The Temptations - Lost & Found - You've Got To Earn It 1962-1968 (1999) Motown + Full Booklet (FLAC) - Rare Soul

The Temptations, American Soul Legends noted for their incredible smooth harmonies and intricate choreography. Recorded primarily for Motown Records, they were among the most popular performers of soul music in the 1960s and ’70s. The principal members of the group were Otis Williams (original name Otis Miles; b. October 30, 1941, Texarkana, Texas, U.S.), Paul Williams (b. July 2, 1939, Birmingham, Alabama—d. August 17, 1973, Detroit, Michigan), Melvin Franklin (byname of David Melvin English; b. October 12, 1942, Montgomery, Alabama—d. February 23, 1995, Los Angeles, California), Eddie Kendricks (byname of Edward James Kendrick; b. December 17, 1939, Union Springs, Alabama—d. October 5, 1992, Birmingham), David Ruffin (byname of Davis Eli Ruffin; b. January 18, 1941, Meridian, Mississippi—d. June 1, 1991, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Dennis Edwards (b. February 3, 1943, Fairfield, Alabama—d. February 1, 2018, Chicago, Illinois)....Originally called the Elgins, the Temptations were formed in 1961 from the coupling of two vocal groups based in Detroit, the Primes, originally from Alabama, and the Distants. That same year they signed with Motown....This Superb Temptations collection captures the period between 1962 and 1968 it includes twenty unreleased Temptations records at the time of release, alongside unreleased mixes of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "You've Got to Earn It". Most of the songs were recorded during the group's "Classic 5" era with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks as lead singers, although there are some tracks present which were recorded with Ruffin's predecessor, Elbridge Bryant, in the lineup. There's also one track that was recorded with Ruffin's successor, Dennis Edwards.  All three of the Temptations' predominant lead singers, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams, are featured on the album. Williams gives dramatic performances on songs such as "Last One Out is Brokenhearted", "Tear Stained Letter", and "I Now See You Clear Through My Eyes". Early 1960s recordings such as "Camouflage" (Version 1) and "My Pillow" show Kendricks at an early stage in his career. Later recordings like "No Time" and "Dinah" (later recorded as a solo track by David Ruffin) show Kendricks with the matured voice today familiar to the public. "What Am I Gonna Do Without You", "Only a Lonely Man Would Know", and "That'll Be The Day" are led by Ruffin.The last studio recording on the album, "We'll Be Satisfied", includes all three singers on leads. This was a rare occasion for the group during this period, although co-led songs became more frequent in the Temptations' repertoire during their psychedelic period. The album closes with a live performance of "My Girl", which was performed a week after the studio version was recorded. Their steady performances and recordings had them quickly rising to fame and fortune with the relatively stable line up featuring Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams and David Ruffin (who joined in 1963) as lead and harmony tenor vocalists, with Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin adding baritone and bass. After a few plays, some of the tracks here already sound so much a part of the Temptations repertoire that it,s almost impossible to believe that they have languished in a vault unheard for all this time till 1999, and one cannot escape the suspicion that some of these would have made better album tracks than those that made the final track lists. Perhaps some internal politics came into play, producer pressure, or a ruling from Berry Gordy on high ? There are two versions of one song written and produced by Berry Gordy. "Camouflage" is first heard in a recording from February 1962, the earliest recording on the disc, and then in a supercharged version from March 1967. Three of the songs are familiar from other versions. You've Got To Earn It is known from "Temptin' Temptations", but turns up here in an alternative fast version. "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" is one of their best known songs, a US Top Twenty hit in 1966, but minus the seductive string section that fascinatingly adorns it here. Their magnificent signature tune, "My Girl", closes the album in an on stage version performed without ceremony just 10 days after its release as a single. Three tracks have been mastered from mono mixes. You can read more about them on their WEBSITE indexing at the top left of the page to take you to the sections you wish to inspect. Littered with Northern Dance Classic,s who can resist!?..L-E-G-E-N-D-S!!!

AMM

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