George HaffendenThis year we’re trying something new: each week we’re going to be revisiting an album in full. They might be classics, rarities or simply albums we’ve forgotten about.
This week, we listen to The Temptations’ Grammy Award winning album, Ear-Resistible.
New era, new Temptations
Reviewing the album in back in July 2000, The Washington Post reported that Motown sent The Temptations’s new single ‘I’m Here’ to radio stations labelled only as being from a “Motown Mystery Artist”. The Motown marketing team feared that radio stations would simply sling the single in the trash if they knew it was from an “oldies” group like The Temptations.
And, as the Post reported, the trick worked: ‘I’m Here’ became a minor hit for the group, hitting #3 on the Urban Adult Contemporary Chart in the US.
Yet, although the group had been performing since 1961, by 2000 only Otis Williams remained as the last surviving original member of The Temptations. Melvin Franklin had died in 1995; Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin died a few years previous, and Paul Williams had passed in 1973.
Despite being the last man standing, Otis carried on. By 2000, Otis, along with long-time member Ron Tyson (who joined in 1983), had essentially re-built the group. Younger members were brought in and the group embraces a more contemporary sound, thanks to the leads of new boys Barrington “Bo” Henderson and Terry Weeks (Harry McGilberry rounded out the quintet, on bass vocals).
The new line-up had already released the excellent Phoenix Rising in 1997 (which featured lead vocals from ex-Tempt, Theo Peoples, who left during recording), but their follow-up was to be perhaps even better.
Ear-Resistible
The Temptations may have been an “oldies” act on the touring circuit, but Motown didn’t seem to have any issue hiring hot producers to record the group.
Narada Michael Walden made a return to the boards, after producing and writing on Phoenix Rising, and was joined by the likes of Gerald Levert and Joe in producing Ear-Resistible.
Then Motown-President Kedar Massenberg also got in on the act, acting with Otis as co-executive producer, while Otis, Ron and Terry also contributed to the writing on the album. In his autobiography, Otis recalls how excited Massenberg was having The Temptations record new material for Motown.
And, twenty years later, the album still sounds pretty good. With their new, younger line-up The Temptations easily embraced a contemporary sound without it sounding forced or contrite. Unlike other “oldie” acts, The Tempts don’t sound like they’re merely chasing the latest trends. Moreover, there’s no guest spots from the stars of the day – surely Gerald Levert must have been tempted to duet with The Tempts – it’s just The Temptations, singing some excellently produced material. In that regard, it’s classic Temptations.
Now, in terms of material, the more eagle-eyed (or eagle-eared) amongst Temptations fans will have no doubt noticed that a couple of the songs on Ear-Resistible had been previously released on their Emperors of Soul box set.
‘Elevator Eyes’ and ‘Error Of Our Ways’ had previously been recorded when Ali Woodson was lead singer. It’s hard to say which versions are best, but those on Ear-Resistible are great: Bo does a great job with ‘Elevator Eyes’, and Terry knocks it out with ‘Error Of Our Ways’, lamenting the state of affairs in the world. Nothing changes, eh?
Now, I am perhaps biased, as I think he’s one of the greatest voices I’ve seen live, but the standout man on the album is none other than Terry Weeks.
Formerly an Air Force veteran, Terry previously performed with the ‘Tops in Blue’, the Air Force’s touring group of entertainers. After a chance meeting with Otis in Hollywood and an impromptu audition, he was signed to Otis’s own label and placed in a group called ‘For Lover’s Only’, who would release an album of the same name on Motown. The album didn’t really go anywhere, but it’s worth seeking out to hear Terry’s lead on a cover of ‘The Closer I Get To You’.
After For Lover’s Only, it wasn’t immediately obvious that Terry would join the Tempts. In his autobiography, Otis claims that “[a]t first, I didn’t consider Terry as a future Temptation”, but when Ali Woodson became ill and was forced to leave the group, Terry was brought into the group and been there ever since.
On Ear-Resistible, Terry really shines. Not only does he sing lead on ‘I’m Here’, he’s was also given leads on ‘Your Love’, ‘Error of Our Ways’, and ‘I’ll Just Go Crazy’. And even when he’s not singing lead, it’s his voice that anchors the backing vocals.
His voice gives The Temptations both a contemporary edge, but nonetheless fits their classic sound. He could have easily walked into the line-ups during the seventies and eighties as well. In my opinion, he’s one of the greatest members The Temptations have had.
The rest of the group sound excellent as well. Barrington Henderson could really sing, and if anything he sounded much more comfortable singing new material than The Temptations’ classics (interesting fact: Bo recently became the new lead singer of The Stylistics).
Ron Tyson, another Temptation great, sounds as good as ever on Ear-Resistible, and his voice blends well with Bo’s on ‘Kiss Me Like You Miss Me’. Meanwhile, Harry McGilberry was an extraordinary bass singer, a great replacement for Melvin Franklin. And, let’s not forget Otis Williams, who crops up throughout to deliver his niche monologues.
The album was clearly well-received, and at the 2001 Grammy Awards the album won the Grammy for ‘Best Traditional R&B Performance’. A few year previous, their Phoenix Rising album lost out to Patti LaBelle’s Live! One Night Only in the same category, but in 2001 they fought off competition from Will Downing, George Duke, Johnnie Taylor and Jeffrey Osbourne for the Grammy.
(As good as Patti’s Live! One Night Only is, it’s not quite as good as Phoenix Rising in my opinion…)
The win was a surprise for Otis, who wrote afterwards that “I truly was surprised – shocked, stunned, overjoyed – to hear our names called, and that big grin you saw on my face was real”. The group even received a hand-written note congratulating them from then-President Bill Clinton.
And if that wasn’t enough, the single ‘I’m Here’ was remixed, becoming a minor hit itself.
The legacy continues
After the success of Ear-Resistible, The Temptations would continue to record throughout the 2000s, with Awesome, Legacy, Reflections and Back To Front. In the past decade, they’ve released just 2 albums, Still Here and All The Time. And 2021 marks the The Temptations’ 60th anniversary, and there is (hopefully) going to be a new album of original material to mark the occasion.
And, naturally, members have come and gone. Henderson and McGilberry left around the same time, and since then new members have joined and left: Joe Herndon, GC Cameron, Bruce Williamson, Larry Braggs, Willie Green and their latest lead singer, Mario Corbino who joined in 2020.
And, if we can ever leave our houses again without the threat of a big bit of COVID lurking behind the bins, waiting for us, then The Temptations along with the Four Tops are due to tour the UK this autumn. Fingers crossed.