The Temptations

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The Temptations are an American vocal group notable for their

success with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. Known for The Temptations
their choreography, distinct harmonies, and flashy wardrobe, the group
was highly influential in the evolution of R&B and soul music.[1]
Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are one of the
most successful groups in music history.[2][3][4] As of 2017, the
Temptations continue to perform with one original member, Otis
Williams, still in the lineup.

Featuring five male vocalists and dancers (save for brief periods with
fewer or more members), the group formed in 1960 in Detroit,
Michigan under the name The Elgins. The original founding members
were originally members of two rival Detroit vocal groups: Otis
Williams, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, and Melvin Franklin of Otis Williams
& the Distants, and Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams of the Primes.
In 1964, Bryant was replaced by David 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). Ruffin was replaced in 1968 by Dennis Edwards, with whom The "Classic 5" lineup of the
the group continued to record hit records such as "Cloud Nine" (1969) Temptations: David Ruffin (bottom
and "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (1970). The left), Melvin Franklin (top left), Paul
group's lineup has changed frequently since the departures of Kendricks
Williams (top right), Otis Williams
and Paul Williams from the act in 1971. Later members of the group
(bottom right), and Eddie Kendricks
have included singers such as Richard Street, Damon Harris, Ron
Tyson, and Ali-Ollie Woodson, with whom the group scored a late- (center) c. 1965.
period hit in 1984 with "Treat Her Like a Lady". Background information
Also known as The Elgins, The
Over the course of their career, the Temptations have released four
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles and fourteen R&B number-one Pirates
singles, and their material has earned them three Grammy Awards. The Origin Detroit, Michigan,
Temptations were the first Motown recording act to win a Grammy U.S.
Award - for "Cloud Nine" in 1969[5] - and in 2013 received the Genres R&B soul funk
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Six of the Temptations
doo-wop rock & roll
(Edwards, Franklin, Kendricks, Ruffin, Otis Williams and Paul
Williams) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. Years active 1960present
Three classic Temptations songs, "My Girl", "Just My Imagination Labels Warwick Miracle
(Running Away with Me)", and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", are among Gordy Motown
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and
Atlantic New Door
Roll. The Temptations were also ranked at number 68 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of all time. Associated acts The Supremes
Smokey Robinson
Norman Whitfield
Contents Four Tops The
Temptations Review
1 History featuring Dennis
1.1 Origins Edwards
1.2 Early years Website www.temptationssing
1.3 "Classic Five" Era
.com (http://www.tem
1.4 Exit David Ruffin, enter Dennis Edwards
1.5 Psychedelic soul ptationssing.com/)
1.6 Exit Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams
 1.7 Early 1970s Members Otis Williams
1.8 Dry spell Ron Tyson
1.9 Return to Motown and Reunion Terry Weeks
1.10 From the 1980s to the 1990s
Larry Braggs
1.11 1990s
1.12 TV miniseries Willie Green
1.13 From 2000 to present Past members Elbridge "Al" Bryant
2 Musical style
2.1 Motown Sound (196168) Melvin Franklin
2.2 Psychedelic and cinematic soul (196873) Eddie Kendricks
2.3 From funk to disco to adult contemporary (1974 to Paul Williams
present) David Ruffin
2.4 Legacy and influence Dennis Edwards
3 Personnel Ricky Owens
3.1 The Primes
3.2 The Distants Richard Street
3.3 The Temptations Damon Harris
4 Discography Glenn Leonard
4.1 Top Twenty Singles Louis Price
4.2 Top Ten Albums Ali-Ollie Woodson
5 Filmography Theo Peoples
5.1 Television work
5.2 Video and DVD releases Ray Davis
6 References Harry McGilberry
7 Bibliography Barrington "Bo"
8 External links Henderson
G. C. Cameron
Joe Herndon
History Bruce Williamson

Origins

Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams started singing together in church as children. By their teenage years, they
formed a doo-wop quartet in 1955 with Kell Osborne and Wiley Waller, naming themselves the Cavaliers.[6]
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 to the Primes under the direction of Milton Jenkins. The
Primes soon became well known around the Detroit area for their meticulous performances.[7] Jenkins later
created a sister group, The Primettes, later known as the Supremes. Kendricks was already seen as a "matinee
idol" in the Detroit area while Williams was well received for his baritone vocals.[6] 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 named Otis Williams and the Siberians. The group included Elbridge "Al" Bryant, James "Pee-Wee"
Crawford, Vernard Plain and Arthur Walton. The group recorded a song, "Pecos Kid" for a label run by radio
deejay Senator Bristol Bryant.[8] Shortly after its release, the group changed its name to The El Domingoes.
Following this, Montgomery native Melvin Franklin replaced Arthur Walton as bass vocalist and Detroit-born
Richard Street (claimed by Melvin Franklin to be his cousin)[9]replaced Vernard Plain as lead singer. Signing
with Johnnie Mae Matthews' Northern Records, the group had their name changed again to The Distants.

