Detroit's own Motown vocal group, forged from The Distants and The Primes, who turned 'My Girl' into a defining sound of 1960s soul.
MOODS · soulful · harmonious · polished · danceable · psychedelic-soul · vintage · uplifting · sophisticated · groovy · classic · smooth · dynamic
BIOGRAPHY
The Temptations formed in Detroit after The Distants and The Primes merged, with Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks and Elbridge 'Al' Bryant signing to Motown in 1961. The 'Classic Five' lineup, with David Ruffin replacing Bryant, broke through with 'The Way You Do the Things You Do' in 1964, and Smokey Robinson and Ronnie White's 'My Girl' became the group's first number-one pop hit in 1965.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, producer Norman Whitfield steered the group toward psychedelic soul, yielding Top Ten hits like 'Cloud Nine,' 'I Can't Get Next to You' and 'Psychedelic Shack.' Six members entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, and the group received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
WHY THEY'RE COOL
With 42 Top Ten hits and 14 number-ones, The Temptations paired tightly drilled choreography with layered harmonies that moved from the romantic sweep of 'My Girl' to the harder-edged psychedelic soul Norman Whitfield produced in the late '60s and early '70s. Their crossover success helped open doors for Black artists in a resistant industry, and their influence runs through later generations of pop and R&B performers.
GEORGE'S PLAYS
First time on the station.
PLAYED ON WOKE1
