This is why you need me around.
There are so many choices, it’s hard to make a good call.
The Temptations have been recording, in one form or another, since 1960,
with their most recent album coming out in 2010. They started out by combining two different
Detroit groups – Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks came from The Primes, and
Otis Williams, Elbridge Bryant, and Melvin Franklin were part of The Distants.
Since then, the shuffle among group members has been endless (Otis
Williams is the only surviving member of those original five), but they’re
still hitting the boards (and they ain’t cheap – they’re playing here in
Naperville next May, with tickets starting at $145; The Temptations Review,
with former lead singer Dennis Edwards and Paul Williams’ son as the leads,
also tour). That’s a lot of money to
shell out, but given Otis Williams turns 74 years old today (happy birthday,
Otis!) and may call it a day soon (the youngest of the current group, Bruce
Williamson, is 45), it may be now or never.
Anyway, the good news is all but two of their studio albums are now
under the Universal Music Group umbrella (and there’s nothing you’ve ever heard
of on the other two), the bad news is it’s real easy to get something mediocre
without looking a bit. There are also
some no-name labels selling best-ofs as well (which sound a lot like the
originals – it may be Dennis Edwards’ Temptations Review); my rule of thumb is
if the cover looks like it was created in Microsoft Word and the label isn’t
Motown, Gordy, or Universal, leave it alone.
(After having written this, even I was surprised by one of the options –
read on.)
The Temptations have had 60 songs over the years that have made either top 40 pop or top 20 R&B, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. Accordingly, I’m going to… have to recommend a two-disk set.
The Temptations have had 60 songs over the years that have made either top 40 pop or top 20 R&B, so there’s a lot of ground to cover. Accordingly, I’m going to… have to recommend a two-disk set.
It’s fairly complete – covering the period between the group’s first
big hit (1964’s “The Way You Do the Things You Do”) and their last pop top 10
(1973’s “Masterpiece”), only four of those 60 songs are left out – the oddball "Ungena
Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)" (producer Norman Whitfield’s reach
exceeded his grasp on that one), the meh 1972 song “Take a Look Around,” and
two lesser collaborations with Diana Ross & The Supremes, “I’ll Try
Something New” and “The Weight.” Other than
that, all of their hits from that era are here, along with, strangely, a few
non-hits and the occasional unreleased song to reel in collectors (“Lullaby of
Love”).
Motown has released three
different albums under this name for The Temptations – one in the 1970s (vinyl
only, which is the version I own), one on CD in the 1980s, and a third one on CD in 1995, which is the one
you want. With 46 songs clocking in at
over two and a half hours, the CDs are both pretty much filled to the 80-minute
limit.
Another couple of oddities for those buying on Amazon – the list price
for the CDs is $12.52 (which makes me think they may be running out shortly),
and the download is $18.99. The CD
listing only lists the first disk, but make no mistake – this is a two-disk
set. I would order the CD, which I’m
sure comes with liner notes – and it’s six dollars less anyway.
Other options, with Wikipedia links included when available:
- The Temptations’ Greatest Hits (1966) – their first hits set, covering the early hits produced by Smokey Robinson and a few by Norman Whitfield. Out of print and not available for download, but it was issued on CD at one point. “Beauty Is Only Skin Deep” was first issued on album here; it wasn’t available on any studio albums.
- The Temptations’ Greatest Hits II (1970) – more of the same, and again was only CD for a short time. “Ball of Confusion” is the non-studio album track here. There was a Volume 3 issued, but I’ve never seen it in stores, so I think it might have been for foreign markets only.
- All the Million Sellers (1981) – a 10-track set that may have served a purpose when it was first released in 1981, but certainly doesn’t now – but apparently somebody at Universal thinks so, because it’s available for download. For $9.49, there are much better options.
- Songs That Inspired The Motown 25th Anniversary Television Special (1983) – one of a bunch of albums issued in the wake of the classic 1983 NBC TV show (more famous for what it didn’t show; Diana Ross apparently had a mini-freakout on stage). Again, a mix of stuff, and it doesn’t seem to be available now.
- 25th Anniversary (1986) – I have this one on vinyl. 22 tracks that probably fit on one CD but required two vinyl disks; most of the hits plus some rarities and nonhits. Not bad; not necessary if you’ve already got Anthology. Later issues of the CD may have had a few less songs. Out of print and unavailable for download.
- Compact Command Performances: 17 Greatest Hits (1990) – at least this has 17 songs, but they could have done better. Out of print and unavailable for download.
