Meet the Temptations

Meet the Temptations
Studio album by The Temptations
Released	April 13, 1964 [1]
Recorded	Spring 1961 – January 1964
Genre	Soul, doo-wop
Length	31:33
Label	Gordy GS 911
Producer	Berry Gordy, Andre Williams, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Smokey Robinson, and Norman Whitfield
The Temptations chronology
Meet the Temptations (1964) The Temptations Sing Smokey (1965)
Singles from Meet the Temptations
"Check Yourself" Released: November 7, 1961 "Dream Come True" Released: March 16, 1962 "Paradise" Released: September 26, 1962 "I Want a Love I Can See" Released: March 18, 1963 "Farewell My Love" Released: June 25, 1963 "The Way You Do the Things You Do" Released: January 23, 1964

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
Record Mirror	[3]

Meet the Temptations is the debut studio album by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label released in 1964. It includes most of the group's early singles, excluding only the first, "Oh Mother of Mine", and its b-side, "Romance Without Finance" (later included on a CD reissue of the LP); as well as the single "Mind Over Matter" (and its b-side "I'll Love You Till I Die"), in which the group is credited as The Pirates. The album consists entirely of previously released singles, including the group's first hit single, "The Way You Do the Things You Do".

The lineup on the cover features Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, and newest Temptation Davis (later David) Ruffin. Ruffin had just joined the act three months before this album was released, and actually only appears on "The Way You Do The Things You Do". The other tracks all feature original Temptation Elbridge "Al" Bryant, who was fired from the group in December 1963.

Again, excepting the hit single, these tracks all date from the Temptations' slow-selling starting period (during which some Motown staffers referred to them as the "hitless Temptations"). Despite local success in Detroit and the midwest, the Temptations released six singles that missed the Top 100 Pop & R&B charts, and one, "Dream Come True", which made it to #22 on the R&B singles chart. Most of these songs feature Paul Williams as (main) lead, while Kendricks, Bryant, Franklin, and Otis Williams were given plenty of lead lines, ad-libs and harmony vocals heard throughout the album. Kendricks was also given a small handful of songs to lead as well, including the two charting singles.

The album was originally issued only in monaural sound. A stereo remix of the album was issued along with the original mono version in 1966. The bonus tracks were added to the album in 1999.

History

Origins

Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams started singing together in church as children in Birmingham, Alabama. By their teenage years, they formed a doo-wop quartet in 1955 with Kell Osborne and Wiley Waller, naming themselves the Cavaliers.

After Waller left the group in 1957 to move to cleaveland, 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. 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.

Meanwhile, concurrently, Texas & Thomasville tweens Otis Williams & Elbridge "Al" Bryant both moved to Detroit as youngsters & meet each other in the early 1950s at The Cadilacs that was held at the famous Detroit Venue the Fox Theater. By 1955, Williams & Bryant formed a group called The Siberians. The group also included their high school buddies 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 and they also meettheir future manager Milton Jenkins. Shortly after its release, the group changed its name to The El Domingoes. After the release of Pecos Kid Arthur Walton and Vernard Plain quit the group to finnish high school. Montgomery native Melvin Franklin was recruited to the group as a bass vocalist and Detroit-born Richard Street (claimed by Melvin Franklin to be his cousin) to be their 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" (1958) and "Alright" (1959). Between these releases, "Come On" became a local hit, and the Warwick Records label picked the record up for national distribution.Following the release of "Alright", Matthews appointed Williams the group leader, and the group's name was changed to Otis Williams & The Distants.During this period, both the Primes and Distants were influenced by other vocal groups including the Miracles., Other inspirations included The Cadillacs, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, the Drifters, and the Isley Brothers. 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,James "Pee-Wee" Crawford and Richard Street shortly departed from the group and the remaining members lost use of the Distants name due to being dropped from Johnnie Mae Matthews Label Nothern Records. Richard Street later formed another Distants group who recorded for the Thelma label in the early 1960s. 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 due to the fact they both had the same manager Milton Jenkins. Friendly rivals, the Primes were considered to be the more polished and vocally stronger group of the two. However, 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, which would also include fellow former Distants members Franklin and Bryant. 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.

