Unlike the Four Tops, whom they burst onto the scene at a similar time, the Temptations have undergone vigorous line-up changes, with a total of 22 singers calling themselves part of the group at one stage or another. But amidst the occasionally tempestuous atmospheres, the Temptations proved immensely successful, and their longevity is a testament to their continued popularity. From their doo-wop beginnings to becoming psychedelic soul pioneers and then funky groovers, the Temptations were Motown’s first act to win a Grammy. But the group’s legacy transcends Motown; they are inarguably one of the most successful groups in the history of popular music.
Before establishing the “Classic Five” line-up, the group settled on between 1964 and 1968, the Temptations initially rose out of two different strains. Childhood friends Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams began performing together in 1955, originally under the moniker the Cavaliers, and quickly gained attention around Detroit for their sophisticated live performances. The Cavaliers would eventually evolve into the Primes by 1960, with their sister act, the Primettes forming the basis of the Supremes. Concurrently, aspiring singer Otis Williams moved to Detroit to live with his mother, singing in various groups in the late fifties, releasing two singles on Northern Records as part of the Distants.
The Primes disbanded in 1960 after member Kell Osborne moved to California, and Kendricks and Paul Williams returned to Alabama. But Kendricks never gave up and contacted Otis on a return visit to Detroit. The Distants had similarly lost numbers, and Otis offered Kendricks a place in the group as lead singer; Kendricks agreed on the proviso that Paul could come with him. Otis agreed, and the two groups were amalgamated, eventually deciding on the name the Temptations. The original line-up comprised Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Elbridge Bryant, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams.
Otis had been sitting on a business card of Berry Gordy’s for some time, with Gordy once expressing an interest in singing the Distants. After an audition in front of Mickey Stevenson, the Temptations were signed by Motown in 1961. Initially consigned to the label’s obscure Miracle imprint, the group’s first couple of singles, ‘Oh Mother Mine’ and ‘Check Yourself’, failed to make an impact. Similarly to the Supremes, success proved elusive for the group, who released a string of unsuccessful recordings between ’61 and ’63. They finally got some deserved chart success with ‘(You’re My) Dream Come True’ after being unlucky to miss out on recording ‘Do You Love Me’, which became a smash hit for the Contours.
The group were back in the studio in ’64 under the wing of Smokey Robinson, and ‘The Way You Do The Things You Do’ provided their biggest chart success yet. Predictably an album followed, and Meet the Temptations was released in April of that year. Meet the Temptations is less of an album and more of a collection, charting the group’s early development, comprised entirely of previously recorded material. It’s an enjoyable but ragtag collection of songs featuring some misfires and mishits alongside some material that arguably was treated harshly by the charts.
‘The Way You Do The Things You Do’ certainly deserved all the success it got, with Kendricks providing an ultra-smooth lead that Smokey himself would be proud of, while the harmonies are equally tight. It’s cheeky and confident, and Smokey’s use of space is excellent; the drum fills create an unrelenting, bouncing rhythm. Gordy’s ‘I Want A Love I Can See’ is a decent effort; it is gently romantic and features some nice arrangements from the Funk Brothers, with the horns particularly well placed, but the track plods along, pleasant but not captivating. On ‘Dream Come True’, Kendricks flaunts his wonderful falsetto on a lovely, dreamy number. The track has an odd, feather-light power, with Paul Williams and Franklin providing some tidy baritone backing vocals, while Gordy’s wife, Raynoma, provides a stirring turn on the ondioline.
However, ‘Paradise’ is a bad fifties throwback, a weak attempt at imitating Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, with poor Kendrick forced to stretch his voice unnaturally, which makes Franklin’s bass parts feel even weirder. ‘May I Have This Dance’ is better but unremarkable, another doo-wop effort; the harmonies are tight, while Kendricks unusually performs admirably in a much lower register. The mariachi horns are a nice addition, and it marked the last time a Temptations single written or produced by Norman Whitfield where neither side would chart. ‘Isn’t She Pretty’ is a nice foot-stomping ensemble piece that feels like it was written for the Contours, but the group give an energetic display.
‘Just Let Me Know’ features some tidy guitar licks while Kendricks and Paul Williams interchange neatly on a bright, fluffy number. ‘Your Wonderful Love’, initially released in 1961, is a classic piece of doo-wop with its waltzing rhythm. Paul Williams provides a refined lead performance, and the whole song is crisp and well-sung, but rhythmically it’s a bit flat. ‘The Further You Look, The Less You See’ features a similarly polished performance, with a nice, repetitive groove that revolves around the title, but it feels a little one-paced again.
‘Check Yourself’ initially sounds like it belongs in the fifties with its odd, floaty beginning, but it then evolves into a bouncing piece of midtempo R&B. Its strange, stop-start rhythm indicates why the song struggled as a single, and though it feels like the whole thing is just meandering along meaninglessly, it’s not actually that bad. ‘Slow Down Heart’ has a lovely flute melody and some Latin-style drum rolls and is definitely much better than its A-side ‘Paradise’. It feels similarly dated, but the group provide a pleasant, if hardly rousing, performance. ‘Farewell My Love’ has a similar tempo and rhythm but with some more conventional drumming, while the bass harmonies make it more engaging.
Meet the Temptations is a difficult one to judge as it is essentially a compilation, with Ruffin only featuring on one track and former member Bryant on nearly all of them! But it is interesting to see how the group developed, and many of the singles are much better than their lack of chart placing suggests. Franklin and Paul Williams’ bassy tones give the group a nice point of difference, and harmonies are excellent throughout, a testament to the group’s vocal abilities. Kendricks’ beautiful, if slightly unpolished, falsetto certainly stands out, and it’s easy to see how with a bit of polishing and greater direction, the group would go on to have success.