| Surface Thrills | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 18, 1983 | |||
| Recorded | November 1982–February 1983 | |||
| Studio | Bill Schnee's Studio, Hitsville Recording Studios, Artisan Sound Studios | |||
| Genre | Rock/soul | |||
| Length | 37:20 | |||
| Label | Gordy | |||
| Producer | Dennis Lambert, Steve Barri | |||
| The Temptations chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Surface Thrills is the first of two 1983 albums released by the American R&B vocal group, the Temptations, on Motown Records' Gordy label.
In this album, the group attempted to fuse their vocal harmonies with rock music production, resulting in a radical departure from the Temptations' signature soul sound. It was produced by Dennis Lambert and Steve Barri [2] and features musical contributions from Jeff Porcaro of Toto, Raymond Lee Brown of Earth, Wind & Fire, and longtime James Brown collaborator Fred Wesley.
Surface Thrills yielded two singles, the title track and "Love on My Mind Tonight", with only the latter being moderately successful. This is the last Temptations album to feature falsetto Glenn Leonard, who departed from the group after eight years. Leonard's replacement would be singer-songwriter Ron Tyson, who made his Temptations debut with the following album, Back to Basics, though the group had worked with Tyson when they were with Atlantic Records on the Hear to Tempt You album where Tyson co-wrote a majority of the songs.
Superscripts denote lead singers for each track: (a) Dennis Edwards, (b) Glenn Leonard, (c) Richard Street, (d) Melvin Franklin, (e) Otis Williams .
All tracks produced by Dennis Lambert and Steve Barri except where noted.
Performers
Musicians
| Year | Album | Chart positions [3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 1983 | Surface Thrills | 159 | 19 |
| Year | Single | Chart positions [3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US AC | UK | ||
| 1983 | "Love on My Mind Tonight" | 88 | 17 | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
All Directions is a 1972 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label, produced by Norman Whitfield. It reached number two on the Billboard 200, making it the band's most successful non-collaborative album on the chart, and became their twelfth album to reach number one on the Top R&B Albums chart.
Solid Rock is a 1972 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label, produced by Norman Whitfield. The LP was the first made primarily without founding members and original lead singers Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. Frustrated by conflicts and fights with Temptations Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, and producer Whitfield's steadfast insistence on producing psychedelic soul for the group when they really wanted to sing ballads, Kendricks had quit the act and negotiated a solo deal with Motown's Tamla label.
The Temptations in a Mellow Mood is a studio album by the Temptations, released in 1967 by Gordy Records. Composed primarily of pop standards such as "Ol' Man River" and "For Once in My Life", and similar songs written by Holland-Dozier-Holland and other Motown staff songwriters, the Mellow Mood album was part of Motown chief Berry Gordy's crossover plans for the group. Gordy wanted the Temptations, already the most popular male group among black audiences, to attract a large white fanbase and be able to secure playdates at supper clubs like the Copacabana, where the group had first performed in the summer of 1967.
The Temptations Wish It Would Rain is a studio album by the Temptations, released in 1968 via Gordy Records. It was the final release from the group's "Classic-5" era, during which David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams constituted the Temptations' lineup.
House Party is a 1975 album released by the American R&B vocal group, the Temptations, on Motown Records' Gordy label.
Wings of Love is a 1976 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label.
The Temptations Do the Temptations is an album by the Temptations, released in 1976 via Gordy Records. The Temptations' Motown contract was terminated after the release of the album.
Live at London's Talk of The Town is a 1970 live album recorded by The Temptations at the Talk of the Town nightclub in London, England. It was the final live album released by the group for over thirty years, until The Temptations in Japan, recorded in 1973, was released in 2004. The album reached No. 21 on the Billboard 200 Pop Album Chart, and No. 5 on its R&B album chart.
The Temptations' Christmas Card is a 1970 Christmas album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. The album was released on October 30, 1970. It's also the group's first holiday release, it features each Temptation leading on various popular Christmas standards and original Christmas songs.
Reunion is a 1982 album by The Temptations for Gordy Records. The album was released during the 1982 Temptations Reunion tour, which reunited David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks with the Temptations after a decade-long absence. The album also features then-current Temptations Dennis Edwards, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, and founding members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. Reunion featured the single "Standing on the Top", produced by and featuring Motown funk star Rick James, who had previously used the Temptations as the background vocalists for his 1981 hit "Super Freak". It was their first album to reach the top 40 since Wings of Love (1976).
Truly for You is an album by American R&B vocal group the Temptations released on October 15, 1984, by Gordy Records. The album reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 25 on the New Zealand Pop Albums chart.
For Lovers Only is a 1995 covers/pop standards album by The Temptations for the Motown label, something of a sequel to their 1967 album The Temptations in a Mellow Mood. The album features the final recordings of Melvin Franklin, who fell ill during recording and died before the album's release. Franklin was replaced on the tracks he does not sing on by Parliament-Funkadelic's Ray Davis in his only album appearance with the group. The first single, "Some Enchanted Evening", reached #40 on the Urban Adult Contemporary charts.
Legacy is a 2004 album by The Temptations for the Motown label, introducing new Temptations G.C. Cameron and Joe Herndon. The album was the group's final release on Motown; they left the label shortly after its release. "Somethin' Special" was a Top 40 hit on the Urban Adult Contemporary Charts peaking at #25. The cover photograph was taken by Aaron Rapoport.
Together Again is an album by the American R&B vocal group the Temptations, released on Motown Records in 1987. It is the group's thirty-fourth studio album, and the first released under the Motown imprint. All of Motown Records' previous Temptations releases were made on the Gordy label, which was discontinued and whose artist roster and back catalog was consolidated into the main Motown label in 1987.
Give Love at Christmas is a Christmas album by the Temptations, released on August 14, 1980 via Gordy Records. The group's second holiday release following 1970's The Temptations Christmas Card, it features each Temptation leading on various popular Christmas carols and original Christmas songs. The album includes versions of The Jackson 5's "Give Love on Christmas Day", "The Little Drummer Boy", "This Christmas", and "Silent Night", alongside originals written or co-written by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. and Motown star and vice-president Smokey Robinson.
Hear to Tempt You is a 1977 studio album from American soul group the Temptations.
Power is a 1980 studio album from American soul group the Temptations, their return to Motown after a brief contract with Atlantic Records. Dennis Edwards also returned to the group after Louis Price, who recorded during the Atlantic period, left.
Milestone is a 1991 studio album by American soul group the Temptations. It would be the last full length album to feature founding member Melvin Franklin and the last to feature Richard Street, who exited the group in 1993, following a dispute with Williams.
Back to Basics is the second of two studio albums released by American soul group The Temptations in 1983. The album saw the group reunited with former producer Norman Whitfield, and would also be the first to feature Ron Tyson as first tenor, who would eventually become the second-longest serving member in the group’s history. It would also be the last studio album with longtime frontman Dennis Edwards before his second departure and the first appearance of Edwards’ successor Ali-Ollie Woodson.
Special is a 1989 studio album from American soul group The Temptations. The album marks the return of Ali-Ollie Woodson as the group’s lead singer following Dennis Edwards’ third and final departure.