The group recorded two Northern singles including "Come On" (1959) and "Alright" (1960).[10] Between these
releases, Albert "Mooch" Harrell replaced Pee-Wee Crawford.[10] "Come On" became a local hit and the
Warwick Records label picked the record up for national distribution.[10] Following the release of "Alright",
Matthews appointed Williams the group leader, and the group's name was changed to Otis Williams & The
Distants.[11] During this period, both the Primes and Distants were influenced by other vocal groups including
the Miracles.[12] Other inspirations included the Cadillacs, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, the Drifters, and
the Isley Brothers.[13] Though "Come On" was a local hit in the Detroit area, the Distants never saw much
record sales and "Alright" was not as successful. After receiving an offer from Berry Gordy to sign with
Motown Records, the Distants got out of their contract with Northern Records. However, Mooch Harrell and
Richard Street shortly departed from the group and the remaining members lost use of the Distants name.
Richard Street later formed another Distants group who recorded for the Thelma label in the early 1960s.

Early years

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. The Primes disbanded in
1960 after Kell Osborne moved to California. 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 his new group. 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.
A promotional image of the original
The original name for the new lineup of Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, early 1960s Temptations lineup.
Elbridge "Al" Bryant, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams was the Elgins. Clockwise from top right: Otis
Under that name, the group auditioned for Motown in March 1961. Williams, Paul Williams, Melvin
Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, and
Already impressed with some of the members after hearing session work,
Elbridge "Al" Bryant.
Berry Gordy agreed to sign the group to the Motown imprint, Miracle.
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 the Hitsville U.S.A. studio. On a suggestion from Miracle Records employee Billy Mitchell,
songwriter Mickey Stevenson, and group members Otis Williams and Paul Williams, the Temptations became
the group's new moniker. The "Elgins" name re-surfaced at Motown in 1965, when Gordy renamed a quartet
called the Downbeats as the 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 the Motortown Revue. The group would issue 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 would on a song
titled "Isn't She Pretty". For a brief time, the group almost had their name changed to The Pirates, and recorded
the songs "Mind Over Matter" and "I'll Love You Till I Die" under that name. 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 a hold of the group, Gordy produced a version for the Contours. In 1963, the Temptations
began working with Smokey 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 the group. During a local
Detroit performance, Ruffin joined the group onstage and impressed the group with his vocal talent and
dancing skills.[14] 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 heated quarrel with Paul and hitting him in the head with a beer
bottle following a disastrous performance at the 1963 Motown company Christmas/New Years Eve party,
Bryant was summarily fired from the group. As a result, David Ruffin was brought in as his replacement in
January 1964.[15] Though Ruffin's brother, Jimmy 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 in Flagler County,
Florida, of liver cirrhosis on October 26, 1975.[16]

"Classic Five" Era

The Temptations would now consist of Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and
David Ruffin; the success that would follow the group would result in what would, in later years, be frequently
referred to as the "Classic Five" lineup.

In January 1964, Smokey Robinson and Miracles bandmate Bobby 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 its B-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.[17]

While traveling as part of Motown's Motortown Revue later that year, Robinson and fellow Miracles member
Ronnie 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 in March 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. The B-side to "My Baby", "Dont Look
Back", featured a stirring lead from Paul Williams, and was a sleeper 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, and 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 the Billboard charts, and Whitfield became the Temptations' new main producer.
He began pulling the group away from the ballad-based productions espoused by Robinson, toward a harder-
edged and brass-heavy soul sound reminiscent of James 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"[18] 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 by Frank Wilson, a Whitfield protg, and the "You're My Everything", on which Kendricks
and Ruffin share lead. Studio albums during the "Classic Five" period apart from Meet the Temptations include
The Temptations Sing Smokey (1965), The Temptin' Temptations (1965), Gettin' Ready (1966), The Temptations
with a Lot o' Soul (1967), and The Temptations Wish It Would Rain (1968).

During this period, the various songwriting partners of Norman Whitfield included Roger Penzabene, Edward
Holland, Jr., and Temptations road show manager and guitarist Cornelius Grant. Subsequently, Barrett Strong,
who sang the very first hit at Motown in 1959, "Money (That's What I Want)", began working with Whitfield
and Penzabene on Temptations material after Eddie Holland left Motown with the rest of the Holland-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 the
suicide 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 as American Bandstand, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The
Hollywood Palace. At the same time, the group began to achieve a crossover success, 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 famous Copacabana in New York City along with dates at other similar supper clubs.
Outside of music, the Temptations were made honorary members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Exit David Ruffin, enter Dennis Edwards

By 1967, David Ruffin had begun demanding special treatment as lead singer, riding to and from gigs in a
private mink-lined limousine with his then-girlfriend, Motown singer Tammi Terrell, instead of in the group
limousine used by the other four Temptations. The other members slowly became irritated and annoyed with
Ruffin's behavior. Following Motown's decision to rechristen the Supremes as Diana Ross & the Supremes,
Ruffin felt entitled to the same treatment and demanded that his group be renamed as well, to David Ruffin &
the Temptations. Ruffin was also causing friction with Berry Gordy by demanding an accounting of the group's
earnings;[19] 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. - a subsidiary of Motown.[19]

Some of this behavior was attributed to the fact that by this time Ruffin had begun using cocaine 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 of Dean Martin),[20] the group decided that he had crossed the line. The other
four Temptations drew up legal documentation, officially firing Ruffin on June 27, 1968.[21] 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,[22] was hired to take Ruffin's place.

