keep Ruffin out, he continued to find ways to sneak into the venue and jump onstage when the group performed one of the songs he had once sung lead on.[28]
In a story recounted several times by Dennis Edwards[27] (rebutted by Otis Williams and The Temptations' road manager Don Foster),[29] after several of these stunts, the positive audience reactions and a remorseful Ruffin's pleas to be let back into the act convinced the other Temptations members to do so. Otis Williams informed the then still-new Edwards that the group would lay him off and rehire Ruffin while inGaithersburg, Maryland. However, when Ruffin failed to show up on time the next night for his "return" engagement, the group kept Edwards on and ceased to entertain the prospect of rehiring Ruffin.[27][29]
After Gaithersburg, Ruffin stopped attempting to disrupt The Temptations' concerts and instead turned his attention to the Motown offices back in Detroit. He sued Motown in October 1968, seeking a release from the label, but Motown countersued the singer to keep him from leaving and the case was eventually settled out of court.[30] The settlement required Ruffin to remain with Motown as a solo artist to finish out his contract.[30]
Edwards' first album with The Temptations wasLive at the Copa, recorded at the group's return to the Copacabana nightclub. The Temptations debuted in one of the first of a number of collaborations with Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1968. The results included two studio albums:Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations (1968), which featured Edwards' first studio recordings with the group and the number-two hit single "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" and "Together". There was also a joint tour and twoNBC television specials,TCB (aired December 9, 1968) andG.I.T. on Broadway (aired November 12, 1969).
The addition of Dennis Edwards to The Temptations coincided with the adoption of a new sound for the group by producer Norman Whitfield, and in the fall of 1968, Whitfield began producingpsychedelic-based material for The Temptations, derived primarily from the sound offunk bands asSly & the Family Stone andFunkadelic. This new style, which debuted with the Top 10 hit single "Cloud Nine"[23] in October 1968, was a marked departure from the David Ruffin-era ballads. The instrumentation wasfunkier, the beat was hard-driving, and all five Temptations members traded lead vocals, similar to Sly & the Family Stone. "Cloud Nine", the centerpiece of the group's landmarkeponymous album, was a Top 10 hit and won Motown its firstGrammy Award, forBest R&B Vocal Group Performanceof 1969.
The blending of the Motown sound and psychedelic rock sound resulted in a new subgenre of music calledpsychedelic soul, also evident in the work ofDiana Ross and The Supremes ("Reflections", "Love Child"), Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and music ofThe 5th Dimension,The Undisputed Truth, andThe Friends of Distinction. More Temptations psychedelic soul singles followed in 1969 and 1970 - among them "Runaway Child, Running Wild" (a number-one R&B hit), "I Can't Get Next to You" (a number-one pop hit), "Psychedelic Shack", and "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" - but the formula began to wear thin when "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)", only went to no. 33 Pop in the fall of 1970. The group's other important albums from this period includedPuzzle People (1969) andPsychedelic Shack (1970). The latter included the original version of "War", later made famous byEdwin Starr.
Paul Williams, who suffered fromsickle-cell disease, fell intodepression because of the stress of touring and personal issues. By the late 1960s, he had developed a serious case ofalcoholism. Having never previously consumed anything stronger than milk, he began to drink quite heavily, and it was hard to take, according to Otis Williams.[31][32] As his physical and mental health began to decline sharply, it made performing with his bandmates increasingly difficult. Williams began traveling with oxygen tanks,[31] and the other four Temptations members made valiant efforts to raid and drain his alcohol stashes.[31]
Eddie Kendricks became detached from the group after David Ruffin's firing and as the health of Paul Williams continued to fail. He regularly picked fights with Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, which often became violent, and in addition, he preferred the ballad material from the earlier days and was uncomfortable with the psychedelic soul material the group was now performing. Kendricks rekindled his friendship with Ruffin, who persuaded him to go solo. He no longer felt he had a say in Otis Williams's handling of the group and was also convinced Motown's handling of The Temptations' finances was cheating the group out of money.[33] Kendricks, being the only member to continue an alliance with Ruffin, also repeatedly suggested that Ruffin should be allowed back into the group, despite the other members' strong objections.
