40 Year Itch: A Dread That Shakes My Body

David Ruffin : Walk Away From Love

[Purchase]

  This million-selling single penned by Van McCoy contains what may be the greatest male vocal performance of 1975. Listen how former Temptation David Ruffin ( who sang "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg")  hits the falsetto notes on "breaks my heart". Disco wasn't just about the beat. There was still room for great vocals and Ruffin delivers on this #1 R and B gem.

40 Year Itch : Some Late Season Soul

[Purchase]

   On December 6, 1973 Al Green released his second Gold album of the year with Livin' For Your Love. Though not as indispensable as Call Me or I'm Still in Love With You, Livin' For Your Love does contain the #1 Soul single in its title cut, "Let's Get Married" ( Soul #3) and , best of all, an 8-minute improvisation called "Beware" which must be heard.

                                                                     {out of print}

  The last Norman Whitfield production for the Temptations is a rarely heralded psychedelic soul classic.  A clash of egos can rarely be good for art and The Temps didn't appreciate being turned into studio instruments by Whitfield. That said, Motown really needs to put out a box set of the Whitfield years. Like Masterpiece, All Directions and Solid Rock, 1990 is another huge seller that is out of frickin print.

[Purchase]

Some of the hardest drivin' funk of 1973 came from the home studio of Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Jones produced and arranged and played some down and dirty bass on Madeline Bell's first solo album in 5 years. ( She'd been singing with Blue Mink)  One listen to this puts Led Zep's Houses of the Holy, and especially "The Crunge", in a whole new light.

40 Year Itch: I Feel Like Giving Up

   On August 17, 1973 Temptations baritone Paul Williams, wearing nothing but a swim suit,  was found dead inside a car parked in a Detroit alley. The coroner ruled the death a suicide even though Williams is right handed but was shot in the left temple. Williams, suffering from sickle cell anemia,  had left the Temps in 1971. He had suffered from depression and drug abuse and had shared suicidal thoughts with group members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin.

   Jet Magazine reported several members of the band as well as the musical director were robbed after leaving the funeral. Although he was focusing much of his attention on a beauty culture complex called Celebrity House West, Williams had also returned to the studio where he recorded a moving single Motown didn't release for years after his death. 

"Feel Like Giving Up" sounds like an epitaph --a point Eddie Kendricks made in an interview.

40 Year Itch: Wherever He Laid His Hat

[Album Out Of Print]

In 1971, The Temptations were in turmoil. They'd already lost David Ruffin even before entering their "Psychedelic Shack" period. Then, after singing lead on the chart topping "Just My Imagination ( Running Away With Me)" in 1971, Eddie Kendricks left. Paul Williams soon followed. The remaining Temps --who had made a name for themselves with smooth ballads ( "My Girl") and pop hits ( "Ain't Too Proud To Beg") had to carry on without their best known singers. 21-year old Damon Harris and Richard Street were brought in to fill the gaps. Tho' the slick harmonic singing days weren't gone forever, the young bloods did bring something special to the studio. They brought in the street.


It all culminated with the All Directions cut "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone", a 12 minute cover of an Undisputed Truth song that barely charted the year before. A seven minute version of "Papa" hit #1 in the pop charts and scored the Temptations three Grammy Awards. But the 12 minute version is the jam. For the first 4 and a half minutes "Papa" sounds like something Issac Hayes might have done. In fact it's hard to imagine a 12 minute Temptations song before Hayes recorded s 12 minute version of "Walk On By" and a nearly 19 minute version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" (on 1969's  Hot Buttered Soul). But again, those first 4 minutes are all instrumental...as played by The Funk Brothers and produced by Norman Whitfield. A thudding, simple bass line repeats itself over and over again behind some wah-wah guitar. The lyrics, by Barrett Strong, tell the story of a dead man who may have fathered some kids but never raised them.

All Directions, like its #1 Billboard charting predecessor Solid Rock, is out of print. And that's a shame. The album kicks off with another cover, Edwin Starr's "Funky Music Sho' Nuff Turns Me On". It sounds strange to these ears, half live and half studio produced.



"Run Charlie Run" follows with a song about white flight that features the unfortunate chant "The niggers are comin'". Otis Williams has said the band fought "tooth and nail" not to record either "Papa" or "Charlie". Let's just say you're more likely to hear the better of those two songs in a concert.


Side Two is softer. Mostly ballads. An Issac Hayes cover ( there he is again),  "Do Your Thing" is the highlight. Hayes's own version, on the Shaft soundtrack, was 19 and a half minutes long.



The success of "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" would lead the Temps to record more long soundtrack-like songs ( especially on Masterpiece) but even Otis says "Papa" was the last great Temptations tune. And to paraphrase a line from Animal House,  Otis is my man.

The Temptations "Solid Rock" Tops R&B Charts : 40 Years Ago Today

[Temptations Gold]

While the Temptations may have found both commercial and critical  success with their multi-part harmonies, life among The Temptations was anything but harmonious. First to go was Elbridge "Al" Bryant who attacked rival vocalist Paul Williams in late 1963, making way for David Ruffin. After a string of big hits, Ruffin left ( or was fired) to pursue a solo career that never fully flowered. Enter the Temps's psychedelic period. In 1971 after singing lead on the band's #1 pop hit "Just My Imagination ( Running Away With Me)", Eddie Kendricks left. Later that year Paul Williams, an alcoholic in poor health, had to quit.

Abandoned by the group's best know singers, Ruffin and Kendricks, the new Temptations got their revenge when they recorded Solid Rock with two new members,  21 year old Damon Harris and Richard Street. The single, "Superstar ( Remember How You Got Where You Are)" ,is one of the first examples of  the "diss" song that would become so big during the rap era. The message to Ruffin and Kendricks is pretty straight forward:

(Superstar) Good God.
enjoy Your Champagne (And Caviar.)
and Your Chauffeur Drivin' (Fancy Car.)
but Remember How You Got (Where You Are.)
oh-Ho-Ho, 'cause The Same Folks That Made You,
You Better Believe They Can Break You

1972 would be a big year for these Temptations. With All Directions, released in July, came "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", another #1 pop song. There was no way that the careers of Ruffin and Kendricks could keep up ( although Kendricks would hit #1 with "Keep On Truckin'( Part One)" in 1973).

Today if you want to buy a CD  of Solid Rock on Amazon you'd better be willing to spend $180. Oh, Motown, do us all a solid and bring back Solid Rock!