Edwards and Ruffin were good friends, and at first, Ruffin went along with the changing of the guard and
encouraged Edwards. However, at Edwards' official debut with the Temptations in Valley 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.[23] 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.[23]

In a story recounted several times by Dennis Edwards,[22] (refuted by Otis Williams and Temptations road
manager Don Foster),[24] 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 to do so. Otis Williams informed the then still-
new Edwards that the group would lay him off and rehire Ruffin while in Gaithersburg, 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.[22][24]

After Gaithersburg, Ruffin stopped attempting to bogart 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 to keep the singer from leaving and the case was eventually settled out of
court.[25] The settlement required Ruffin to remain with Motown as a solo artist to finish out his contract.[25]
Edwards' first album with the Temptations was Live at the Copa, recorded at the group's return to the
Copacabana nightclub. The year 1968 also saw the debut of the first of a number of collaborations for the
Temptations with Diana Ross & the Supremes. The results included two studio albums: 1968's Diana Ross &
the Supremes Join The Temptations, which featured Edwards's 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 two
NBC television specials, TCB (aired December 9, 1968) and G.I.T. on Broadway (aired November 12, 1969).

Psychedelic soul

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 producing psychedelic-based
material for the Temptations, derived primarily from the sound of funk
band Sly & the Family Stone. This new style, which debuted with the
Top 10 hit single "Cloud Nine"[18] in October 1968, was a marked
departure from the David Ruffin-era ballads. The instrumentation was
funkier, the beat was hard-driving, and all five Temptations traded lead
vocals, similar to Sly & the Family Stone. "Cloud Nine", the
centerpiece of the group's landmark Cloud Nine LP, was a Top 10 hit
and won Motown its first Grammy Award, for Best R&B Vocal Group
Performance of 1969.

The blending of the Motown sound and psychedelic rock sound resulted
in a new subgenre of music called psychedelic soul, also evident in the
work of Diana Ross and the Supremes ("Reflections", "Love Child"),
Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", and The Temptations perform on The Ed
music of the 5th Dimension, the Undisputed Truth, and the Friends of Sullivan Show in September 1969. Left
Distinction. More Temptations psychedelic soul singles followed in to right: Otis Williams, Melvin
Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul
1969 and 1970among them "Runaway Child, Running Wild" (a
Williams, and Dennis Edwards.
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 number 33 Pop in the fall of 1970. The group's other important
albums from this period included Puzzle People (1969) and Psychedelic Shack (1970). Psychedelic Shack
includes the original version of "War", later made famous by Edwin Starr.

Exit Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams

Paul Williams, who suffered from sickle-cell disease, fell into depression because of the stress of touring and
personal issues. By the late 1960s, he had developed a serious case of alcoholism. Having never previously
consumed anything stronger than milk, he began to drink quite heavily, and it was hard to take, according to
Otis Williams.[26][27] As his physical and mental health began to decline sharply, it made performing
increasingly difficult. Williams began traveling with oxygen tanks,[26] and the other four Temptations made
valiant efforts to raid and drain his alcohol stashes.[26]

In late 1969, Richard Street, lead singer of Motown act the Monitors and a former Distant, was hired by Otis
Williams to tour with the group as a backup replacement for Williams.[26][28] For most shows, save for his solo
numbers, Williams would dance and lip-sync on stage to parts sung live by Street into an offstage mic behind a
curtain. At other shows, and during most of the second half of 1970, Street substituted for Williams on stage
when he was too sick to go on.[29]

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.[30] 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 would be willing to go over all group finances with independent
accountants.[30] Otis Williams and Franklin strongly opposed this idea, and regular group infighting between
Kendricks, Otis Williams, and Franklin grew from this disagreement.[30] After a November 1970 Copacabana
engagement, one final confrontation between the three caused Kendricks to walk out in-between shows and not
return. Both Kendricks and Williams then agreed that Kendricks would be leaving the group.[30] 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.[31]

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 the Sky's the Limit LP along with the original album version of "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Just My
Imagination" was released as a single in January 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.

The Temptations originally hired Ricky Owens, from the Los Angeles-based vocal group the Vibrations, to
replace Kendricks. However, Owens only played two dates with the group before he was fired for forgetting the
words to his solo numbers due to nervousness.[32] For several weeks of the spring of 1971, the Temptations
were without a fifth member. Owens meanwhile returned to the Vibrations and died in Los Angeles, California
on December 6, 1996, at the age of 57.

