The Temptations

most important work in color

1964: Meet the Temptations. 1965: The Temptations Meet Smokey * Temptin’ Temptations. 1966: Getting Ready * Greatest Hits. 1967: Live * With a Lot of Soul * In a Mellow Mood. 1968: The Temptations Wish it Would Rain * Live at the Copa. 1970: Psychedelic Shack * Live at Talk of the Town * Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. 1971: The Sky’s the Limit. 1972: All Directions * Solid Rock. 1973: Masterpiece * 1990. 1974: Anthology * A Song for You. 1975: House Party. 1976: Wings of Love * Temptations Do the Temptations. 1977: Hear to Tempt You. 1978: Bare Back. 1980: Power. 1981: The Temptations. 1982: Reunion. 1983: Surface Thrills * The Temptations * Back to Basics. 1984: Truly for You. 1985: Touch Me. 1986: 25^th Anniversary * To be Continued. 1987: Together Again. 1991: In a Mellow Mood. 1994: Emperors of Soul (5 CD box set!). 1997: Ultimate Collection.

The Temptations harmony lineup was made up of a foghorn-voiced lower end (Melvin Franklin, bass; Otis Williams and Paul Williams, baritones), falsetto on top (Eddie Kendricks) and gruff David Ruffin somewhere in between. Sometimes the lush backdrop was subverted as the singers traded lead vocals back and forth within the same song. The disjointed skips from low voices to high voices were startling. The effect was ear catching and fairly unique in the pop format. The approach conveyed the sense of community comment that their late-sixties era songs were sometimes obsessed with, though the aesthetic wasn’t always too controlled. There were moments when the Temptation’ style verged on eccentricity. At other times, at quieter moments, one almost heard the textures Marvin Gaye would go for in his classic series of 70’s records.

Smokey Robinson guided the Temptations’ first several records. Robinson’s talents were possibly spread too thin: he was writing songs for almost everybody on the Motown roster, while inking songs for his own band. He gave the Temptations their first big hit - "The Way You Do the Things You Do." The band’s second album (The Temptations Meet Smokey) is a good record by Motown standards, though Smokey’s versions of the tunes are generally more subtle and moving. Smokey’s tendency towards laid back arrangements could result in lethargy when not lavished with the detailed care he tended to display on his own albums. Though more new songs were provided by Robinson on the third album – Temptin’ Temptations – the results were dismal. The typical Motown pattern emerged: good singles, mediocre albums.

When the Temptations hooked up with producer/writer Norman Whitfield in the late 60’s, they transformed themselves into Motown’s version of Sly and the Family Stone, a "hip," social/political, funk-rock extravaganza. The idea was grand: who could not have wanted variation from Motown’s usual topic-of-choice? Norman Whitfield’s way with a rhythm track (a loose, jammy style that gave the players room to move), and his muscular use of string and horns (not as droning backup, but as churning riffs and melodic explosions), seemed promising. Even before Marvin Gaye started extending concepts, Norman Whitfield and the Tempts had made excursions on tunes like "Friendship Train," "Ball of Confusion," and "Runaway Child, Running Wild." Everything should have worked, but little of it did. Maybe Whitfield was overworked as well. Album output by Motown was slackening to what was becoming the industry standard of one album per year by performer, but not for Whitfield. What resulted was a lot of long tunes with insanely repetitive rhythm setups that seldom progressed to ensemble payoffs. This would have been okay if the atmospherics had ever reached the emotional potential of the implied sonority. But slapdash pyrotechnics and listless instrumental direction was the result on goofus opuses like "Take a Stroll Through Your Mind," "What It Is," "Zoom" and "Masterpiece." The hippie-influenced drug songs may have been sincere, but the strict-time setups were seldom clever enough to depict other-worldliness. Some critics have blamed the social-political underpinnings of Norman Whitfield’s tunes for their wearknesses. I find the argument unconvincing: Whitfield is an underrated writer/producer: maybe he’s not as consistent as a few other second-ranking Motown songwriters, but his hits – "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "I Know I’m Losing You," "Cloud Nine," "Runaway Child, Running Wild," "You Make Your Own Heaven and Hell Right Here on Earth," "You Need Love Like I Do, Don’t You," "Friendship Train," "Take a Look Around," "Superstar" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," are among the most important Motown songs – more unique in style and messge, and more inspiring, perhaps, than only a few of the best songs by Holland-Dozier-Holland.

The Temptations’ early hits packages are spotty, as is the Anthology. Wings of Love has some intense grooves and you can find it almost anywhere for a buck. Emperors of Soul’s 5 CD’s are almost as ridiculous as the Jackson’s Soulsation. Ultimate Collection is a much more rational choice. Motown has proven itself incompetent in artful packaging, and it's better just to grow your own. A hefty, well-considered Whitfield package would be welcome, but Motown's repackaging obscures the talents of its best artists.

King of Pop Music Reviews Index

SF Music Chronicle Home Page

Contact Us