The original name for the new lineup of Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams was the Elgins. Under that name, the group auditioned for Motown in March 1961. Already impressed with some of the members after hearing session work, 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 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 and Elbridge Al Bryant sang Co 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 issued 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 did on a song titled "Isn't She Pretty", " Check Yourself" , May I Have This Dance, & Farewell MyLove. 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 in contact with 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 performances spot for the group and particularly for Paul Williams in general. The song also became a regional hit being a hit in places like Harlem , Las Vegas, and California. 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 them. During a local Detroit performance, Ruffin joined the group onstage and impressed the group with his vocal talent and dancing skills. 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 second altercation onstage at a Christmas performance, following an incident where he struck Paul with a beer bottle during a heated quarrel at an earlier gig in the middle of the year, Bryant was summarily fired from the group. As a result, David Ruffin was brought in as his replacement in January 1964.

Track listing

Side one

1. "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers) (lead singer: Eddie Kendricks) 2:46
2. "I Want a Love I Can See" (Robinson) (lead singer: Paul Williams) 2:33
3. "(You're My) Dream Come True" (Berry Gordy, Jr.) (lead singer: Eddie Kendricks) 2:57
4. "Paradise" (Gordy) (lead singers: Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin) 2:52
5. "May I Have This Dance" (Janie Bradford, Norman Whitfield) (lead singer: Eddie Kendricks) 2:13
6. "Isn't She Pretty" (Gordy, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams) (lead singers: Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, Al Bryant) 2:45

Side two

1. "Just Let Me Know" (Gordy) (lead singer: Paul Williams) 2:56
2. "Your Wonderful Love" (Gordy) (lead singer: Paul Williams) 2:52
3. "The Further You Look, the Less You See" (Robinson, Whitfield) (lead singer: Paul Williams) 2:21
4. "Check Yourself" (Elbridge Bryant, Melvin Franklin, Gordy, Otis Williams) (lead singer: Paul Williams; intro: Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin) 2:48
5. "Slow Down Heart" (Robinson) (lead singers: Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin) 2:36
6. "Farewell My Love" (Gordy) (lead singers: Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Al Bryant) 2:28

1999 CD reissue bonus tracks

1. "Oh, Mother of Mine" (William "Mickey" Stevenson, Otis Williams) (lead singers: Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams) 2:20
2. "Romance Without Finance" (Stevenson, Kendricks) (lead singer: Paul Williams) 2:48

Outtakes and other early tracks

Technically there wasn't a recording session for this album as it was basically a collection of the group's singles and B-sides up to that point. Other tracks that were recorded along the same timeline that could have been included on the album were:

• "My Pillow" (Robert Plaisted)*
  • Produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson, led by Eddie Kendricks & Melvin Franklin
    • (Features Franklin, Otis Williams, Al Bryant, and Paul Williams singing the chorus out front in a four-part vocal harmony)
• "He Who Picks A Rose Demo"(Whitfield)
  • Produced by Norman Whitfield, led by Eddie Kendricks , Elbridge Al Bryant, & Paul Williams Sr.
• "Camouflage [Version 1]" (Gordy)*
  • Produced by Berry Gordy, Jr., led by Eddie Kendricks & Elbridge Al Bryant
• "So Much Joy" (Bradford, Rebecca Nichols, Earl Brooks)
  • Produced by Earl Brooks, led by Paul Williams
• "I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To" (Whitfield, Edward Holland, Jr.)**
  • Produced by Norman Whitfield, led by Paul Williams
• "Tear Stained Letter" (Whitfield, Bradford)*
  • Produced by Norman Whitfield, led by Paul Williams
• "It Don't Have To Be This Way" (Clarence Paul)
  • Produced by Clarence Paul, led by Paul Williams
• "Witchcraft (For Your Love)" (Stevenson, Robert Hamilton)**
  • Produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson & Robert Hamilton, led by Paul Williams
• "(Talking 'Bout) Nobody But My Baby" (Whitfield, Holland)**
  • Produced by Norman Whitfield, led by Eddie Kendricks
• "Positively Absolutely Right" (Andre Williams)
  • Produced by Andre Williams, led by Melvin Franklin, Al Bryant and Eddie Kendricks
• "A Tear From A Woman's Eyes" (Holland–Dozier–Holland)**
  • Produced by Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier, led by Eddie Kendricks
• All of the above tracks have subsequently been released
• Four other tracks were released as tracks/bonus tracks on other albums