Whitfield took the remaining Temptations quartet and 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 for the Undisputed Truth instead, becoming a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.
Meanwhile, "It's Summer" peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first Temptations
single to miss the Top 40 since "Farewell My Love" eight years earlier.

After his doctor declared a few weeks later that he was unable to continue performing due to medical reasons,
Paul Williams quit the Temptations in May.[33] Richard Street officially took Williams' 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),[34] 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 the Wayne County coroner.

Early 1970s

In May 1971, the Temptations finally found a permanent replacement for the first tenor position in twenty-year-
old Baltimore native Damon Harris. 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 with
Quiet Elegance as their back-up singers. Quiet Elegance featured Lois Reeves, the sister of Martha Reeves,
alongside Frankie Gearing and Millie Vaney-Scott.

Late 1972 saw the release of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", a magnum opus written by Norman Whitfield and
Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield. Originally a three-minute record written and produced for the
Undisputed Truth, Whitfield took the somber tune and created a sprawling, dramatic twelve-minute version for
the Temptationsa forerunner of the extended single, soon to become popular in clubs and discothques. 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 for Best R&B Performance by a Group. Whitfield and
arranger/conductor Paul Riser won the award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for the instrumental
version on the B-side, and Whitfield and Barrett Strong won the songwriting Grammy for Best 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 "Papa" led Whitfield to create more elongated, operatic
pieces, including the Top 10 hit "Masterpiece" (1973) and several of the tracks on the resulting Masterpiece
album. Tensions developed between Whitfield and the group, who found Whitfield arrogant and difficult to
work with, and the group 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,
sought to change producers.[35] Otis Williams complained about Whitfield's actions and the Temptations'
stagnant sales to Berry Gordy; as a result, the group was reassigned to Jeffrey Bowen, co-producer of the 1967
In a Mellow Mood album.[35]

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 established
Whitfield Records, taking the Undisputed Truth and Willie Hutch with him, along with Rose Royce---who
performed an instrumental track for "Let Your Hair Down" before recording their 1976 smash "Car Wash."

Dry spell

Bowen's first LP with the Temptations was January 1975's A Song for You, which included a cover of the titular
Leon Russell tune (popularized with soul audiences by Donny Hathaway), along with the pop Top 40/R&B
number-one hits "Happy People" (featuring the Commodores as the instrumentalists) and "Shakey Ground"
(featuring instrumentation by Parliament-Funkadelic's Eddie Hazel along with Billy Bass Nelson).
"Glasshouse", the group's final Top 40 Pop hit was also included. Damon Harris was fired from the group
during the recording of A Song for You, as his behavior and work ethic were deemed unprofessional,[36] and his
replacement was Washington, D.C. native Glenn Leonard, formerly of the Unifics.[37]

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), and The Temptations Do the Temptations (August 1976). None of these recordings were as
commercially successful as A Song for You however, and none of their associated singles entered the Billboard
charts.[38]

As time progressed, Bowen pushed Dennis Edwards further to the front of the group. This was evident on
Wings of Love, where several tracks featured Edwards' vocal more prominently than the other Temptations'
backing vocals.[39] 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. After The Temptations Do the Temptations was
recorded in 1976, Edwards was fired from the group,[40] and with new lead Louis Price on board, they left
Motown for Atlantic Records.[41]

Success continued to elude the group at Atlantic, however. Their two releases on Atlantic Hear to Tempt You
(1977), and Bare 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,[39] and shortly afterwards, the Temptations met once again with Smokey Robinson and Berry Gordy,
who re-signed the group to Motown in 1980.[42]

Return to Motown and Reunion

Upon the return to Motown several lineup changes occurred. Louis Price departed from the group and joined
the Drifters. Dennis Edwardswho had made an unsuccessful attempt at developing a solo career during his
three-year exit from the groupreturned to the lineup. Berry Gordy co-wrote and produced "Power", the
Temptations' first single under the new contract. "Power", from the album of the same name, hit number 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 with Philadelphia-based producer Thom 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 titled Reunion, and its
subsequent promotional tour. Rick James, the Motown funk star who had previously used the Temptations as
backup vocalists on his 1981 hit "Super Freak" and whom Franklin claimed as his nephew,[9] wrote, produced,
and guested on the Reunion album's lead single, "Standing on the Top". The single went to number-six on the
R&B charts and featured Ruffin, Kendricks and Edwards trading back and forth on lead.

While the ensuing Reunion 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 of chain 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 the Reunion 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. Following its release, Glenn Leonard was let go and 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 album
Hear to Tempt You.

From the 1980s to the 1990s

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 from Surface Thrills, charted at number 17.

