''Temptations Live!'' is the first live album to be released by

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

. The album was recorded on October 3, 1966, at the Roostertail in Detroit, Michigan. The album cover photograph was taken in March 1966 at The 20 Grand, 14th and Warren in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, and the album was released on Gordy ( Motown) Records in 1967. The album features

David Ruffin David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–68) during the group's "Clas ...

, Paul Williams,

Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptation ...

Melvin Franklin David Melvin English (October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, or his nickname "Blue", was an American bass singer. Franklin was best known for his role as a founding member of Motown singing ...

, and

Otis Williams Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.; October 30, 1941) is an American baritone singer.Ribowsky, Mark (2010). ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Endearing Soul of the Temptations''. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 7–9 He is o ...

performing their regular live repertoire for a highly receptive crowd mostly consisting of young women. Included in the set are Temptations hits such as " My Girl", " My Baby", " Get Ready", " Ain't Too Proud to Beg", " Don't Look Back", and the group's then-current single, "

Beauty Is Only Skin Deep "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" is a 1966 song, written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr., and produced by Whitfield. Norman Whitfield recorded the song's instrumental track. Two years later, Whitfield got together with Eddie Holland to h ...

". Out of the several live albums the group recorded during their career, this is the only one to feature David Ruffin. The album remained on the ''Billboard'' pop albums chart for 51 weeks, peaking at number 10.

Track listing

''Superscripts denote lead singers for each track: (a)

, (b)

, (c) Paul Williams, (d)

.''

Side one

#Intro by Scott Regen – 0:03Scott Regan's introduction was expanded to 1:09 for the 1999 CD remaster of this album; "The Way You Do the Things You Do" was added or this release as well. # Medley – 4:49 ##"

Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" is a 1964 hit single by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. It was the group's first A-side release to be produced by Norman Whitfield, who co-wrote the song with Edward Holland, Jr. of the Holland-Do ...

" (

Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 – September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. allmusic Biography/ref> He has been credited as one of the creators of the Mo ...

, Edward Holland Jr.) ^b ##"

The Girl's Alright with Me "The Girl's Alright with Me" is a 1964 song recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy ( Motown) label. The B-side to their Top 40 hit "I'll Be in Trouble", the song was also able to chart on its own, peaking at number 102 on Billboard Pop Charts. ...

" (Whitfield, Holland,

) ^b ##"

I'll Be in Trouble "I'll Be in Trouble" is a 1964 hit single by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label and written by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson. Background This single was the follow-up to "The Way You Do the Things You Do", with falsetto Eddie Ke ...

" ( Smokey Robinson) ^b ##"

I Want a Love I Can See "I Want a Love I Can See" is a 1963 single by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. The single was the group's first A-side to be written and produced by Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson. Robinson had previously written the B-side "Slo ...

" (Robinson) ^{c, a} #"

What Love Has Joined Together "What Love Has Joined Together" is a song written and composed by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, and was recorded by six Motown acts: Mary Wells, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Barbara McNair, Syreeta, and Q ...

" (Robinson, Robert Rogers) – 3:01 ^b #" My Girl" (Robinson,

Ronnie White Ronald Anthony White (April 5, 1939 – August 26, 1995), usually referred to as Ronnie White, was an American singer, best known as the co-founder of The Miracles and its only consistent original member. White was also known for bringing Stevi ...

) – 3:08 ^a #"" Yesterday"/"What Now My Love" (

Lennon–McCartney Lennon–McCartney was the songwriting partnership between English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is the best-known and most successful musical collaboration ever by records sold, with the ...

Gilbert Bécaud Gilbert Bécaud (, 24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001) was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are " Nathalie" and "Et maintenant", a 1961 release ...

, Pierre Delano, Carl Sigman) – 3:08 ^{a, d} #"

" (Whitfield, Holland) – 2:23 ^a #Group Introduction – 0:49 #" I Wish You Love" (Albert Beach,

Charles Trenet Louis Charles Augustin Georges Trenet (; 18 May 1913 – 19 February 2001) was a renowned French singer-songwriter who composed both the music and the lyrics to nearly a thousand songs over a career that lasted more than 60 years. These include ...

) – 1:52 ^b #" Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (Whitfield, Holland) – 2:57 ^a

Side two

#" Old Man River" (

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 4:44 ^d #" Get Ready" (Robinson) – 2:10 ^b #"

Fading Away "Fading Away" is a song by the Florida-based dance-pop group Will to Power. It appears on their 1988 self-titled debut album and was released as a single in early 1989. The song reached #65 on the US pop chart in February 1989 and #84 on the UK ...

" (Robinson, Rogers, Warren Moore) – 1:55 ^b #" My Baby" (Robinson, Rogers, Moore) – 2:10 ^a #"You'll Lose a Precious Love" (Robinson) – 2:50 ^a #" Baby, Baby I Need You" (Robinson) – 1:50 ^{c, b} #" Don't Look Back" (Robinson, White) – 7:07 ^c

Compact disc bonus track

The Way You Do the Things You Do "The Way You Do the Things You Do" is a 1964 hit single by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, the single was the Temptations' first charting single on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...

" (Robinson, Rogers) – 3:24 ^b

Personnel

*''The Temptations'' –

, Paul Williams,

, and

(David English) *''The Temptations Band'': **

Cornelius Grant Cornelius Grant (born April 27, 1943) is an American guitarist, composer, and band leader. He served as the musical director, guitar player, and live show arranger for Motown vocal group The Temptations from 1964 until 1982. Early life Grant was ...

– guitar, musical director **Bill Upchurch – bass **"Stormin" Norman Roberts – drums *''Johnny Trudell's Horn Section'': **Johnny Trudell, Maurice Davis, and Floyd Jones or Billy Homer – trumpets **Don White and

George Bohanon George Roland Bohanon, Jr. (born August 7, 1937) is a jazz trombonist and session musician from Detroit, Michigan. In the early 1960s, he participated in Detroit's Workshop Jazz ensemble, with Johnny Griffith, Paula Greer, David Hamilton, Lefty ...

– trombones **

Ted Buckner Theodore Guy Buckner (December 14, 1913, St. Louis, Missouri - April 12, 1976, Detroit, Michigan) was an American jazz saxophonist. He was the brother of Milt Buckner. Buckner was raised in Detroit, where he played very early in his career befo ...

and Ernie Rogers – alto saxophones; **

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

and Angelo Carlisi – tenor saxophones; ** Thomas "Beans" Bowles – baritone saxophone, flute *Scott Regen - M.C.

References