Kendricks lobbied strongly in 1970 to have The Temptations go on "strike" – no performances, no recordings – until Berry Gordy and the Motown staff were willing to go over all group finances with independent accountants.[33] Otis Williams and Franklin strongly opposed this idea, and regular group infighting between Kendricks, Otis Williams, and Franklin grew from this disagreement.[33] After a November 1970 Copacabana engagement, a final confrontation between the three caused Kendricks to walk out in-between shows and not return. Both Kendricks and Williams then agreed that the first would be leaving the group.[33] Kendricks later stated that he actually considered leaving as early as 1965, but remained with The Temptations and unsuccessfully attempted to get permission to record a solo album without leaving the group.[34]
Before Kendricks officially left The Temptations, he and Paul Williams recorded the lead vocals for "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", a ballad that became Kendricks' final single with the group. Included on theSky's the Limit LP along with the original album version of "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Just My Imagination" was released as a single inJanuary 1971, and the song began steadily climbing the US pop singles chart, peaking at number 1 two months later. By the time "Just My Imagination" topped the charts, Kendricks had negotiated his release from the group and signed a solo deal with Motown's Tamla label.
For several weeks of the spring of 1971, The Temptations were without a fifth member. Whitfield took the remaining Temptations quartet, along with Richard Street—former member of The Distants and lead vocalist of the Motown groupThe Monitors—who had been called on to temporarily fill Kendricks’ role to re-recorded "It's Summer", the B-side to "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", as a replacement single. "Smiling Faces Sometimes" was released as a single forThe Undisputed Truth instead, becoming a Top 5 hit on theBillboard Hot 100 in 1971. Meanwhile, "It's Summer" peaked at number 51 on theBillboard Hot 100, making it the first Temptations single to miss the Top 40 since "Farewell My Love" eight years earlier.
The Temptations originally hiredRicky Owens, from theLos Angeles-based vocal groupThe Vibrations, to replace Kendricks. However, Owens only played three dates with the group before he was fired for forgetting the words to his solo numbers due to nervousness.[35] Owens returned to The Vibrations and died inLos Angeles, California, on December 6, 1996, at the age of 57.
In July 1971, The Temptations finally found a permanent replacement for the first tenor position in twenty-year-oldBaltimore nativeDamon Harris. Meanwhile, Richard Street was now serving as a substitute for Paul Williams, who was advised by doctors to retire from the group altogether. A persistent misconception suggests that Street sang Williams' parts from backstage while Williams mimed onstage. In reality, Williams continued to perform his own vocals live in spite of his declining health. After Williams left near the end of July, Street officially took his place, although Williams continued to be paid his customary one-fifth of group revenue (Street was paid on salary for the first eighteen months of his tenure),[36] and worked when he could with the group as an adviser and choreographer. After Williams had recovered enough to record again, he recorded two sides in 1973 for a debut solo single. However, on August 17, 1973, Williams died in Detroit at the age of 34 from a gunshot wound, his death ruled a suicide by theWayne County coroner.
Otis Williams, Edwards, Franklin, Street, and Harris continued recording and performing, and Norman Whitfield continued producing hits for them. There were Top 40 hits such as "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" (1971), a message from The Temptations to David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks, and "Take a Look Around" (1972). During this period, the group toured withQuiet Elegance as their back-up singers. Quiet Elegance featuredLois Reeves, the sister ofMartha Reeves, alongside Frankie Gearing and Millie Vaney-Scott. That year, on Thanksgiving Day, the Temptations would make their first appearance in the annualMacy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade singing “Superstar” to promote the upcomingSolid Rock (The Temptations album).