The lineup of Franklin, Williams, Street, Tyson, and Edwards proved to be short-lived. The five performed on
Motown 25 and released the direct to video The Temptations: Live in Concert (filmed at Harrah's Atlantic City).
The album Back to Basics, released later in 1983, was the first album featuring Ron Tyson on lead. "Sail
Away," produced by a returning Norman Whitfield and featuring Ron Tyson's first lead vocal, peaked at
number 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 the Back to Basics album) was again fired in 1984, for missing rehearsals or showing up
hungover. He then attempted a second solo career, scoring a hit with the 1984 single "Don't Look Any Further",
a duet with Siedah 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 former Earth,
Wind & Fire members Al McKay and Ralph Johnson. The single 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 number 48. The group
enjoyed further successes with 1985's "Do You Really Love Your Baby," a number 14 R&B hit co-written by
soul star Luther Vandross, and 1986's "Lady Soul," the group's third and final 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's third tenure,
Together Again, released in late 1987. The following year, 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.)

Edwards was fired from the group for the third and final time in late 1988, with Woodson re-joining the lineup.
On January 18, 1989, the Temptations were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The event honored
Edwards, Franklin, Otis Williams, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks (now performing as "Eddie Kendrick"), and,
posthumously, Paul Williams. Most of the Temptations, present and former, showed no ill feelings towards one
another, although Otis Williams reported that Kendricks would not speak to him during the ceremony.[42] 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 as Ruffin, 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 with
lung cancer soon after; he continued to perform until his death on October 5, 1992, in his native Birmingham.

1990s

Richard Street missed a performance in 1992 after undergoing emergency surgery to remove kidneystones. Otis
Williams, 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 was St. Louis
native Theo Peoples.

By the early 1990s, bass Melvin Franklin began missing performances due to failing health and Ray Davis,
former bass man of Parliament-Funkadelic, began touring as a fill-in during 1993.[43] Franklin died after
suffering a brain seizure at the age of 52 on February 23, 1995, and Davis was named his official replacement.
The group subsequently finished production on For Lovers Only, an album of pop standards featuring two
tracks recorded with Melvin Franklin prior to his death.

This lineup would not last, however, as Davis was diagnosed with lung cancer[43] and left shortly after
completing the album. Davis died in New 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 bass Harry McGilberry, a former member of
the Futures. For Lovers Only would also be the last contribution for lead Ali-Ollie Woodson; he was released
from the group shortly after McGilberry's hiring[44] due to health problems:[45] he suffered two bouts of throat
cancer in a short time. He was replaced by new member Terry Weeks, who had served as his sub.

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 of Super Bowl
XXXII in early 1998, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of Motown. Later that year, the Temptations
released Phoenix Rising, vocally arranged by 1980s producer Narada Michael Walden, Isaias Gamboa,
Claytoven Richardson, Theo Peoples, Tony Lindsey and Skyler Jett, which became their first million-selling
album in more than 20 years. The album was anchored by "Stay," a single featuring Theo Peoples on lead and
including a sample from "My Girl," which became a number-one hit on the adult contemporary charts.

Peoples was fired from the group before the release of Phoenix Rising because of issues with drug
addiction,[46] and was replaced by Barrington "Bo" Henderson. Henderson lip-synched to Peoples's vocals in
the "Stay" music video, and the completed album features lead vocals on different tracks by both Henderson
and Peoples. Peoples would go on to join the Four Tops the following year.

TV miniseries
Also in 1998, de Passe Entertainment (run by former Motown vice-president Suzanne de Passe) and Hallmark
Entertainment produced The Temptations, a four-hour television miniseries based on Otis Williams'
Temptations autobiography. The miniseries was broadcast in two parts on NBC 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.[47] The miniseries was a ratings success and was nominated for five Emmy Awards, with Allan
Arkush winning for Best Direction;[48] it was subsequently rerun on the VH-1 cable television network and
released to VHS and DVD.

Otis Williams' former wife Josephine Miles, Melvin Franklin's mother Rose Franklin, David Ruffin's family,
and Johnnie Mae Matthews filed lawsuits against Williams, Motown, de Passe and de Passe Entertainment,
Hallmark, and NBC for a number of charges, including defamation.[49][50] The lawsuits were consolidated, and
the judges ruled in favor of the defendants, and the ruling was upheld when the plaintiffs appealed in
2001.[50][51] 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.[48]

From 2000 to present

The Temptations were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2001, their 2000 album Ear-
Resistible won the group its third Grammy, this one for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. Bo
Henderson was fired from the group in 2003, prompting a wrongful termination lawsuit.[52] His replacement
was former Spinners lead G. C. Cameron. The lineup of Cameron, Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Harry
McGilberry, and Terry Weeks recorded for a short time before Harry McGilberry was dismissed;[53] his
replacement was former Spaniels bass Joe 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 another Universal Motown Records Group 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", and the Jackson 5's
"I'll Be There."[54]

G. C. Cameron left the group in June 2007 to focus on his solo career.[55] He was replaced by new member
Bruce Williamson. The new lineup recorded another album of soul covers, Back to Front,[56] released in
October 2007. Former member Ali-Ollie Woodson died on May 30, 2010, after a long battle with leukemia.

