Meet The Temptations

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The Temptations

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I first heard of the Temptations when I was a twelve-year boy in 1961 growing up in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, where I was born. I heard their song, "Check Yourself" on WCHB radio, 1440, Inkster, also the home of the Marvelettes, another Motown act. I saw them in person at Cobo Hall, at that time the home of the Detroit Pistons NBA team, singing among various songs, "A Tossin' And Turnin' " in December, 1961 at the WCHB Christmas Party with my younger sister. My favorite Temptations-lineup is not the classic lineup. My favorite is the original lineup consisting of Paul Williams, baritone and lead singer, Eddie Kendricks, falsetto tenor, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, tenor, Otis Williams, tenor and Melvin Franklin, bass. To our lost, with the exception of Otis Williams, they have all died.

This is an outstanding album. Listen to them do "Your Wonderful Love," a Berry Gordy, Jr., cop of the Impressions' "Your Precious Love." It reminds one of depths of gospel music that you will find in the church. With Paul on the lead and the other four providing the background vocals, it is art of the highest form. Then there is of course "Wonderful Love's" A-side, "Check Yourself," written by Gordy and three members of the Tempts, Al Bryant, Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. It speaks to the heart of broken love of a man who only discovers what he has lost after it is too late to get it back. Bill "Smokey" Robinson's first release on the group, entitled "Slow Down Heart," the B-side to Gordy's "Paradise," a cop of the Four Seasons' "Cherry Baby," is on the level of two other of his 1962 compositions, his Miracle's "I'll Try Something New" and his "Your Heart Belongs To Me" that was recorded by the Supremes. "Isn't She Pretty," the B-Side to "Dream Come True" (written by Gordy) and written by Gordy, Eddie Kendricks and Otis Williams reminds me somewhat of what the Temptations lineup number three would do with "Cloud Nine" and "Run Away Child Running Wild" of having several lead voices popping in and out of the piece. "The Further You Look The Less You See", the B-side to "I Want A Love I Can See" and written by Robinson and Norman Whitfield was recognized to be such a great song that a Caribbean group recorded it in the 70's. "Paradise," "Dream Come True," "Farewell My Love" and "May I Have This Dance" (the B-side of "Farewell"), which were all written by Gordy with the exception of "Dance," which were written by Whitfield and Janie Bradford, all feature the five distinct voices, who each could have been the sole lead singer of some other group. "O Mother Of Mine" (co-written by Otis Williams) and "Romance Without Finance"(co-written by Eddie Kendricks), both produced by William "Mickey Stevenson, one of Gordy's lieutenants in the early years of Motown and the Hitsville, U.S.A. studio on West Grand Boulevard, constituted their first single released in the summer of 1961. Their treatment on these two songs is special and it tells the listener that this group was special and greatness was only a matter of time. One must remember that Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks were in their early 20's and the other three were in their late teens. Gordy's "Just Let Me Know" features the classic Tempts way of doing a song with the lead singer, in this case Paul, with the other four members being voices to sing with or sing against in a type of group harmony never achieved. What the original Temptations could do with their voices is equivalent to what the King Cole Trio could do with their instruments and Band Leader Cole's voice. Their voices were incomparable.

This album showcases what a great lead singer the late Paul Williams was, a fact of which many Temptations' fans are unaware. As someone once wrote that he had a voice for the ages. His greatest lead of the early days of the Temptations was unquestionably Robinson's "I Want A Love I Can See." When I first heard the song in the spring of 1963, I knew I had to buy it, which I did. It should have been a top ten hit on both the Pop and R&B charts. Their other selections should have been Top 40 hits, especially in light of what masquerades as hits today.

The Temptations did not begin with "My Girl," "It's Growing," "Since I Lost My Baby" and "My Baby." Cornelius Grant, the Tempts' guitarist and band leader, once said that when people heard the original line-up, they got religion. When you listen to "Meet The Temptations," you will get religion.

G. E. Williams, White Plains, Westchester County, New York