The Temptin' Temptations
The Temptin' Temptations is the third studio album by The Temptations for the Gordy label released in 1965. The album includes several of the group's hits from 1965, and also includes a handful of singles that were not included on the Temptations' first 1965 album, The Temptations Sing Smokey. Among these are the 1964 singles "Girl " and "I'll Be in Trouble"; and the 1965 singles "Since I Lost My Baby", and "My Baby". Seven of the album's 12 tracks had previously been released as singles and their B-sides, though "My Baby" preceded the album only by a month.
Overview
The three pre-"My Girl" singles all feature Eddie Kendricks on lead vocals. "I'll Be in Trouble" was written and produced by Smokey Robinson, while "Girl " was a Norman Whitfield production. Both songs were Top 40 hits for the group immediately following the success of their first hit, "The Way You Do the Things You Do". "The Girl's All Right With Me", "I'll Be in Trouble's" b-side, charted on its own at number 102, and was written by Kendricks, Whitfield, and Eddie Holland, but produced by Smokey Robinson and Whitfield."Since I Lost My Baby", a heartbroken ballad exemplary of Smokey Robinson's work, features David Ruffin on lead vocals, pining away for a lost lover even though the world around him is a relative nirvana. Longing and melancholy, "Since I Lost My Baby" tells a story about the pain of losing a lover. Temptations lead singer David Ruffin paints a picture as the song's narrator of an idyllic world where he has everything anyone could ask for, except for love. Contemporary R&B singer Luther Vandross would later cover the song on his 1982 album Forever, For Always, For Love.
"My Baby", an extension of the theme from "My Girl", features Ruffin and the Temptations bragging about the qualities of a special lady. It was written by Miracles members Robinson, Pete Moore, and Bobby Rogers.
"My Baby"'s B-side, the Paul Williams-led "Don't Look Back", was a minor hit in its own right, becoming a top 20 R&B hit and serving for several years as the Temptations' live-show closing number. It was also the original A-side of this recording, and as such, was performed by the group on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was later relegated to B-side status in the wake of "My Baby"'s bigger pop success at the time. However, today, "Don't Look Back" is the far more popular and better-remembered tune. Although the Temptations retired "Don't Look Back" from their repertoire following Williams' 1971 departure from the group, several cover versions have been recorded. These include versions by Al Green, Bobby Womack, The Persuasions, and Teena Marie, as well as a collaboration between Peter Tosh, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards for Tosh's 1978 album Bush Doctor.
Track listing
Side one- "Since I Lost My Baby" 2:55
- "The Girl's Alright with Me" 2:55
- "Just Another Lonely Night" 3:03
- "My Baby" 3:06
- "You've Got to Earn It" 2:41
- "Everybody Needs Love" 2:59
- "Girl " 2:23
- "Don't Look Back" 2:56
- "I Gotta Know Now" 2:40
- "Born to Love You" 2:41
- "I'll Be in Trouble" 3:00
- "You're the One I Need" 2:24
- "Come Back My Love" - produced by Berry Gordy, Jr.
- "Nobody But You" - produced by Clarence Paul
- "That'll Be The Day" - produced by Henry Cosby & William "Mickey" Stevenson
Personnel
Performers- David Ruffin – vocals
- Eddie Kendricks – vocals
- Paul Williams – vocals
- Melvin Franklin – vocals
- Otis Williams – vocals
- The Andantes – additional background vocals on "Just Another Lonely Night" and "That'll Be the Day"
- Jimmy Ruffin – additional background vocals on "Born To Love You"
- Smokey Robinson – "Since I Lost My Baby", "The Girl's Alright with Me", "My Baby", "You've Got to Earn It", "Don't Look Back", "I'll Be in Trouble", "You're the One I Need", Executive Producer
- Norman Whitfield – "The Girl's Alright with Me", "Everybody Needs Love", "Girl ", "I Gotta Know Now"
- William "Mickey" Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter – "Just Another Lonely Night", "Born to Love You"
Chart and singles history
| Name | Chart | Peak position |
| The Temptin' Temptations | U.S. Billboard Pop Albums | 11 |
| The Temptin' Temptations | U.S. Top R&B Albums | 1 |
| "I'll Be in Trouble" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 33 |
| "I'll Be in Trouble" | U.S. Cash Box R&B Singles Chart | 22 |
| "The Girl's Alright With Me" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 102 |
| "The Girl's Alright With Me" | U.S. Cash Box R&B Singles Chart | 39 |
| "Girl " | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 26 |
| "Girl " | U.S. Cash Box R&B Singles Chart | 11 |
| "Since I Lost My Baby" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 17 |
| "Since I Lost My Baby" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 4 |
| "You've Got to Earn It" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 123 |
| "You've Got to Earn It" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 22 |
| "My Baby" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 13 |
| "My Baby" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 4 |
| "Don't Look Back" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 83 |
| "Don't Look Back" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 15 |
- 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 with the 1964 releases.