George HaffendenOn June 1st 1991 the music world lost one of its brightest and most tortured souls in David Ruffin. Ruffin, along with his brother Jimmy Ruffin, began singing with gospel groups, before following in the footsteps of Sam Cooke in turning to the ‘Devil’s’ secular music. Ruffin followed his brother to Detroit, where Jimmy was attempting to break into the music business whilst working at the Ford Motor Company in the city. At the same time, the newly formed Motown group The Temptations were beginning their musical journey, but for the time Ruffin was signed to Motown subsidiary Anna Records.
Then in 1963 original Temptation Elbridge ‘Al’ Byrant was causing tension within the group, and promptly left leaving the door open for a new member to join the group. The Tempts were sold on both Jimmy and David, but it was the latter Ruffin who impressed most with his incredible stage presence that perfectly suited the Temptations performing style. And the rest, as the cliché goes, is history: Ruffin sang on some of the most beautiful Motown records ever, before his ego inflated and caused the group to release Ruffin in 1968, bringing in Dennis Edwards to fill Ruffin’s shoes.
Ruffin went on to have a successful solo career, notably with ‘My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)’ and the disco-smash ‘Walk Away From Love’. He would reunite with Eddie Kendricks after he also left The Temptations, recording an album entitled Ruffin & Kendrick in 1987, as well as touring with Hall & Oates and Dennis Edwards once he too left The Temptations. Yet Ruffin never managed to kick his drug habit he developed in the sixties, and after a successful UK tour with Eddie Kendricks and Dennis Edwards, he passed away from an overdose of cocaine. Truly a sad end to one of the most talented singers in Motown history.
In 1980 Ruffin released his last brilliant set of songs in the form of the album Gentleman Ruffin. It didn’t sell very well, but has become somewhat of a must-have amongst Temptation fans. The album resists the early eighties sound, opting for the lush Motown/Philly sounds of the seventies, complete with Motown-esuque backing vocals. The best song on the album is this rare cut, ‘All I Need’, not to be confused with The Temptation song of the same title. It’s David Ruffin at his best, his voice yearns with emotion and love, pleading with the woman in the song. The production is subtle: the horns are mixed fairly low down as not to over power but rather complement Ruffin’s heart wrenching vocals. For us here at TFSR it’s a personal favourite of David Ruffin’s, one that is perfectly suited to remembering his incredible talent.