Meet the Temptations is the debut studio albumbythe Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label released in 1964. It includes most of the group's early singles, excluding only the first, "Oh Mother of Mine", and its b-side, "Romance Without Finance" (later included on a CD reissue of the LP); as well as the single "Mind Over Matter" (and its b-side "I'll Love You Till I Die"), in which the group is credited as The Pirates. The album consists entirely of previously released singles, including the group's first hit single, "The Way You Do the Things You Do".
The lineup on the cover features Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, and newest Temptation Davis (later David) Ruffin. Ruffin had just joined the act three months before this album was released, and actually only appears on "The Way You Do The Things You Do". The other tracks all feature original Temptation Elbridge "Al" Bryant, who was fired from the group in December 1963.
Again, excepting the hit single, these tracks all date from the Temptations' slow-selling starting period (during which some Motown staffers referred to them as the "hitless Temptations"). Despite local success in Detroit and the midwest, the Temptations released six singles that missed the Top 100 Pop & R&B charts, and one, "Dream Come True", which made it to #22 on the R&B singles chart. Most of these songs feature Paul Williams as (main) lead, while Kendricks, Bryant, Franklin, and Otis Williams were given plenty of lead lines, ad-libs and harmony vocals heard throughout the album. Kendricks was also given a small handful of songs to lead as well, including the two charting singles.
The album was originally issued only in monaural sound. A stereo remix of the album was issued along with the original mono version in 1966. The bonus tracks were added to the album in 1999.
Technically there wasn't a recording session for this album as it was basically a collection of the group's singles and B-sides up to that point. Other tracks that were recorded along the same timeline that could have been included on the album were:
"My Pillow" (Robert Plaisted)*
Produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson, led by Eddie Kendricks & Melvin Franklin
(Features Franklin, Otis Williams, Al Bryant, and Paul Williams singing the chorus out front in a four-part vocal harmony)
"Camouflage [Version 1]" (Gordy)*
Produced by Berry Gordy, Jr., led by Eddie Kendricks & Melvin Franklin
"So Much Joy" (Bradford, Rebecca Nichols, Earl Brooks)
All of the above tracks have subsequently been released
Four other tracks were released as tracks/bonus tracks on other albums
There have also been some reports (including Otis Williams’ Temptations autobiography) that some of the then-current group members were not available at the time of recording some songs. However, this cannot be substantiated by official Motown studio records. The tracks with supposedly missing group members (and the missing member/s) are:
"Check Yourself" (Eddie Kendricks and/or Al Bryant)
"May I Have This Dance" (Al Bryant)
"I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To" (Al Bryant)
"I Want A Love I Can See" (Melvin Franklin)
"The Further You Look, the Less You See" (Melvin Franklin)
"A Tear From A Woman's Eyes", an H-D-H production, competed with "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (and "Just Let Me Know", "Not Now (I'll Tell You Later)", and "Give It Up") for the a-side of the group’s seventh single. It was recorded just three days before the hit song.
Berry Gordy – "Dream Come True", "Paradise", "May I Have This Dance", "Isn't She Pretty", "Just Let Me Know", "Your Wonderful Love", "Check Yourself" and "Farewell My Love", Executive Producer (Album)
Smokey Robinson – "The Way You Do the Things You Do", "I Want a Love I Can See", "May I Have This Dance", "Just Let Me Know", "The Further You Look, the Less You See", "Slow Down Heart" and "Farewell My Love", Executive Producer (Album)
Norman Whitfield – producer on "May I Have This Dance" and "The Further You Look, the Less You See"
Miracle single 5 (originally a non-album single; CD bonus track), July 24, 1961; b-side: "Romance Without Finance" a, b
"Check Yourself" a, (intro: d, e)
Miracle single 12, November 7, 1961; b-side: "Your Wonderful Love" a
"(You're My) Dream Come True" b
Gordy single 7001, March 16, 1962; b-side: "Isn't She Pretty" (recorded 1961) c, a, b, e, d
"Paradise" b, e
Gordy single 7010, September 26, 1962; b-side: "Slow Down Heart" a, e
"Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)" b(credited as The Pirates)
Mel-O-Dy single 105 (non-album single), September 29, 1962; b-side: "I'll Love You Till I Die" a(The Pirates)
"I Want A Love I Can See" a
Gordy single 7015, March 18, 1963; b-side: "The Further You Look, the Less You See" a
"Farewell My Love" a, b, c, e
Gordy single 7020, June 25, 1963; b-side: "May I Have This Dance" (recorded 1962)* b, e
"The Way You Do the Things You Do" b
Gordy single 7028, January 23, 1964; b-side: "Just Let Me Know" (recorded 1963) a, c
(*) Elbridge "Al" Bryant was originally credited as the lead on "May I Have This Dance". In fact the first tenor lead on this song was actually performed by Eddie Kendricks singing in his natural tenor, as well as his falsetto on the end. Other songs with Kendricks’ natural singing voice include "My Pillow", "Camouflage [Version 1]", and "Way Over There" (from The Temptations Sing Smokey).
Note: There was no Billboard R&B singles chart from November 1963 until January 1965. Most discographies include R&B information from Cash Box magazine to fill in the gap in the R&B chart, as is done here for the post-1963 releases.
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