Late 1972 saw the release of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", amagnum opus written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield. Originally a three-minute record written and produced forThe Undisputed Truth, Whitfield took the somber tune and created a sprawling, dramatic twelve-minute version for The Temptations - a forerunner of the extended single - soon to become popular in clubs and discothèques. An edited seven-minute version was released as a single and became one of the longest hit singles in music history: it hit number 1 on the pop charts and number 5 on the R&B charts. In 1973, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" won The Temptations their second Grammy forBest R&B Performance by a Group. Whitfield and arranger/conductor Paul Riser won the award forBest R&B Instrumental Performance for the instrumental version on the B-side, and Whitfield and Barrett Strong won the songwriting Grammy forBest R&B Song.
After "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", Whitfield stopped working with Barrett Strong, and began writing The Temptations' material on his own. The success of such single led Whitfield to create more elongated, operatic pieces, including the Top 10 hit "Masterpiece" (1973) and several of the tracks on the resultingeponymous album. Tensions developed between Whitfield and the group, who found Whitfield arrogant and difficult to work with. Citing his habitual tardiness, his emphasis of the instrumental tracks at the expense of their vocals on many of his productions, and the declining singles and albums sales as other sources of conflict, the group sought to change producers.[37] Otis Williams complained about Whitfield's actions and The Temptations' stagnant sales to Berry Gordy; as a result, the group was reassigned toJeffrey Bowen, co-producer of the 1967In a Mellow Mood album.[37]
The final Norman Whitfield-produced Temptations album,1990, was released in December 1973, and included the Top 30 single "Let Your Hair Down". Shortly afterwards, Whitfield left Motown, and in 1975 establishedWhitfield Records, taking with him The Undisputed Truth andWillie Hutch, along withRose Royce, who recorded in 1976 the hit "Car Wash". The last track Whitfield produced for the group was the single "Let Your Hair Down", released in 1973.
Bowen's first LP with The Temptations wasJanuary 1975'sA Song for You, which included a cover of the titularLeon Russell tune (popularized with soul audiences byDonny Hathaway), along with the pop Top 40/R&B number-one hits "Happy People" (featuring theCommodores as the instrumentalists) and "Shakey Ground" (featuring instrumentation byParliament-Funkadelic'sEddie Hazel along withBilly Bass Nelson). "Glasshouse", the group's final Top 40 Pop hit, was also included. Damon Harris was fired from the group during the recording ofA Song for You, as his behavior and work ethic were deemed unprofessional,[38] and his replacement wasWashington, D.C. nativeGlenn Leonard, formerly of theUnifics.[39]
A number of producers, including Bowen,Brian Holland,James Anthony Carmichael, and even The Temptations themselves tried producing hits for the next three LPs,House Party (November 1975),Wings of Love (March 1976), andThe Temptations Do the Temptations (August 1976). However, none of these recordings were as commercially successful asA Song for You, and none of their associated singles entered the Billboard charts.[40]
As time progressed, Bowen pushed Dennis Edwards further to the front of the group. This was evident onWings of Love, where several tracks featured Edwards' vocal more prominently than the other Temptations backing vocals.[41] Otis Williams felt that this was hurting the group, accused Motown of inattention, and cited this as the reason for the group's declining sales and popularity. AfterThe Temptations Do the Temptations was recorded in 1976, Edwards was fired from the group,[42] and with new leadLouis Price on board, they left Motown forAtlantic Records.[43]
Success continued to elude the group at Atlantic, however. Their two releases on Atlantic –Hear to Tempt You (1977), andBare Back (1978), along with their associated singles - had failed to perform any better at Atlantic than their last handful of singles had at Motown. As a result, in 1979, Atlantic released the group from its contract,[41] and shortly afterwards, The Temptations met once again with Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy, who re-signed the group to Motown in 1980.[44]
Upon the return to Motown several lineup changes occurred. Louis Price departed from the group and joined The Drifters. Dennis Edwards - who had made an unsuccessful attempt at developing a solo career during his three-year exit from the group - returned to the lineup. Berry Gordy co-wrote and produced "Power", The Temptations' first single under the new contract. This song, from the album of the same name, hit no. 11 on the R&B charts but failed to chart in the Top 40. Two years of under-performing singles and albums followed, including an eponymous album withPhiladelphia-based producerThom Bell, until Motown began planning a Temptations reunion tour in 1982.
Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin agreed to rejoin the group for the new album, aptly titledReunion, and its subsequent promotional tour.Rick James, the Motownfunk star who had previously used The Temptations as backup vocalists on his 1981 hit "Super Freak" and whom Franklin claimed as his nephew,[13] wrote, produced, and guested on theReunion album's lead single, "Standing on the Top". The single went to no. 6 on the R&B charts and featured Ruffin, Kendricks and Edwards trading back and forth on lead.
While the ensuingReunion tour with all seven Temptations (Ruffin, Kendricks, Otis Williams, Franklin, Edwards, Richard Street, and Glenn Leonard) was financially successful, it ended up being a stressful venture: Kendricks' voice had weakened after decades ofchain smoking, Ruffin (still addicted to drugs) missed a number of the performances due to being incapacitated, and current group members Dennis Edwards and Glenn Leonard were causing problems. At the conclusion of theReunion tour, Ruffin and Kendricks were dismissed, and they began touring and performing together as a duo.
One more album,Surface Thrills, released in 1983, featured a sharp departure in the group's sound by incorporating elements of then-current rock. Before its release, Glenn Leonard left and was replaced by Ron Tyson, who was with the Philadelphia groups the Ethics and Love Committee. Tyson had been a staff songwriter at Atlantic during The Temptations' tenure at that label, and co-wrote several songs on the albumHear to Tempt You.
By this time, The Temptations' releases were no longer performing well on the pop charts, though some singles still made the R&B Top 20. "Love on My Mind Tonight", a single fromSurface Thrills, charted at no. 17.
The lineup of Franklin, Williams, Street, Tyson, and Edwards proved to be short-lived. The five performed onMotown 25 and released thedirect to videoThe Temptations: Live in Concert (filmed atHarrah's Atlantic City). The albumBack to Basics, released later in 1983, was the first album featuring Ron Tyson on lead. The song "Sail Away", produced by a returning Norman Whitfield and featuring Ron Tyson's first lead vocal, peaked at no. 13 on the US R&B chart.
In addition, a then-relatively unknown singer/musician,Ali-Ollie Woodson was featured on one track, "Stop the World Right Here (I Wanna Get Off)". Woodson was a Detroit native who had been a potential candidate to replace Dennis Edwards back in 1977. Meanwhile, Edwards (who also had his share of lead vocals on theBack to Basics album) was fired again in 1983, for missing rehearsals or showing uphungover. He then attempted a second solo career, scoring a hit with the 1984 single "Don't Look Any Further", a duet withSiedah Garrett.
At this point, Woodson officially joined the group, taking Edwards' place. Woodson's first lead on a single was 1984's "Treat Her Like a Lady", co-written by himself and Otis Williams, and co-produced by formerEarth, Wind & Fire membersAl McKay and Ralph Johnson. The song became their biggest success on R&B radio since 1975, reaching number-two on the R&B charts, and just missing the Pop Top 40 at no. 48. The group enjoyed further successes with 1985's "Do You Really Love Your Baby", a no. 14 R&B hit co-written by soul starLuther Vandross, and 1986's "Lady Soul", the group's third Top 10 R&B hit of the decade.
Ali Woodson remained with The Temptations until 1987, when he was fired for consistent lateness. He was replaced by the again-returning Dennis Edwards. The group recorded one album during Edwards' third tenure,Together Again, released later that year. In 1988, Otis Williams published his autobiography,Temptations, co-written with Patricia Romanowski, chronicling the careers of the group from The Primes/Distants days and focusing on the lives of Williams and Melvin Franklin. (An updated version of the book was published in 2002.) Together, they worked on the theme song to the children's educational musical movement series,Kids in Motion created byGreg & Steve.