On May 4, 2010, the group released their Still Here album. The first single from Still Here, "First Kiss", was
criticized for having instances of using Auto-Tune technology.[57]

The Temptations received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on February 9, 2013.[58] 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.[59]

Former member Damon Harris died on February 18, 2013, from prostate cancer at a Baltimore hospital.[60]
Nine days later, former member Richard Street died of pulmonary embolism in Las Vegas, Nevada.[61] At the
time of his death, Street was in the process of writing a book regarding his time with the Temptations entitled
Ball 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.

In late 2015 both Bruce Williamson and Joe Herndon announced their departures from the group.[62]
Williamson's replacement is Larry Braggs, lead singer of Tower of Power from 2000[63] to 2013.[64] Herndon's
replacement on bass is Willie Green, who had previously toured with former Temptations Richard Street and
Ali-Ollie Woodson.[65]

Musical style
Unlike many other R&B groups, each member of the Temptations was a lead singer of some capacity, and the
Temptations' songs depended upon the individual members' interaction as a group. Although the group always
had an appointed main lead singer who dominated most of the lead vocals (from Paul Williams to David
Ruffin, Dennis Edwards, and later singers such as Louis Price, Ali-Ollie Woodson, and Terry Weeks), that
singer was never given more of a promotional push than the other members. Co-lead songs, with two or more
of the singers sharing the lead vocals, are common in the Temptations catalog, particularly among the
psychedelic-era recordings of the late 1960s/early 1970s.

Motown Sound (196168)

Following their first Motown hit, the group would alter 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 black rhythm and blues along
with elements of white pop music that later came to be known as the Motown 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, usually David Ruffin or Eddie Kendricks, although Paul Williams, Melvin
Franklin, and Otis Williams each had solo numbers of their own at various times during this period.

The Temptations generally eschewed melisma and other complicated vocalization techniques that many other
Motown groups of the period featured. They favored a more direct, yet obviously gospel-rooted vocal approach
to make the songs more palatable for white audiences. Creative control remained primarily in the hands of
Smokey Robinson. Although, individual members of the Temptations periodically co-wrote some of their own
songs, most frequently by Eddie Kendricks, who also handled the vocal arrangements for all the Temptations'
material.

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 as James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and
the performers at Stax Records. Whitfield and his lyricists crafted Temptations songs with shifts of dynamics,
syncopated horn 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, which allowed each member freedom to perform without having to all crowd around
one or two microphones. Under Whitfield's control, the Temptations retained their white pop appeal, but also
gained popularity amongst black audiences as well.

Psychedelic and cinematic soul (196873)

When David Ruffin was replaced by Dennis Edwards, and Sly and the Family Stone became popular, Whitfield
again restructured the Temptations' sound, this time driving the group almost completely into a "psychedelic
soul"-type sound. 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".

Most other recordings from this period in 196870, such as "Cloud Nine" and "Psychedelic Shack," featured
echoed vocal tracks, distorted guitar lines with prominent use of the wah-wah pedal, hard-hitting drums, and
various stereo and other sound effects. The majority of these songs feature at least two lead singers and often,
all five Temptations sang lead, trading bars la the Family Stone. Dennis Edwards, whose vocal style had a
rougher, more Southern-soul based sound than that of David Ruffin, was often featured prominently on most of
these recordings.

Inspired heavily by the concurrent works of Sly Stone, the lyrics for these songs centered primarily around
then-current social issues such as integration, the Vietnam War, and self-consciousness. In addition, in an
attempt to get the social message contained therein across to their audiences more clearly, many of the
psychedelic soul recordings of this period were presented in mixes of extended length, often up to twice, triple
or quadruple the length of the typical three-minute Motown song.
Tracks such as the album version of "Run Away Child, Running Wild" from Cloud Nine, "Take a Stroll Thru
Your Mind" from Psychedelic Shack, and "Smiling Faces Sometimes" from Sky's the Limit, all run at least eight
minutes. At the insistence of Norman Whitfield, 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 the ghettos and inner cities of black America, these songs were heavily influenced by the work of
singer-songwriters Isaac Hayes and Curtis 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 Norman Whitfield, whose contributions were the focal point of Temptations albums such
as Solid Rock, All Directions, and particularly Masterpiece.

From funk to disco to adult contemporary (1974 to present)

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
again focus 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 the tenure
of Norman Whitfield were periodically produced as well.

Temptations recordings of the mid 1970s focused significantly on the influences of funk music from artists such
as Parliament-Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone, and members of both acts contributed significantly to
material recorded by the group during this period. In addition, 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 by Smokey Robinson. After a brief diversion into disco in the late-1970s, the Temptations settled into
a form of an adult contemporary-rooted type of R&B, a style in which they continue to record.

Although the group continues to feature dancing as an important aspect of its act, as the ages of its members
have increased, live shows have focused on less intricate choreography.

Legacy and influence

With their tailored suits and detailed choreography, the Temptations set the bar high for male soul and R&B
groups of the period. Before the Temptations became popular, most black vocal groups were rough, high-
energy acts featuring vocals that were more raw and dance movements that were more improvisational. Only a
few performers, including contemporaries Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, and the Four Tops, showed the refined
style that would be popularized by the Temptations.

