The Tempts do "Broadway">>>> the best

I admit I am not a big "Broadway" fan.

However, when I hear the Tempts versions of Broadway songs I sort of change my mind

I think the tv producers and their management were pushing them to sing these sort of songs, and they rose to the challenge beautifully! Paul especially seemed to be able to "nail it">> check out his "Man of La Mancha"

Best Group ever.....Star Spangled Banner by the Tempts!!

Now..the Star Spangled Banner is a very hard song to sing

More PROOF that the Temptations are the greatest group ever..
listen to them sing it in 1984

and then recently April 6 2009!!

Just beautiful...the best group ever...Temptations Forever

I LOVE Otis's Book...Temptations

If you have seen the movie, you really should read the book.

You begin to understand how and why some things were changed in the movie.

Otis added an extra chapter 10 years after the book was first published..and
after the deaths of his fellow Tempts, David, Eddie and his dearest friend Blu (Melvin)

I really really respect Otis...what a legacy this man has produced for us.
He showed nothing but class and understanding and compassion for his fellow
Tempts. I personally think he showed a LOT of restraint.

I admire the way Otis held the group together, kept his own head on straight,
and never strayed from his mission...Temptations forever.
IF you are a Tempts fan, you really should read the real deal, straight from Otis

It's all "Relative"?? Who was related to who??

Sometimes people mistakenly think that Otis WILLIAMS and Paul WILLIAMS were related, but they were not. In fact, Otis was born in Texas, Paul in Alabama, and both of their families just happened to move to Detroit.

>>> Richard Street was Melvin Franklyn's cousin...Richard sang on and off for the Temptations for over 20 years, often "filling in" for a missing/awol member...he covered for Paul during his last, troubled days with the group, even singing from a live mic backstage if Paul was not in good shape (this was in the TV movie, and from everything I have read, it was true)

Richard joined the group after Paul leftin 1971 and stayed with them until after Melvyn died,at that point he felt left out and was having some problems with the group so he left.