Edwards left the group for a third and final time in late 1988, with Woodson re-joining the lineup. In 1989, The Temptations released the albumSpecial, which included the soulful singles "Special" and "Soul to Soul". On January 18, 1989, The Temptations were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame. The event honored Edwards, Franklin, Otis Williams, Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks (now performing as "Eddie Kendrick"), and, posthumously, Paul Williams. Most of The Temptations, present and former, showed no ill feelings towards each another, although Otis Williams reported that Kendricks refused to speak to him during the ceremony.[44] The Temptations ended their induction ceremony with a performance of Paul Williams' signature song,Don't Look Back, dedicated to his memory.
After reuniting at the induction ceremony, and much to the chagrin of Otis Williams and Motown, Edwards, Ruffin, and Kendrick made plans to tour and record asRuffin, Kendricks and Edwards, Former Leads of The Temptations. The tour was in fact carried out, but production on the album was canceled when 50-year-old David Ruffin died in Philadelphia after a cocaine overdose on June 1, 1991. Kendricks was diagnosed withlung cancer soon after; he continued to perform until his death on October 5, 1992, in his native Birmingham.
Richard Street missed a performance in 1992 after undergoing emergency surgery to remove kidney stones. Otis Williams, completely unaware of Street's surgery, called him angrily about his absence. Street felt Williams was unsympathetic, and as a result, he left the group in 1993 after twenty-two years. His replacement wasSt. Louis nativeTheo Peoples.
By the early 1990s, bassist Melvin Franklin began missing performances due to failing health andRay Davis, former bass man ofParliament-Funkadelic, began touring as a fill-in during 1993.[45] Franklin died after suffering abrain seizure at the age of 52 on February 23, 1995, and Davis was named his official replacement. The group subsequently finished production onFor Lovers Only, an album of pop standards featuring two tracks recorded with Melvin Franklin prior to his death.
However, this lineup did not last, as Davis was diagnosed withlung cancer[45] and left shortly after completing the album. Davis died inNew Brunswick, New Jersey of respiratory problems and complications of lung cancer on the evening of Tuesday July 5, 2005.
The group continued as a quartet for a short time before recruiting bassistHarry McGilberry, a former member of The Futures.For Lovers Only was also the last contribution for lead Ali-Ollie Woodson; he was released from the group shortly after McGilberry's hiring[46] due to health problems:[47] he suffered two bouts of throat cancer in a short time. He was replaced by new memberTerry Weeks, who had served as his substitute.[citation needed]
The Temptations' new lineup, consisting of Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Theo Peoples, and newcomers Harry McGilberry and Terry Weeks, toured throughout 1997, and was featured in the halftime show ofSuper Bowl XXXII in early 1998, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of Motown. Later that year, The Temptations released the albumPhoenix Rising, vocally arranged by 1980s producer Narada Michael Walden,Isaias Gamboa, Claytoven Richardson, Theo Peoples, Tony Lindsey andSkyler Jett, which became their first million-selling LP in more than 20 years. The album was anchored by "Stay", a single featuring Theo Peoples on lead and including asample from "My Girl", which became a number-one hit on theurban adult contemporary charts. It was released to extremely positive reviews.
Peoples was fired from the group before the release ofPhoenix Rising because of his issues with drug addiction,[48] and was replaced byBarrington "Bo" Henderson. Henderson lip-synched to Peoples' vocals in the "Stay" music video, and the completed album features lead vocals on different tracks by both Henderson and Peoples.