Producer 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.
Motown choreographer, Cholly 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, the Temptation Walk, or
Temptation Strut, was adapted from similar moves by the Flamingos and the Vibrations, from those two
sources, Cholly Atkins and Paul Williams crafted the resulting signature dance routine.

Like other similar independent companies of the period, Motown was not a member of the Recording 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.
During the 1960s and 1970s, a number of soul groups showed significant influence from the Temptations,
among them the Delfonics, the Chi-Lites, Parliaments, featuring George Clinton, the Dramatics, Daryl Hall &
John Oates (from 1965 to 1967 one of Daryl Hall's earliest bands was named the Temptones), and Motown
labelmates the Jackson 5 and the Undisputed Truth. These acts and others, showed the influence of the
Temptations in both their vocal performances and their onstage choreography. Several more recent soul and
R&B vocal groups, including New Edition led by Johnny Gill, Jodeci, BLACKstreet, Dru Hill, and, most
notably, Boyz II Men in the 1980s also showed significant influence from the Temptations.

The Temptations' songs have been covered by scores of musicians, from R&B singers such as Luther Vandross
("Since I Lost My Baby"), to pop vocalists such as Bette Midler ("Just My Imagination"), to rock bands such as
Rare Earth ("Get Ready"), Anthrax, Love and Rockets, Duran Duran ("Ball of Confusion (That's What the
World Is Today)" and the Rolling Stones ("My Girl," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Just My Imagination") and
Mick Jagger's collaboration with reggae artist Peter Tosh on ("Don't Look Back"). British rock singer Rod
Stewart released a cover of "I'm Losing You" in 1971, and in 1991, collaborated with the Temptations on the
single "The Motown Song."

The lives and careers of the Temptations were one of several inspirations for The Five Heartbeats, a 1991 film
about a 1960s Motown-esque male group starring Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon, and Harry J.
Lennix.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the Temptations number 67 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of
All Time.[66] They received the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 2013. On Saturday August 17, 2013,
the Temptations were officially inducted into the R&B Music Hall of Fame at the inaugural ceremony held at
the Waetejen Auditorium on the campus of Cleveland State University.

Personnel
For a detailed listing of the various versions of the Temptations (and
a timeline), see: List of the Temptations members.

The Primes

aka The Cavaliers

Paul Williams (195560)

Eddie Kendricks (195560)
Kell Osborne (195560) The Temptations on stage at
Wiley Waller (195557) London's Royal Albert Hall,
November 2005. Pictured L-R: Joe
The Distants Herndon, Otis Williams, G.C.
Cameron, Terry Weeks, and Ron
Tyson.
aka Otis Williams & the Distants, Otis Williams & the Siberians

Otis Williams (195860)

Elbridge "Al" Bryant (195860)
James "Pee-Wee" Crawford (195859)
Vernard Plain (195859)
Arthur Walton (195859)
Melvin Franklin (195960)
Richard Street (195960)
Albert "Mooch" Harrell (195960)

The Temptations

aka The Elgins

 Otis Williams (1960present)
Elbridge "Al" Bryant (196063)
Melvin Franklin (196095)
Eddie Kendricks (196071, 1982 reunion)
Paul Williams (196071)
David Ruffin (196468, 1982 reunion)
Dennis Edwards (196877, 198084, 198789)
Ricky Owens (1971)
Richard Street (197192)
Damon Harris (197175)
Glenn Leonard (197583)
Louis Price (197780)
Ron Tyson (1983present)
Ali-Ollie Woodson (198487, 198997, 2002)
Theo Peoples (199298)
Ray Davis (199495)
Harry McGilberry (19952003)
Terry Weeks (1997present)
Barrington "Bo" Henderson (19982003)
G. C. Cameron (200307)
Joe Herndon (200315)
Bruce Williamson (200715)
Larry Braggs (2016present)
Willie Green (2016present)

Discography
Top Twenty Singles

The following singles reached the Top Twenty of the US Pop Singles Chart or the UK Pop Singles Chart, or
reached the top spot on the US R&B Chart.
Year Song Title US US R&B UK

"The Way You Do the Things You Do" 11 1

43
1964
"My Girl" 1 1
2 (1991 reissue)

"It's Growing" 18 3 45

1965 "Since I Lost My Baby" 17 4

"My Baby" 13 4

"Get Ready" 29 1 10 (1969 reissue)

"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" 13 1 21

1966
"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" 3 1 18

"(I Know) I'm Losing You" 8 1 19

"All I Need" 8 2

"You're My Everything" 6 3 26
1967
"I Wish It Would Rain" 4 1 45

"Loneliness Made Me Realize (It's You That I Need)" 14 3

"I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" 13 1 47

"Cloud Nine" 6 2 15
1968
"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
2 2 3
(Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations)

"Run Away Child, Running Wild" 6 1

"Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" 20 2

1969 "I Second That Emotion"
18
(Diana Ross & The Supremes and The Temptations)