- Motown Legends: The Temptations (1991) – another series Motown did for its heritage acts; at least these had bargain prices. It looks like there were three volumes in all, hits and a few oddities on each. All out of print and unavailable for download, but you might see them on remainder tables.
- Hum Along and Dance: More of the Best 1963-1974 (1993) – somebody at Motown/MCA must have fallen asleep at the switch, because this is inexplicably a Rhino release (Rhino is technically part of Warner Brothers, although they pick up reissues from almost everybody). It’s pretty much singles and some other major tracks from this era that didn’t make Anthology – the aforementioned "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)" and “Take a Look Around” are both here; 18 tracks in all. Out of print and unavailable for download, but I’d snap it up if I saw it cheap. MCA/Universal eventually started their own backlist rerelease label, Hip-O (get it?) to avoid letting Rhino get their mitts on the classics.
- Emperors of Soul (1994) – Holy mackerel: 110 songs spread out over five disks; I think this is Motown’s largest hits set dedicated to a single act. Every hit is here if I’m not mistaken (although casual listeners won’t recognize much of the last two disks). It comes with a lengthy book/discography (which fell apart on me after repeated use, so be careful). If you’re a big fan, you won’t need anything else, but at $45.62 (not available for download), you’d better know what you’re getting into. (I got mine for considerably less – RIP, BMG Music Service.)
- One by One: The Best of Their Solo Years (1995) – This doesn’t really belong here; it’s a two-disk set of solo tracks from David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Dennis Edwards, and Paul Williams. Dominated by Ruffin and Kendricks (Edwards only made two solo albums for the label and cut a handful of songs before he joined The Temptations in 1968; Williams only recorded two songs after leaving the group in 1971 for health reasons – he committed suicide in 1973), it’s a fascinating look at what happened to the primary members of the group before and after their tenure there. (Only Edwards is around today; he had three tours of duty with the band, but he’s been out for good since 1989.) Out of print and unavailable for download, but worth finding.
- The Ultimate Collection (1997) – a pretty good one-disk choice at $8.39, although $11.49 for the download is a little high. 21 songs, just four from after “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (their last #1 pop hit). Still available.
- 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection, Volumes 1 and 2 (2000) – I hate these things. 11 songs on each; five bucks for the disk or $5.99 for the download; and as at least one reviewer on Amazon points out, they could have easily fit all 22 songs on one disk. Only buy either one at a truck stop if you’re desperate.
- The Universal Masters Collection (2000) – another one released after UMG got ahold of a bunch of catalogues. Okay at 16 songs, but there are better choices. Out of print and unavailable for download.
- My Girl: The Very Best of The Temptations (rereleased in 2005 as The Temptations: Gold) (2002) – another two-disk set. This barely missed out on my pick, mostly because it’s super cheap ($15.49 for the download, and an astonishing $7.39 for the CD – I wonder if Amazon is trying to clear this out). It is missing some prime stuff, however, with over 2/3 of the second disk taken up by post-“Papa” songs, some of which weren’t hits at all. I’d taken this over most of the one-disk options if you’re buying the CD, but not Anthology – 10 less songs, and the first disk runs less than an hour.
- Psychedelic Soul (2003) – this only focuses on songs released between 1968 and 1974, and skips “Just My Imagination” and the Supremes collaborations. Worth getting if you can find it cheap, as I did (RIP, BMG Music Service), but since virtually all of the albums from that era are in print and are available for download, that might be the better bet.
- Joined Together: Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Temptations (2004) – like Psychedelic Soul, this focuses on a specific era. It’s basically everything from two studio albums the two groups did together (Diana Ross and The Supremes Join The Temptations, and Together) with a couple of outtakes for collector interest. (They also did a TV special soundtrack, TCB, which is not included here.) Interesting notes; there’s not a single picture in the studio of Diana with anyone else, which makes me think she recorded her parts separately. $16.99 for the disk, $17.99 for the download, and probably not worth it at those prices, unless you can get it cheap like I did (RIP, BMG Music Service) – but in this case those two group albums are, in fact, out of print.
- Love Songs (2004) – I hate these things; most of their songs were love songs anyway (excluding the psychedelic era, I suppose). Available both for purchase and download, 14 songs.
- The Definitive Collection (2008) – pretty solid one-disk set, but at 18 songs, they’re not cramming up the disk. $7.39 for the disk, $9.49 for the download.
- Number 1s (2009) – 20 songs, most of the same as The Definitive Collection. $9.49 for the download, $8.49 for the disk – maybe the die-cut cover explains the extra buck.