Also in 1998, three months after the release ofPhoenix Rising earlier in the year,de Passe Entertainment (run by former Motown vice-presidentSuzanne de Passe) andHallmark Entertainment producedThe Temptations, a four-hour televisionminiseries based on Otis Williams'Temptations autobiography. The miniseries was broadcast in two parts onNBC on November 1 and November 2, 1998, with the first part covering the group's history from 1958 to 1968, and the second part the years from 1968 to 1995.[49] The miniseries was a ratings success and was nominated for fiveEmmy Awards, withAllan Arkush winning for Best Direction;[50] it was subsequently rerun on theVH-1 cable television network and released toVHS andDVD. The Temptations were inducted into theVocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
Otis Williams' former wife Josephine Miles, Melvin Franklin's mother Rose Franklin, David Ruffin's family, andJohnnie Mae Matthews filed lawsuits against Williams, Motown, de Passe and de Passe Entertainment, Hallmark, and NBC for a number of charges, includingdefamation.[51]
The lawsuits were consolidated, the judges ruled in favor of the defendants, and the ruling was upheld when the plaintiffs appealed in 2001.[52] Williams later claimed that, although his book was used as the source material for the film, he did not have a great deal of control over how the material was presented.[50]
In 2001, their 2000 albumEar-Resistible won the group its third Grammy, this one forBest Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. Bo Henderson was fired from the group in 2003, prompting a wrongful termination lawsuit.[53]
His replacement was formerSpinners leadG. C. Cameron. The lineup of Cameron, Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Harry McGilberry, and Terry Weeks recorded for a short time before McGilberry was dismissed;[54] his replacement was formerSpaniels memberJoe Herndon. McGilberry died on April 3, 2006, at the age of 56.
The group's final Motown album,Legacy, was released in 2004. Later that year, The Temptations asked to be released from their Motown contract, and moved to anotherUniversal label, New Door Records. Their sole album with this lineup,Reflections, was released on January 31, 2006, and contains covers of several popular Motown songs, including Diana Ross & The Supremes' "Reflections", The Miracles' "Ooo Baby Baby", Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", andThe Jackson 5's "I'll Be There".[55]Dennis Edwards,Ali-Ollie Woodson and David Sea (deep soul singer from Alabama, not David Ruffin) formed The Temptations tribute group "The Temptations Revue featuring Dennis Edwards".
G.C. Cameron left the group in June 2007 to focus on his solo career.[56] He was replaced byBruce Williamson, who first affiliated with the group a year earlier. The new lineup recorded another album of soul covers,Back to Front,[57] released in October 2007. Former member Ali-Ollie Woodson died on May 30, 2010, after a long battle withleukemia.
On May 4, 2010, the group released another album titledStill Here. The first single fromStill Here, "First Kiss", was criticized for having instances of usingAuto-Tune technology.[58]
The Temptations received theGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award on February 9, 2013.[59] Otis Williams, Dennis Edwards, and the children of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, and Melvin Franklin attended the ceremony to accept the six Grammys given to the group for the occasion.[60]
Former member Damon Harris died on February 18, 2013, fromprostate cancer at aBaltimore hospital.[61] Nine days later, former member Richard Street died ofpulmonary embolism inLas Vegas, Nevada.[62] At the time of his death, Street was in the process of writing a book regarding his time with The Temptations entitledBall of Confusion: My Life as a Temptin' Temptation. Completed by his co-author, Gary Flanigan, the book was published in 2014; it is the second autobiography regarding the group.[citation needed]
In late 2015 bothBruce Williamson andJoe Herndon announced their departures from the group.[63] Williamson's replacement, Larry Braggs, was lead singer ofTower of Power from 2000 to 2013.[64][65] Herndon's replacement is Willie Green, who had previously toured with former Temptations members Richard Street and Ali-Ollie Woodson.[66] Dennis Edwards died on February 1, 2018, at age 74. He had been battling withmeningitis before his death.[67]
On May 4, 2018, The Temptations releasedAll the Time, their first album since 2010'sStill Here, as well as their first for Universal's UMe Direct imprint.[68]
Former memberG. C. Cameron substituted an absent Larry Braggs in shows in August 2019.[69][70] By October 2019[71][72] Braggs was no longer a member of the group.[73] They then temporarily toured as a quartet until June 19, 2020, when it was announced that Mario Corbino was the new member of the group replacing Larry Braggs.[74]
On September 6, 2020, former Temptations member Bruce Williamson died at age 49 fromCOVID-19.[75]
In the fall of 2021, The Temptations released two singles, "Is It Gonna Be Yes Or No", featuringSmokey Robinson, and "When We Were Kings", as part of their upcoming album,Temptations 60.[76][77] The album is scheduled to be released in January 2022.[78] In December 2021, Otis Williams introducedTony Grant as the newest member of The Temptations at a concert inOrlando, Florida.[79] Grant, who formerly sang with theRhythm and blues groupAz Yet, and starred in severalTyler Perry stage plays,[80][81] replaced Mario Corbino.