Personnel

The Temptations

• Eddie Kendricks – vocals (tenor/falsetto)
• Paul Williams – vocals (second tenor)
• Melvin Franklin – vocals (bass)
• Otis Williams – vocals (baritone)
• Elbridge "Al" Bryant – vocals (tenor/falsetto) (all tracks except "The Way You Do the Things You Do")
• Davis "David" Ruffin – vocals (tenor/falsetto) ("The Way You Do the Things You Do")

with:

• Eddie Holland – backing vocals ("Check Yourself")
• Brian Holland – backing vocals ("Check Yourself")

Technical

• Berry Gordy – "Dream Come True", "Paradise", "May I Have This Dance", "Isn't She Pretty", "Just Let Me Know", "Your Wonderful Love", "Check Yourself" and "Farewell My Love", Executive Producer (Album)
• Smokey Robinson – "The Way You Do the Things You Do", "I Want a Love I Can See", "May I Have This Dance", "Just Let Me Know", "The Further You Look, the Less You See", "Slow Down Heart" and "Farewell My Love", Executive Producer (Album)
• Norman Whitfield – producer on "May I Have This Dance" and "The Further You Look, the Less You See"
• Andre Williams and William "Mickey" Stevenson (as "Dre-Mic") – producer on "Oh, Mother of Mine" and "Romance Without Finance"
• Bernard Yeszin, Wallace Mead – cover design, photography

Singles history

The main lead vocalists on each track are identified by superscripts: (a) Paul Williams, (b) Eddie Kendricks, (c) Al Bryant, (d) Otis Williams, (e) Melvin Franklin.

• "Oh Mother of Mine" ^{a, b}
  • Miracle single 5 (originally a non-album single; CD bonus track), July 24, 1961; b-side: "Romance Without Finance" ^{a, b}
• "Check Yourself" ^{a, (intro: d, e)}
  • Miracle single 12, November 7, 1961; b-side: "Your Wonderful Love" ^a
• "(You're My) Dream Come True" ^b
  • Gordy single 7001, March 16, 1962; b-side: "Isn't She Pretty" (recorded 1961) ^{c, a, b, e, d}
• "Paradise" ^{b, e}
  • Gordy single 7010, September 26, 1962; b-side: "Slow Down Heart" ^{a, e}
• "Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)" ^b(credited as The Pirates)
  • Mel-O-Dy single 105 (non-album single), September 29, 1962; b-side: "I'll Love You Till I Die" ^a(The Pirates)
• "I Want A Love I Can See" ^a
  • Gordy single 7015, March 18, 1963; b-side: "The Further You Look, the Less You See" ^a
• "Farewell My Love" ^{a, b, c, e}
  • Gordy single 7020, June 25, 1963; b-side: "May I Have This Dance" (recorded 1962)* ^{b, e}
• "The Way You Do the Things You Do" ^b
  • Gordy single 7028, January 23, 1964; b-side: "Just Let Me Know" (recorded 1963) ^{a, c}

(*) Elbridge "Al" Bryant was originally credited as the lead on "May I Have This Dance". In fact the first tenor lead on this song was actually performed by Eddie Kendricks singing in his natural tenor, as well as his falsetto on the end. Other songs with Kendricks’ natural singing voice include "My Pillow", "Camouflage [Version 1]", and "Way Over There" (from The Temptations Sing Smokey ).

Chart history

Name	Chart (1962–1964)	Peak position
Meet the Temptations	U.S. Billboard Pop Albums	95
Meet the Temptations	U.S. R&B Albums	-
"(You're My) Dream Come True"	U.S. Billboard Pop Singles	-
"(You're My) Dream Come True"	U.S. Billboard R&B Singles	22
"Paradise"	U.S. Billboard Pop Singles	122
"The Way You Do the Things You Do"	U.S. Billboard Pop Singles	11
"The Way You Do the Things You Do"	U.S. Cashbox R&B Singles	1
"Just Let Me Know"	U.S. Cashbox R&B Singles	?

• Note: There was no Billboard R&B singles chart from November 1963 until January 1965. Most discographies include R&B information from Cash Box magazine to fill in the gap in the R&B chart, as is done here for the post-1963 releases.

References

1. "New Album Releases". Billboard. The Billboard Publishing Co. 18 April 1964. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
2. Allmusic review
3. Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (8 May 1965). "The Temptations: Meet The Temptations" (PDF). Record Mirror . No. 217. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.

• Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. ISBN   0-8154-1218-5.
• Williams, Otis and Weigner, Harry (2002). My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations (Compact disc liner notes). New York: Motown/Universal Records.