Meet the Temptations


Meet the Temptations is the debut studio album by the Temptations for the Gordy 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" ; as well as the single "Mind Over Matter", 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. 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 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.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "The Way You Do the Things You Do" 2:46
  2. "I Want a Love I Can See" 2:33
  3. "(You're My) Dream Come True" 2:57
  4. "Paradise" 2:52
  5. "May I Have This Dance" 2:13
  6. "Isn't She Pretty" 2:45

Side two

  1. "Just Let Me Know" 2:56
  2. "Your Wonderful Love" 2:52
  3. "The Further You Look, the Less You See" 2:21
  4. "Check Yourself" 2:48
  5. "Slow Down Heart" 2:36
  6. "Farewell My Love" 2:28

1999 CD reissue bonus tracks

  1. "Oh, Mother of Mine" 2:20
  2. "Romance Without Finance" 2:48

Outtakes and other early tracks

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:

Personnel

;The Temptations
with:
;Technical
  • 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
  • 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
  • Norman Whitfield – producer on "May I Have This Dance" and "The Further You Look, the Less You See"
  • Andre Williams and William "Mickey" Stevenson – producer on "Oh, Mother of Mine" and "Romance Without Finance"
  • Bernard Yeszin, Wallace Mead – cover design, photography

Singles history

The main lead vocalists on each track are identified by superscripts: Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Al Bryant, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin.
  • "Oh Mother of Mine" a, b
  • *Miracle single 5, July 24, 1961; b-side: "Romance Without Finance" a, b
  • "Check Yourself" a,
  • *Miracle single 12, November 7, 1961; b-side: "Your Wonderful Love" a
  • " Dream Come True" b
  • *Gordy single 7001, March 16, 1962; b-side: "Isn't She Pretty" c, a, b, e, d
  • "Paradise" b, e
  • *Gordy single 7010, September 26, 1962; b-side: "Slow Down Heart" a, e
  • "Mind Over Matter " b '
  • * Mel-O-Dy single 105, September 29, 1962; b-side: "I'll Love You Till I Die" a '
  • "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" * b, e
  • "The Way You Do the Things You Do" b
  • *Gordy single 7028, January 23, 1964; b-side: "Just Let Me Know" 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 ", and "Way Over There".

Chart history