The band announced in June 2022 that Jawan M. Jackson was joining on bass, replacing Willie Green.[82]
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The group's sound is characterized by "silky soul vocals and smooth-stepping routines," and has been described aspsychedelic soul.[83][84]
Following their first Motown hit, the group altered their style several times over the ensuing years, adapting to the popular styles of the day while retaining their signature visual and vocal styles. The earliest Temptations recordings backed by Motown's stalwart studio band,The Funk Brothers, reflect the influence of producers Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, and featured a cohesive blend of blackRhythm and blues along with elements of whitepop music that later came to be known as theMotown Sound. Recordings made prior to 1966, such as "My Girl", were built-around songs with simple, direct lyrics supported by an R&B rhythm section with orchestral strings and horns added for pop appeal. During this period, each recording usually featured only one lead singer, usuallyDavid Ruffin orEddie Kendricks, althoughPaul Williams,Melvin Franklin, andOtis Williams each had solo numbers of their own at various times during this period.
In 1966, Norman Whitfield changed the group's dynamic, moving them away from the previous one lead singer model and adding elements derived from the rougher soul of artists such asJames Brown,Wilson Pickett, and the performers atStax Records. Whitfield and his lyricists crafted Temptations songs with shifts of dynamics, syncopatedhorn stabs, and more intricate harmony arrangements which spotlighted each singer's unique vocal range. Onstage, this change was reflected in the group's use of a custom-made four-headed microphone stand, invented by David Ruffin.
When Ruffin was replaced by Dennis Edwards, andSly and the Family Stone became popular, Whitfield again restructured The Temptations' sound, this time driving the group almost completely into aprogressive sound,[1] as well a pioneeringpsychedelic soul. However, ballads in the traditional style of the group were still being recorded as B-sides and album fillers, with the lone exception being "Just My Imagination".
Tracks such as the album version of "Run Away Child, Running Wild" fromCloud Nine, "Take a Stroll Thru Your Mind" fromPsychedelic Shack, and "Smiling Faces Sometimes" fromSky's the Limit, all run at least eight minutes. At Whitfield's insistence, a large portion of the additional running time for each song consisted of instrumental passages without vocals. For example, the hit version of their smash 1972 single "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was nearly seven minutes, featuring an instrumental intro that was almost two minutes, a rarity for songs of that era.
"Psychedelic soul" soon gave way to "cinematic soul", highlighting a further series of lengthy recordings featuring detailed orchestration, extended instrumental introductions and bridging passages. Often focusing on lyrics about theghettos and inner cities of black America, these songs were heavily influenced by the work of singer-songwritersIsaac Hayes andCurtis Mayfield.
Unlike Hayes and Mayfield however, The Temptations had no creative control over their recordings, and were in no way fond of the 12- and 13-minute-long songs being forced upon them by Whitfield, whose contributions were the focal point of The Temptations albums such asSolid Rock,All Directions, and particularlyMasterpiece.
In 1974, after Whitfield was dismissed as the producer for The Temptations, the group altered its sound to accommodate a balance of both up-tempo dance material as well as ballads. The vocal arrangements began to focus again primarily on one lead singer per track, although some leads were still being shared periodically. In addition, The Temptations themselves, after fighting Motown and Berry Gordy for creative control, began to write and produce some of their own material. From this point on, The Temptations focused almost exclusively on songs about romance. However, songs about social issues similar to the recordings made during Whitfield's tenure were periodically produced as well.