>>>>Melvyn was also related to......Rick James..yes, the original Superfreak! Melvyn was his uncle! Both talented ...but really really different...Melvyn was by all accounts a really nice guy , good man, family man,....and Rick James...well...Superfreak says it all



~~~~~~~~~
More ties : David Ruffin was the younger brother of Jimmy Ruffin. Jimmy and David both had contracts before they met the Tempts...in fact for a time they wanted Jimmy to join them. Jimmy had the hit "I've Passed this Way Before".

After David left/was removed from the Temptations, he recorded an album with Jimmy called "I Am My Brother's Keeper". Jimmy Ruffin was able to keep working and then leave the music business without getting involved in the drugs and problems that tortured poor David. Jimmy left the USA and settled in England where he has enjoyed a successful career as a talk show host!

The Tempts sing a HDL (Four Tops sounding) song

Holland-Dozier-Holland penned many hits, but none for the Tempts...Gordy would NOT allow it. Looking back, it was probably a wise move

The early hits of the Temptations were mostly from Smokey Robinson, the Prince of Motown, Barry Gordy's "pet" and the then VP of Motown
Later the (controversial) Norman Whitfield wrote hits for them...and was in a power struggle for the right to produce the Temptations who were the top male act at Motown

Gordy, always looking for the hits, set them against each other...when Whitfield's
over took Robinson's softer "Get Ready" (with Eddie on lead)

The Battles.....Tempts vs 4 Tops!

A really fun video from 1985

You also will see some other great groups, including my 2nd favorite group The Manhattans (the 4 Tops are my 2nd fav Motown group, and 3rd fav all together)

Gordy had a tradition of "battles" between groups (and even battles between songs,
some songs would "answer" other hit songs)

Check it out !



Another fun "Battle"..Paris 1992..at Paris Disney...all in great form here



Here is a rare copy (with Japanese subtitles) of a Battle
Motown also released a recording of this Battle and I can only assume that
is why it is hard to find on video ...they wanted money for it haha

Let's talk about Dennis Edwards

One of the most amazing things about the Temptations is that they were able to lose
the distinctive,fantastic, and yes, hit making, voice of David Ruffin and then find
a replacement that would be able to stand on his own and lead them to more great
hits and awards.

Dennis Edwards was the lead singer for the Contours, and he brought a rougher
high energy sound the group...at this time the Producing and writing was handled by Norman Whitfield who put Dennis's voice to good use.

With Dennis the Tempts moved with the "times", and were able to change their "sound" to fit the current trends! "Cloud Nine", "Psychelic Shack", "Can't Get Next to You"
and of course "Papa was a Rolling Stone" !

Dennis was on and off again with the Tempts and at one point he toured with Eddie and David Ruffin...wow!
Here is a young Dennis on "Can't Get Next to You"

Dennis went solo for awhile, and his "Don't Look Any Further" was a hit, also has been sampled by soooo many rap and hip hop artists
The talented Siedah Garrett also sang back up for Michael Jackson,
she never really had a solo hit however, really a shame

and yeah...ahem.....
I am NOT going to comment on why Dennis is moving his mouth like that LOL

Props to Tops...the 4 Tops

2nd in line in the Motown Dynasty, IMHO the 4 Tops were the Kings of Soul,
only behind the Emperors...the Temptations

I really loved seeing them in person again, only Duke is there from the originals
but it is very touching to see that

The amazing thing about the 4 Tops is that they are the group that was active the longest time without ever ever changing members!

The group sang together for an astounding 44 years until then 59 year old Lawrence Benton died of lung cancer in 1997....the 3 then toured a short while as "The Tops" then added Theo Peoples (who sang with the Tempts for awhile)...he took over as lead
when Levi Stubbs was forced to stop touring as he was suffering from cancer.
The added Ronnie McNair to the group

Founding member Obie Benson died of lung cancer in 2005. His son, Roquel Benson
now is a 4 Top..so the legacy lives on!

Levi Stubbs was a fantastic singer who could have sung Opera...unlike most of the
lead singers who were tenors (Ruffin, Kendricks) or Falsettos (Kendricks) Levi was a Baritone. The bulk of their hits were written by the powerhouse team of Holland-Dozier-Holland who also penned most of the Supremes hits

HDH pitched most of the songs at the higher end of Levi's comfortability which results in the urgent, almost strained, vibrant quality of his singing.

To his credit, Levi never once recorded any songs without his best buddies, the other 3 Tops. He did voice the roll of the Plant in "Little Shop of Horrors"

Sadly Levi died in 2008. The 4 Tops carry, with Benson's son and Duke Fakir.

"Till Death do Us Part"...a true vow for these wonderful guys.

Here is one of my favorite songs from the 4 Tops

Is there a Tempts song that I don't like???

Hmmm....I was thinking about this while listening to the wonderful
and vast lineup of wonderful songs and singing on the "Emperors of Soul"

Is there a song that I don't love?? Yeah...a couple
that I don't like?? hmm....that is harder, I like most of their songs
Yes, some of the (very) early work is much less distinctive, but the
voices are great...(sometimes the material not so much)

There is probably only one song I personally "don't like"...and flip through
on a cd...it is "Angel Doll". I don't remember it from the days when I bought
Tempts records on vinyl, or from the radio.

I think I heard it on "compilation" albums. I recently did a little google on it
and was surprised to find that Stevie Wonder was one of the songwriters??? That
was a surprise cause I love Stevie Wonder and have seen him perform twice.

However, something about the song still "jars" me or annoys me...David sings it
well, the voices are great but it seems like it is "speeding" too fast, and for me that gets annoying.

Click here to hear Angel Doll

(Oh...and I am not crazy about some of the Broadway show tune/"standard" Las Vegasy
stuff....cause I don't like that sort of Music, but I would still rather hear the Temptations sing it than anyone else)

So, yes the only song I would say I really DO NOT like is "Angel Doll"...sort of the Temptations merged with the Chipmunks

Guess WHO??? Who is singing backup for Mary Wells???

Yeah....3 guesses...and the first 2 don't count

As we know the Tempts were signed to Motown but couldn't seem to get a "hit"
Gordy was not one to waste talent however, and so they sang backup on various
songs when and where needed.

The fantastic and soulful voice of Mary Wells was enhanced by...the Tempts

I think this was at the point between Al Bryant and David Ruffin...when they were a foursome for a few short months....wow...listen to this



Here is a little known concert clip at the famous Apollo Theater....and look WHO is singing backup!....wow

Gossip Gossip Gossip...some interesting stuff from "Panache Report"

This is a cool site with up to the minute entertainment news and gossip
and a whole page devoted to "gossip" rumors and facts about the stars of Motown
including of course the premier Men's group...our Temptations

some of it is not pretty...but you can't tear yourself away
some of it is very sad...and makes one think "if only"

I was delighted however to see various good posts that help support my thoughts that while David Ruffin was no saint with Tammy Terrell,(yes, he was an abusive addicted jerk)....there is also NO validity to the idea that he "caused" the brain tumor that killed her so young. It was a heredity based disease/tumor

Click here to read the (old) but still Juicy Motown Gossip from Pananche