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''Temptations Live!'' is the first live album to be released by
The Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...
. 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 List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, and the album was released on Gordy (
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
) 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 most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–1968) during the group's "Classic Five" p ...
, Paul Williams,
Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American tenor singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temp ...
, Melvin Franklin, and
Otis Williams Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.; October 30, 1941) is an American second tenor/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. ...
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". 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)
David Ruffin David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–1968) during the group's "Classic Five" p ...
, (b)
Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American tenor singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temp ...
, (c) Paul Williams, (d) Melvin Franklin.''


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)" (
Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 – September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter, composer, 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 ...
, Edward Holland Jr.) b ##" The Girl's Alright with Me" (Whitfield, Holland,
Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American tenor singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temp ...
) b ##" I'll Be in Trouble" (
Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...
) 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 and B-side, A-side to be written and produced by The Miracles, Miracles lead singer Smokey Robinson. Robinson had p ...
" (Robinson) c, a #" What Love Has Joined Together" (Robinson, Robert Rogers) – 3:01 b #" My Girl" (Robinson, Ronnie White) – 3:08 a #"" Yesterday"/" What Now My Love" (
Lennon–McCartney Lennon–McCartney is the songwriting partnership between the English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is widely considered one of the greatest, best known and most successful musical collabo ...
,
Gilbert Bécaud François Gilbert Léopold Silly (24 October 1927 – 18 December 2001), known professionally as Gilbert Bécaud (), was a French singer, composer, pianist and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-know ...
, Pierre Delano, Carl Sigman) – 3:08 a, d #" Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" (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 for nearly 1,000 songs over a career that lasted more than 60 years. These songs inclu ...
) – 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 over ...
,
Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Award ...
) – 4:44 d #" Get Ready" (Robinson) – 2:10 b #" Fading Away" (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 "Baby, Baby I Need You" is a 1963 song recorded by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. It was written by Smokey Robinson, and was later used as the B-side to their Top 40 1964 hit " Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)".Williams, Otis and R ...
" (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" (Robinson, Rogers) – 3:24 b


Personnel

*''The Temptations'' –
Eddie Kendricks Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American tenor singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temp ...
,
David Ruffin David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin;Ribowsky, p. 88 January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–1968) during the group's "Classic Five" p ...
, Paul Williams,
Otis Williams Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.; October 30, 1941) is an American second tenor/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. ...
, and Melvin Franklin (David English) *''The Temptations Band'': ** Cornelius Grant – 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. (August 7, 1937 – November 8, 2024) was an American jazz trombonist and session musician from Detroit, Michigan. Biography In the early 1960s, he participated in Detroit's Workshop Jazz ensemble, with Johnny Griffith, ...
– trombones ** Ted Buckner and Ernie Rogers – alto saxophones; **
George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion 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 ...
and Angelo Carlisi – tenor saxophones; ** Thomas "Beans" Bowles – baritone saxophone, flute *Scott Regen - M.C.


See also

* List of ''Billboard'' number-one R&B albums of the 1960s


References

{{Authority control 1967 live albums The Temptations live albums Gordy Records live albums