The Temptations recordings of the mid-1970s focused significantly on the influences offunk music from artists such asParliament-Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone, and members of both acts contributed significantly to material recorded by the group during this period. Their signature ballad sound, reduced to filler material during much of the Whitfield period, was restored to the lush, full productions of the earlier hits produced bySmokey Robinson. After a brief diversion intodisco in the late-1970s, The Temptations settled into a form of anadult contemporary-rooted type of R&B, a style in which they continue to record.
The Temptations has inspired many musical groups and artists likeThe Jackson 5,The Stylistics,The Dramatics,Blue Magic,The Beatles,The Rolling Stones,New Edition,Rod Stewart,Bob Dylan,Hall & Oates and many more.
Jason Ankeny ofAllMusic said that The Temptations are "one of Motown's greatest and grittiest vocal groups of the '60s, and pioneers of psychedelic soul during the early '70s." He also said, "Thanks to their impeccable harmonies, a parade of hits, and fine-tuned choreography, the Temptations became the definitive vocal group of the 1960s. [...] They tackled both lush pop and politically charged funk with equal flair, and over time have weathered a steady stream of changes in personnel and consumer tastes with rare dignity and grace."[84]
Berry Gordy insisted that all his acts be equally appealing to both white as well as black audiences, and employed an extensive creative team to help tailor Motown talent for the crossover success he desired. MotownchoreographerCholly Atkins, along with Paul Williams, created the trademark precise and energetic, yet refined, dance steps used by The Temptations onstage. The most famous of these, theTemptation Walk, orTemptation Strut, was adapted from similar moves byThe Flamingos andThe Vibrations, and, from those two sources, Atkins and Williams crafted the resulting signature dance routine.
Like other similar independent companies of the period, Motown was not a member of theRecording Industry of America, preferring to stay independent and handling their own widely varied distribution through thousands of "Mom & Pop" record stores and small radio stations. As such, hit singles by Motown artists such as The Temptations never achieved official "gold" or "platinum"RIAA certification until after Motown joined the RIAA in 1977.
The Temptations' songs have been covered by scores of musicians, from R&B singers such asOtis Redding ("My Girl"),Bobby Womack ("I Wish It Would Rain") andLuther Vandross ("Since I Lost My Baby"), to white soul and reggae bands such asRare Earth ("Get Ready"),UB 40 ("The Way You Do and The Things You Do") andThe Rolling Stones ("My Girl", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Just My Imagination") andMick Jagger's collaboration with reggae artistPeter Tosh on ("Don't Look Back"). The Funk Brothers (Motown) recorded "My Girl", "Runaway Child Running Wild", and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone". Hall & Oates performed "My Girl", "The Way You Do The Things You Do" in Live with Ruffin and Kendricks. Marcus Miller covered "Papa Was a Rolling Stone".British rock singerRod Stewart released a cover of "I'm Losing You" in 1971, and, in 1991, collaborated with The Temptations on the single "The Motown Song". In 2017, The Temptations and Otis Williams' then-protégé,Kyle Maack, recorded a cover of"Treat Her Like a Lady" for Maack'sShaky Ground EP which also included two additional Temptations covers.[85]
In 2004,Rolling Stone magazine ranked The Temptations number 67 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[86] The Temptations were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2005.[87] They received theLifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2013. On Saturday August 17, 2013, The Temptations were officially inducted into theR&B Music Hall of Fame at the inaugural ceremony held at the Waetejen Auditorium on the campus ofCleveland State University.[88]
In 2018, the story of The Temptations served as inspiration for thejukebox musicalAin't Too Proud, which opened onBroadway in March 2019. The show was nominated for 11Tony Awards at the73rd Tony Awards and won forBest Choreography.
akaThe Cavaliers – merged with The Distants
akaOtis Williams & the Distants,Otis Williams & the Siberians – merged with The Primes
akaThe Elgins
Studio albums
progressive soul of The Temptations
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