The Temptations
| The Temptations | |
|---|---|
 The Temptations (1991) |
|
| General information | |
| origin | Detroit , USA |
| Genre (s) | soul |
| founding | 1960 |
| Website | www.temptationsofficial.com |
| Founding members | |
tenor |
Paul Williams |
tenor |
Otis Williams |
tenor |
Elbridge "Al" Bryant |
Lead tenor / falsetto |
Eddie Kendricks |
bass |
Melvin Franklin |
| Current occupation | |
tenor |
Otis Williams (since 1960) |
| Ron Tyson (since 1983) | |
| Terry Weeks (since 1997) | |
| Larry Braggs (since 2016) | |
| Willie Green (since 2016) | |
| former members | |
tenor |
Elbridge "Al" Bryant (1960–1963) |
bass |
Melvin Franklin (1960-1994) |
Lead tenor / falsetto |
Eddie Kendricks (1960–1971, 1982) |
tenor |
Paul Williams (1960–1971) |
| David Ruffin (1964–1968, 1982) | |
Lead singer |
Dennis Edwards (1968–1977, 1980–1984, 1987–1989) |
| Ricky Owens (1971) | |
| Richard Street (1971-1992) | |
| Damon Harris (1971-1975) | |
| Glenn Leonard (1975-1983) | |
| Louis Price (1977-1980) | |
| Ali-Ollie Woodson (1984-1987, 1989-1997, 2002) | |
| Theo Peoples (1992-1998) | |
| Ray Davis (1994-1995) | |
| Harry McGilberry (1995-2003) | |
| Barrington "Bo" Henderson (1998-2003) | |
| GC Cameron (2003-2007) | |
| Joe Herndon (2003-2015) | |
| Bruce Williamson (2007-2015) | |
The Temptations is an African-American singing band, founded in Detroit in 1960 , which has received multiple Grammy awards , and whose members are among the most successful and style-defining soul artists of all time. They shaped the success story of the legendary record label Motown and were its first artist to win a Grammy. With the songs My Girl (1965), I Can't Get Next to You (1969), Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) (1971) and Papa Was a Rollin 'Stone (1972) they achieved four number one Hits in the usa. The Temptations have been recognized and honored countless times, including in 1989 with the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2013 for Lifetime Achievement at the Grammys.
Almost 60 years after its inception, the group is still active with an original member, Otis Williams.
history
The Temptations were founded in Detroit ( Michigan ) in 1960 as a vocal quintet .
The founding members included:
- Paul Williams (tenor), (born July 2, 1939, † August 17, 1973) (1960–1971)
- Otis Williams (aka Otis Miles) (tenor), (born October 30, 1941) (1960 to today)
- Elbridge "Al" Bryant (tenor), (born September 28, 1939, † October 26, 1975) (1960–1963)
- Eddie Kendricks (lead tenor / falsetto), (* December 17, 1939, † October 5, 1992) (1960–1971 and 1982)
- Melvin Franklin (actually David English ) (bass), (born October 12, 1942, † February 23, 1995) (1960–1994)
In late 1963, Elbridge Bryant was "kicked" out of the group and replaced by David Ruffin . With the help of producer and songwriter Smokey Robinson , himself a Motown star, the Temptations managed a series of hits such as The Way You Do the Things You Do (1964), My Girl (1964/65), Ain't Too Proud to Beg , Beauty Is Only Skin Deep , (I Know) I'm Losing You (1966), You're My Everything (1967), and I Wish It Would Rain (1968).
Between 1965 and 1969, the Temptations were number one on the US R&B charts with ten albums in a row. In total, they reached the top 17 times there. Until well into the 1990s, the Temptations were listed as the most successful R&B artists of all time.
Berry Gordy , the founder of Motown Records , had some of his biggest stars record their hits in different languages for the European market. There are songs in German, Spanish, French and Italian. In 1965 the Temptations released the single Mein Girl (My Girl) with the reverse Blue Bird in German, in Italian My Girl was Solamente Lei .
In the late 1960s to early 1970s, the band, whose style was reminiscent of that of the group The Drifters , made some personal and stylistic changes. In 1968 Dennis Edwards came for Ruffin , and the producer Norman Whitfield changed the sound from catchy soul-pop to a mixture of psychedelic funk elements , soul-rock and socially critically inspired lyrics. With I Can't Get Next To You (1970), Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) (1971) and Papa Was a Rollin 'Stone (1972), the Temptations landed other great hits and reached the peak of their popularity.
1971 left with Paul Williams, who committed suicide in 1973, and Eddie Kendricks two of the most important and famous members of the Temptations. While Williams' solo plans did not materialize before his death, Kendricks achieved some success. The Temptations in turn consistently continued their path until 1975 and their last number one album A Song for You . After that, the successful series broke off and in the wake of new popular styles such as Philly Soul or the Disco Wave, the Temptations could only keep on course with medium to smaller hits. After 1975, the Tempations never again made it into the top 40 of the US charts, but they continued to enjoy success in the R&B charts. With Power (1980), Treat Her Like a Lady (1984) and Lady Soul (1986), hits came here in later years.
The founding member Otis Williams wrote the history of the Temptations together with Patricia Romanowski in 1988 and published it as a book. This book was also the basis for a two-part film on American television ten years later. In September 2017, the musical Aint Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations , based on the memoirs by Otis Williams, premiered at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, California.
In 1999 the Temptations were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame , and in 2002 Prince named Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) as one of 55 songs to inspire him musically. The Rolling Stone listed The Temptations at number 68 of the 100 greatest musicians of all time .
The group is still active live: Under the direction of Otis Williams, with Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Walter "Joe" Herndon and Bruce Williamson, the Temptations gave six concerts in Germany as part of a European tour at the end of 2007, in which they played together the Four Tops performed.
Discography
literature
- Otis Williams, Patricia Romanowski, Patricia Romanowski Bashe: Temptations . ISBN 0-399-13313-5 .
- Jay Warner: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940-1990 . Billboard Books, New York City 1992, pp. 461-465.
- Siegfried Schmidt-Joos , Barry Graves : Rock Lexicon. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1973, 2nd edition 1975, reprint 1978, ISBN 3-499-16177-X , pp. 348-350.
Web links
- Official website (English)
- 'My Girl': Motown's Hits, Found In Translation (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.taurus-press.de/test.php3?S_SortierName=7949
- ↑ https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/dennis-edwards-101.html
- ↑ https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/lifetime-achievement-award-temptations
- ^ Joel Whitburn: Top R&B Singles 1942-1995, 1996, pages 437-8, ISBN 0-89820-115-2
- ^ Joel Whitburn: Top R&B Albums 1965-1998, 1999, pages 202-3, ISBN 0-89820-115-2
- ↑ Double CD: Motown around the world: the classic singles
- ↑ 3 CD box The Temptations 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961-1971 (Motown 2011)
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164292/
- ↑ https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Review-Roundup-AINT-TOO-PROUD-The-Temptations-Musical-at-Berkeley-Repertory-Theatre-20170918
- ↑ 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone , December 2, 2010, accessed February 3, 2018 .