"I Can't Get Next to You" 1 1 13

"Psychedelic Shack" 7 2 33
1970
"Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" 3 2 7

"Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" 18 8 32

1971
"Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" 1 1 8

"Take a Look Around" 30 10 13

1972
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" 1 5 14

"Masterpiece" 7 1
1973
"Let Your Hair Down" 27 1

1974 "Happy People" 40 1

1975 "Shakey Ground" 26 1

1984 "Treat Her Like a Lady" 48 2 12

"The Motown Song"

1991 10
(Rod Stewart featuring the Temptations)

"" denotes releases that did not chart

Top Ten Albums

The following albums reached the Top Ten on either the United States Pop or R&B Albums Chart.

1965: The Temptations Sing Smokey (R&B #1) (US #35)

1965: The Temptin' Temptations (R&B #1) (US #11)
1966: Gettin' Ready (R&B #1) (US #12)
1966: Greatest Hits (R&B #1) (US #5)
1967: Temptations Live! (R&B #1) (US #10)
1967: The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul (R&B #1) (US #7)
1967: The Temptations in a Mellow Mood (R&B #1) (US #13)
1968: The Temptations Wish It Would Rain (R&B #1) (US #13)
1968: The Temptations Show (R&B #2) (US #24)
1968: Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations (with Diana Ross & the Supremes) (R&B #1)
(US #2)
1968: TCB (with Diana Ross & The Supremes) (R&B #1) (US #1)
1968: Live at the Copa (R&B #2) (US #15)
1969: Cloud Nine (R&B #1) (US #4)
1969: Puzzle People (R&B #1) (US #5)
1969: Together (R&B #6) (US #28)
1969: On Broadway (R&B #4) (US #38)
1970: Psychedelic Shack (R&B #1) (US #9)
1970: Live at London's Talk of the Town (R&B #5) (US #21)
1970: Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (R&B #2) (US #15)
1971: Sky's the Limit (R&B #2) (US #16)
1972: Solid Rock (R&B #1) (US #24)
1972: All Directions (R&B #1) (US #2)
1973: Masterpiece (R&B #1) (US #7)
1973: Anthology (R&B #5) (US #65)
1973: 1990 (R&B #2) (US #19)
1975: A Song for You (R&B #1) (US #13)
1975: Wings of Love (R&B #3) (US #29)
1976: The Temptations Do the Temptations (R&B #10) (US #53)
1982: Reunion (R&B #2) (US #37)
1984: Truly for You (R&B #3) (US #55)
1986: To Be Continued (R&B #4) (US #74)
1998: Phoenix Rising (R&B #8) (US #44)

Filmography
1973: Save the Children
1987: Happy New Year
2007: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Television work

1985: The Fall Guy (TV episode Rockabye Baby, February 13, 1985)
1985: The Love Boat (TV episode Your Money or Your Wife/Joint Custody/The Temptations, October 5,
1985)
1986: Moonlighting (TV episode Symphony in Knocked Flat, October 21, 1986)
1986: 227 (TV episode Temptations, November 15, 1986)
1990: Murphy Brown (TV episode Goin' to the Chapel, Part 2, May 21, 1990)
1990: performed CBS network's 199091 version of their "Get Ready" campaign with an updated
version of Get Ready.
1993: Getting By (TV episode Reach for the Stars, November 23, 1993)
1996: New York Undercover (TV episode Deep Cover, May 2, 1996)
 2008: Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (TV appearance), March 7, 2008
2012: Dancing with the Stars (TV appearance), April 23, 2012 Motown Week

Video and DVD releases

1991: The Temptations Live in Concert
2004: 20th Century Masters The Best of the Temptations
2006: Get Ready: The Definitive Performances - 19651972
2007: The Temptations Live In London (1987)

References
1. Graff, Gary (August 29, 1988). "The Temptations: Otis tells the group's tale", Detroit Free Press. Online
version available from Internet Archive at [1] (https://web.archive.org/web/20050406060553/http://www.
freep.com/motownat40/archives/082888mo.htm)
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Bibliography
George, Nelson. "Cool as They Wanna Be". The Temptations: Emperors of Soul [CD Box Set]. New
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Temptations. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.ISBN 978-0-470-26117-0.

External links
The Temptations (http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5616) at AllMusic
The Temptations (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1100552/) on IMDb
The Temptations (https://www.ibdb.com/Person/View/90202) at the Internet Broadway Database
Otis Williams' official website (includes current tour schedule) (http://www.otiswilliams.net/main.aspx)
Ron Tyson's official website (http://www.rontyson.com/)
Official homepage for Glenn Leonard (http://www.GlennLeonardPromo.com)
Classic Temptations page at Classic Motown website (http://classic.motown.com/artist.aspx?ob=ros&src
=lb&aid=52)
"The Temptations" Vocal Group Hall of Fame page (http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/the_temptation
s.html)
"The Temptations" (https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/the-temptations/). Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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