The Temptations (music group)
The Temptations is a prominent American male vocal group that emerged in the 1960s, renowned for their impactful contributions to rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music. They are celebrated for their captivating ballads, dynamic choreography, and striking showmanship, with iconic hits like "My Girl" and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" marking their legacy. Formed from members of previous groups in Detroit, the Temptations gained recognition after signing with Motown Records, with their debut album releasing in 1964. Over the decades, they experienced numerous lineup changes, with key figures like David Ruffin and Dennis Edwards joining the group at different times, each influencing their musical direction.
As the 1970s progressed, the Temptations began to explore new sounds, including psychedelic soul, while continuing to achieve commercial success. Despite facing challenges such as member departures and health issues, they maintained a presence in the music industry, earning several awards, including three Grammy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award. The group has continued to tour and release music, with their most recent album, "Temptations 60," released in 2022. The Temptations' enduring influence and legacy in American music remain significant, reflecting their adaptability and commitment to their craft.
The Temptations (music group)
The Temptations is an American male vocal group that originated in the 1960s. The group quickly became known for its memorable ballads, choreography, and showmanship, and it was highly influential to the evolution of rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music. The Temptations produced numerous hit singles, including "The Way You Do the Things You Do," "My Girl," and "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." While the group saw most of its fame during the 1960s and 1970s, it continued to tour and release music in the decades that followed. The Temptations won several awards, including three Grammys and a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, during its more than fifty-year career.
Background
The Temptations came together after the disbandment of the Primes and the Distants, two vocal groups from the Detroit, Michigan, area that had been generating some publicity. Tenor Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, a baritone, from the Primes joined Distants' members Otis Williams, a baritone, bass singer Melvin Franklin, and tenor Elbridge "Al" Bryant to form the Elgins in 1961. The group eventually changed its name to the Temptations. The members signed with Motown Records and released several singles. Only one of these, "Dream Come True" (1962), achieved commercial success.
Soon after, the Temptations ran into problems when Paul Williams and Bryant clashed, leading to Bryant's departure. Tenor David Ruffin then joined the vocalists, and under the direction of writer/producer Smokey Robinson, the group released the single "The Way You Do the Things You Do," which became a top-ten hit. The Temptations' debut album, Meet the Temptations, was released in 1964. Several other hit songs emerged from the group, including Robinson's vocally driven "My Girl," which topped the charts, "It's Growing," "Don't Look Back," and "My Baby." These were included on the next two studio efforts, The Temptations Sing Smokey (1965) and The Temptin' Temptations (1965).
The following year, the group recorded "Get Ready" and then transitioned to working with new producers Norman Whitfield and Brian Holland for its 1966 album Gettin' Ready. The Temptations released the singles "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" with Kendricks at the helm and then let Ruffin take the lead for "Beauty's Only Skin Deep" and "(I Know) I'm Losing You." Around this time, Whitfield began to work full time with the Temptations. More changes came in 1968 after Ruffin, unhappy he was not being promoted as a solo act by the label, was fired for missing a scheduled live performance. Dennis Edwards, of the Contours, then replaced Ruffin. At this time, the group entered its psychedelic-influenced soul period, releasing the single "Cloud Nine." It then introduced social and political themes to its songs, releasing "Run Away Child, Running Wild" and the albums Cloud Nine (1969) and Psychedelic Shack (1970).
The Temptations—with Kendricks on lead vocals—then released its popular ballad "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" in 1971. Shortly afterward, Kendricks left the group to begin a solo career. Paul Williams, who was suffering from some health issues, left the Temptations around the same time.
Continued Career
The remaining three vocalists replaced their departed members with recruited tenors Damon Harris and Richard Street, and the new lineup released the song "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" in 1971. The group followed with the single "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," which won two Grammy Awards in 1973. That same year, the Temptations learned that former member Paul Williams, a longtime alcoholic, had died at the age of thirty-four.
The Temptations continued to release hit songs, including "Masterpiece," "Let Your Hair Down," and "The Plastic Man." However, the group's loyal following began to wane throughout the 1970s. Harris left in 1975 and was replaced by tenor Glenn Leonard. The following year, the Temptations released The Temptations Do the Temptations. The group then parted ways with Motown and signed with Atlantic. At this time, Edwards departed the group and was replaced by Louis Price.
The vocalists added disco flair for the 1978 albums Bare Back and Hear to Tempt You. These were largely unsuccessful efforts. A few more shakeups occurred in the years that followed. Edwards returned, but this resulted in the exit of Price. The Temptations then returned to Motown and released the album Power in 1980. After struggling to reclaim its previous fame, the group re-added Ruffin and Kendricks for Reunion (1982) and a short-lived tour ensued. However, differences again led the Temptations to cut the reunion tour short, and Ruffin and Kendricks again departed. The Temptations continued to record music and tour throughout the rest of the decade. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.
Enjoying solo careers of their own, Kendricks, Edwards, and Ruffin teamed for the Tribute to the Temptations tour in the late 1980s, but Ruffin, who suffered from drug addiction, died in 1991 at the age of fifty. Kendricks died of lung cancer the following year.
The 1990s were filled with difficulties for the Temptations. Franklin, who was in ill health, passed away from a brain seizure in 1995; his last recording was "Life Is but a Dream." In 1998, the Temptations released Phoenix Rising, a sort of comeback that eventually reached double-platinum status. That same year, the group was the subject of the NBC miniseries The Temptations, which was based on Otis Williams's autobiography of the same name. The album Ear-Resistible followed in 2000, and the group won its third Grammy Award in 2001. The vocalists released their last Motown effort, Legacy, in 2004.
The Temptations then signed with New Door and released Reflections in 2006 and Back to Front in 2007, the latter of which contained hits from the 1960s and 1970s. The Temptations then spent the next three years touring and issued Still Here in 2010. In 2013, the Temptations received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award. The Temptations—with Otis Williams as the only remaining original member—continued to perform and tour, and the group released the album Temptations 60 in 2022.
Bibliography
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