Is there a link between these two? I didn’t know that, time to learn!
Anyway, the Norman Whitfield / Temptations stuff from the psychedelic soul era is tremendous, and they need a 5 just for that, not to mention that Papa… is one of the greatest jams of all time, but don’t go messing about with radio edits, you need the whole thing:
I’m breaking my admin-only rule for this one. Two of the the biggest 5s going. Both amazing, highly influential and important groups, especially The Tempations like MLH said with their journey into psychedelia, and those singles lists speak for themselves. 4 of the best voices in music history too across both bands in Eddie Kendricks, Levi Stubbs, David Ruffin and Obie Benson.
I’m not imagining this thread will have a high turnout or anything, and probably lots of ‘abstains’ but I don’t care, I love both these bands and if there’s any justice they’ll both go top 10.
Massive blind spot - I expect to find out that I know loads of tunes by both but without ever realising it was them. Look forward to a spot of education over the next 48 hours.
Went Temptations 5, Four Tops 4. The world is much better off having both of these groups around. Uncanny vocal harmonies, both bands have had their turmoil but they are in the cannon of Motown’s greatest. Hit machines when they were started out. If no one has seen it the biopic on the Temptations is really good. Some of my favs.
Did I ever tell you all that I was in the Temptations once, for 3 mins.
When I was doing the Motown studios tour in Detroit the guide picked me and 4 others out. We were taken into a side room and got a very quick demonstration on how the temptations ‘danced’.
We were then taken in to Studio A and ‘danced’ and mimed along to My Girl in front of the rest of the tour!
One of the best moments of my life.
Ps… Reach Out, I’ll Be There is one of the best songs ever recorded.
These are two undeniably great acts but maybe just not ones that have a lot of discussion points amongst our demographic. I’m sure most people know and would appreciate the biggest hits, but I doubt even the band members involved have much to say about some of the Temptations’ 43 studio albums.
Anyone wanting to listen to an album by each to get a feel for what else they could do beyond the songs winning the polls could do a lot worse than winding the clock back to 1973:
