George HaffendenThe iconic Motown group are back with new music to celebrate their 60th anniversary.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the legendary Motown group The Temptations. And while only Otis Williams is the surviving original member, the latest incarnation of The Temptations are celebrating this milestone in style: a new collaboration with Smokey Robinson.
The new song ‘Is It Gonna Be Yes Or No’, written and produced by Robinson, is the first single from the upcoming Temptations 60 album. The release date for the album is yet to be announced.
The Temptations owe their career to Smokey Robinson: it was his songs that gave the group their first hits, such as ‘The Way You Do The Things You Do’, ‘My Girl’ and ‘Get Ready’, among others. Now, 60 years later, Smokey appears on their latest single, a smooth sultry affair in which the newer members of The Temptations excel, proving themselves to be worthy of the Temptations legacy.
After numerous members over the decades, today the group consists of Otis Williams, Ron Tyson, Terry Weeks, Willie Greene and Mario Corbino.
On the new single it’s Terry, Ron and Otis who handle the lead vocals along with Smokey, while Willie’s deep bass open the song. Taken together, the group and Robinson, sound excellent.
In a statement Otis Williams said:
“It’s wonderful to be back together. When The Tempts first met Smoke we were teenagers, young Black men in Detroit who had no clue that our partnership at Motown would produce ‘My Girl,’ one of the greatest hits of all time. And our success together didn’t stop there. We had chart hit after chart hit and, soon after, our music was heard around the world. Now, 60 years later, as I turn 80, Smoke and I have come full circle. I never imagined we would have the opportunity to get back in the studio and do it all again.”
The group have resumed touring in the USA, while their planned UK tour with fellow Motown icons the Four Tops has been postponed until next October.
And if that wasn’t enough, on 30 October 2021 Otis Williams turns 80. After six decades touring, recording and performing, Otis and his group show no sign of slowing down.
Listen to the new single below.