British rock singer Rod Stewart released a cover of "I'm Losing You" in 1971, and, in 1991, collaborated with the Temptations on the single "The Motown Song". Because of his fondness for this color, Melvin was nicknamed “Blue” by his band members. During this time, David Ruffin began following the group around as he aspired to join them. Hence, on this occasion, get to know more about this amazing singer and his life, including his childhood, personal growth, and many more. He then attempted a second solo career, scoring a hit with the 1984 single "Don't Look Any Further", a duet with Siedah Garrett. [57], The Temptations received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on February 9, 2013. The "Elgins" name re-surfaced at Motown in 1965, when Gordy renamed a quartet called the Downbeats as the Elgins. Similarly, Franklin always had an interest in music from an early age and even backed home in Detroit, was a part of several singing groups like The Voice Masters. [33] For several weeks of the spring of 1971, the Temptations were without a fifth member. The original name for the new lineup of Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams was the Elgins. Whitfield and arranger/conductor Paul Riser won the award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance for the instrumental version on the B-side, and Whitfield and Barrett Strong won the songwriting Grammy for Best R&B Song. Ruffin was replaced in 1968 by Dennis Edwards, with whom the group continued to record hit records such as "Cloud Nine" (1969) and "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (1970). [31] Kendricks later stated that he actually considered leaving as early as 1965, but remained with the Temptations and unsuccessfully attempted to get permission to record a solo album without leaving the group.[32]. Berry Gordy co-wrote and produced "Power", the Temptations' first single under the new contract. Davis died in New Brunswick, New Jersey of respiratory problems and complications of lung cancer on the evening of Tuesday July 5, 2005. "Come On" became a local hit and the Warwick Records label picked the record up for national distribution. [27], In late 1969, Richard Street, lead singer of Motown act the Monitors and a former Distant, was hired by Otis Williams to tour with the group as a backup replacement for Williams. Later that year, the Temptations asked to be released from their Motown contract, and moved to another Universal label, New Door Records. On the Gordy imprint, Eddie Kendricks sang lead on the Temptations' first charted single, "(You're My) Dream Come True", which peaked at number 22 on the R&B chart in 1962. The Primes disbanded in 1960 after Kell Osborne moved to California. Likewise, the group was formed in late 1960 and consisted of other members: Elbridge Bryant, Paul Williams, and Eddie Kendricks. During this period, the group toured with Quiet Elegance as their back-up singers. His deep voice was ideal for voicing characters such as ‘Wheels,’ one of the main characters from the animated series, Pole Position. (An updated version of the book was published in 2002.). Kendricks agreed on the condition he bring Paul Williams with him. At the conclusion of the Reunion tour, Ruffin and Kendricks were dismissed, and they began touring and performing together as a duo. He was also known for his low range vocals, hence the name bass singer. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music.[2][3][4]. In 1966, Norman Whitfield changed the group's dynamic, moving them away from the previous one lead singer model and adding elements derived from the rougher soul of artists such as James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and the performers at Stax Records. The instrumentation was funkier, the beat was hard-driving, and all five Temptations traded lead vocals, similar to Sly & the Family Stone. [16] Though Ruffin's brother, Jimmy was also considered for the slot, David was selected following his performance with them in 1963. Graff, Gary (August 29, 1988). The record company suggested that they add female lead vocalist Saundra Mallett, who had recorded unsuccessfully for the label, backed by The Vandellas; she later married and became Saundra Edwards. Peoples was fired from the group before the release of Phoenix Rising because of issues with drug addiction,[47] and was replaced by Barrington "Bo" Henderson. Claire Foy- Age, Movies, Husband, Net Worth, Instagram, The Crown, Charles Edwards Bio- Married, Wife, Movies, The Crown, Net Worth, Morgana Robinson: Wife, The Witches, Husband, Weight Loss, Instagram, Wiki, Josette Simon- The Witches, Height, Brother, Net Worth, Daughter, Instagram, David Schuetter- Age, Height, Net Worth, Barbarians, Wife, Movies, Birthday. The fabulous Eddie Kendricks? Paul Williams stayed with The Temptations until 1971 until his health and personal issues forced him to leave the group. "Glasshouse", the group's final Top 40 Pop hit was also included. Often focusing on lyrics about the ghettos and inner cities of black America, these songs were heavily influenced by the work of singer-songwriters Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. Williams and Romanowski (2002), pp. Henderson lip-synched to Peoples's vocals in the "Stay" music video, and the completed album features lead vocals on different tracks by both Henderson and Peoples. In May 1971, the Temptations finally found a permanent replacement for the first tenor position in twenty-year-old Baltimore native Damon Harris. George, Nelson. Mel in 1972 I have no idea where though somebody help me out? A post shared by Best Motown Group Ever (@the_temptations_fanpage) on Jan 25, 2017 at 4:27pm PST. The Temptations' new lineup, consisting of Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Theo Peoples, and newcomers Harry McGilberry and Terry Weeks, toured throughout 1997, and was featured in the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXII in early 1998, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of Motown. #melvinfranklin, A post shared by Best Motown Group Ever (@the_temptations_fanpage) on Oct 24, 2016 at 1:07pm PDT. For those who don’t know, Franklin was an American bass singer and also the founding member of the Motown singing group, The Temptations. As a result, David Ruffin was brought in as his replacement in January 1964. Late 1972 saw the release of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", a magnum opus written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong and produced by Whitfield. [27][29] For most shows, save for his solo numbers, Williams danced and lip-synced on stage to parts sung live by Street into an offstage mic behind a curtain. But one of their most successful singles has to be ‘The Way You Do Things You Do’ from 1964. [62] Williamson's replacement, Larry Braggs, was lead singer of Tower of Power from 2000-13. Unlike Hayes and Mayfield however, the Temptations had no creative control over their recordings, and were in no way fond of the 12- and 13-minute-long songs being forced upon them by Whitfield, whose contributions were the focal point of Temptations albums such as Solid Rock, All Directions, and particularly Masterpiece. The Temptations' songs have been covered by scores of musicians, from R&B singers such as Otis Redding ("My Girl"), Bobby Womack ("I Wish It Would Rain") and Luther Vandross ("Since I Lost My Baby"), to white soul and reggae bands such as Rare Earth ("Get Ready"), UB 40 ("The Way You Do and The Things You Do") and the Rolling Stones ("My Girl", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Just My Imagination") and Mick Jagger's collaboration with reggae artist Peter Tosh on ("Don't Look Back"). [36], The final Norman Whitfield-produced Temptations album, 1990, was released in December 1973, and included the Top 30 single "Let Your Hair Down". There was a consensus among the rest of the group that Ruffin needed to be replaced. More Temptations psychedelic soul singles followed in 1969 and 1970—among them "Runaway Child, Running Wild" (a number-one R&B hit), "I Can't Get Next to You" (a number-one pop hit), "Psychedelic Shack", and "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)", but the formula began to wear thin when "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World)", only went to number 33 Pop in the fall of 1970. Outside of music, the Temptations were made honorary members of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. [55] He was replaced by Bruce Williamson, who first affiliated with the group a year earlier. aka Otis Williams & the Distants, Otis Williams & the Siberians. Shop for Vinyl, CDs and more from The Elgins at the Discogs Marketplace. [31] Otis Williams and Franklin strongly opposed this idea, and regular group infighting between Kendricks, Otis Williams, and Franklin grew from this disagreement.