- Icon: The Temptations (2010) – another UMG ripoff. 24 songs on two disks (it probably just missed fitting onto one – remember, most AM hits before 1970 were somewhere around 2-1/2 minutes long), for $13.00, and no download option. Avoid.
- 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961-1971 (2011) – well, this is different. Every single they made for Motown in their first 10 years on the label, both A and B sides. A couple of rarities (“My Girl” in German and Italian), and a this-doesn’t-belong-here (“Power,” a 1980 near-miss single, in a couple of remixed versions). At three disks and $50.98 ($42.99 for the download), I think it’s only for obsessives.
David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks do have solo greatest hits sets in
print (the others do not); if you can’t find One on One as mentioned above, here are the options.
- Kendricks has the 16-song Definitive Collection ($9.49 for the download, $7.99 for the CD) and his own 12-song 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection ($5.99 for the download, $4.99 for the CD). Since Kendricks only really had two major solo hits (“Keep On Truckin’” and “Boogie Down”), it might be tempting to go with the cheaper option, especially since it contains the live medley of “The Way You Do the Things You Do” and “My Girl” Kendricks and Ruffin did with Daryl Hall and John Oates in 1985. Definitive Collection, however, does include a gorgeous song Kendricks sang in his natural tenor voice (as opposed to his standard falsetto), “This Used to Be the Home of Johnnie Mae.” There are also some every-album-crammed-into-one-set versions of every one of his eight Motown albums available, with the first volume a bargain (three albums on two disks, $14.99) and the second one not so much (five albums on three disks, $41.99).
- Ruffin’s also got his own Definitive Collection and 20th Century Masters options, and the latter also has the Hall & Oates medley. But Ruffin’s Definitive Collection is 20 songs instead of 16 and costs $6.99 instead of $9.49, so that’s probably the better bet – even though I’m pretty sure Ruffin didn’t have 20 chart hits in his solo career. (They also could have tossed in “Stand by Me,” from his duet album with brother Jimmy, which was a hit.) Also, David Ruffin at His Best (which couldn’t have been often enough for the band; Ruffin was notoriously a pain in the rear because of ego and drug problems) is around for $5.99, but with 10 songs, four of which were Temptations songs, it’s not worth the effort. Ruffin also has the same every-album-crammed-into-set releases like Kendrick, but the first one isn’t available for download and costs $50.99 for the disks, while the second one is over 30 dollars for the download and 100 dollars for the disk – and they aren’t even that good.
For reference, here are the groups pop and R&B hits – and what’s
represented on Number 1s and Anthology.
Year
|
Song Title
|
Lead Singer(s)
|
Pop Chart Peak
|
R&B Chart Peak
|
Number 1s
|
Anthology: The Best of
The Temptations
|
1964
|
The Way You Do the Things You Do
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
11
|
1*
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1964
|
I'll Be in Trouble
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
33
|
22*
|
Yes
|
|
1964
|
The Girl's Alright with Me
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
102
|
39*
|
Yes
|
|
1964
|
Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
26
|
11*
|
Yes
|
|
1964
|
My Girl
|
David Ruffin
|
1
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1965
|
It's Growing
|
David Ruffin
|
18
|
3
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
You'll Lose a Precious Love
|
David Ruffin, Melvin Franklin
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
What Love Has Joined Together
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
Who's Lovin' You
|
David Ruffin
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
Since I Lost My Baby
|
David Ruffin
|
17
|
4
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
You've Got to Earn It
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
Nobody But You
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
My Baby
|
David Ruffin
|
13
|
4
|
Yes
|
|
1965
|
Don’t Look Back
|
Paul Williams
|
83
|
15
|
Yes
|
|
1966
|
Get Ready
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
29
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1966
|
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
|
David Ruffin
|
13
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1966
|
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
|
David Ruffin
|
3
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1966
|
(I Know) I'm Losing You
|
David Ruffin
|
8
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1967
|
Ol' Man River
|
Melvin Franklin
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1967
|
The Impossible Dream
|
David Ruffin
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1967
|
Lullaby of Love
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1967
|
All I Need
|
David Ruffin
|
8
|
2
|
Yes
|
|
1967
|
You're My Everything /
|
Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin
|
6
|
3
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1967
|
(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need
|
David Ruffin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin,
Eddie Kendricks
|
14
|
3
|
Yes
|
|
1968
|
I Wish It Would Rain
|
David Ruffin
|
4
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1968
|
I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)
|
David Ruffin
|
13
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1968
|
Please Return Your Love To Me
|
Eddie Kendricks
|
26
|
4
|
Yes
|
|
1968
|
Cloud Nine
|
Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin
|
6
|
2
|
Yes
|
|
1969
|
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me (with Diana Ross and The Supremes)
|
Diana Ross and Eddie Kendricks (spoken interlude by Otis
Williams)
|
2
|
2
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1969
|
Runaway Child, Running Wild
|
Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin
|
6
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1969
|
I'll Try Something New (with Diana Ross and The Supremes)
|
Diana Ross and Eddie Kendricks
|
25
|
8
|
||
1969
|
Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down
|
Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin
|
20
|
2
|
Yes
|
|
1969
|
I Can't Get Next to You
|
Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin
|
1
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1969
|
The Weight (with Diana Ross and The Supremes)
|
Diana Ross, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams
|
46
|
4
|
||
1970
|
Psychedelic Shack
|
Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin
|
7
|
2
|
Yes
|
|
1970
|
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)
|
Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, and Melvin
Franklin
|
3
|
2
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1970
|
Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)
|
Dennis Edwards
|
33
|
8
|
||
1971
|
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
|
Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams
|
1
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1971
|
Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
|
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, Otis Williams, and
Melvin Franklin
|
18
|
8
|
Yes
|
|
1972
|
Take a Look Around
|
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, and Otis Williams
|
30
|
10
|
||
1972
|
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone
|
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, and Melvin
Franklin
|
1
|
5
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1973
|
Masterpiece
|
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, and Melvin
Franklin (spoken introduction by Otis Williams)
|
7
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1973
|
Plastic Man
|
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, and Melvin
Franklin
|
40
|
8
|
||
1973
|
Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)
|
Richard Street
|
35
|
2
|
Yes
|
|
1973
|
Let Your Hair Down
|
Dennis Edwards
|
27
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1974
|
Heavenly
|
Richard Street and Damon Harris
|
43
|
8
|
||
1974
|
You've Got My Soul on Fire
|
Dennis Edwards
|
74
|
8
|
||
1974
|
Happy People
|
Dennis Edwards and Melvin Franklin
|
40
|
1
|
Yes
|
|
1975
|
Shakey Ground
|
Dennis Edwards
|
26
|
1
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
1975
|
Glasshouse
|
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, Otis Williams, and
Melvin Franklin
|
37
|
9
|
||
1975
|
A Song for You
|
Dennis Edwards
|
-
|
-
|
Yes
|
|
1976
|
Keep Holdin' On
|
Dennis Edwards
|
54
|
3
|
||
1980
|
Power
|
Dennis Edwards, Glenn Leonard, Melvin Franklin, and Richard
Street
|
43
|
11
|
Yes
|
|
1982
|
Standing On The Top - Pt. 1
|
Rick James, Dennis Edwards, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks,
Richard Street, and Melvin Franklin
|
66
|
6
|
Yes
|
|
1983
|
Love On My Mind Tonight
|
Dennis Edwards
|
88
|
17
|
||
1983
|
Sail Away
|
Ron Tyson
|
54
|
13
|
||
1984
|
Treat Her Like a Lady
|
Ali-Ollie Woodson
|
48
|
2
|
Yes
|
|
1985
|
My Love is True (Truly for You)
|
Ron Tyson
|
—
|
14
|
||
1985
|
Do You Really Love Your Baby
|
Ali-Ollie Woodson
|
—
|
14
|
||
1986
|
Lady Soul
|
Ali-Ollie Woodson
|
47
|
4
|
Yes
|
|
1987
|
I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now
|
Dennis Edwards
|
—
|
3
|
||
1987
|
Look What You Started
|
Dennis Edwards
|
—
|
8
|
||
1989
|
All I Want From You
|
Ali-Ollie Woodson
|
—
|
16
|
||
1989
|
Special
|
Ali-Ollie Woodson
|
—
|
10
|
||
1990
|
Soul to Soul
|
Ali-Ollie Woodson and Ron Tyson
|
—
|
12
|
||
1991
|
The Motown Song (Rod Stewart featuring The Temptations)
|
Rod Stewart and Ali-Ollie Woodson
|
10
|
—
|
||
1995
|
Silent Night
|
Melvin Franklin, Dennis Edwards, and Glenn Leonard
|
—
|
16
|
||
1998
|
Stay
|
Theo Peoples, Terry Weeks, and Ron Tyson
|
28
|
Yes
|
