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Post by MikeNYC on Jul 2, 2004 20:07:17 GMT -5
I don't really know that much about Otis to be able to discuss his character flaws. Maybe we'll have more to talk about after Richard's book comes out...  I recall that in his book he implied (without directly stating) an adulterous affair or two, he obviously has trouble staying married (and who doesn't ;D), he admitted a few instances of experimenting with drugs, but really his most serious character flaw is that he did not look out for the best interests of his bandmates. That's not NEARLY as scintillating as Paul's and David's issues. Now, if you want to come up with something with more meat, we'll talk it to death.  McRibs,personally if Otis wanted to talk about HIS faults..HIS life is HIS business....it really doesn't interest me.He had no right to do that to others without their consent. It was not his story to tell.I still say the way he portrayed Paul's life was a lowdown,dirty blow. Smokey didn't do that to his groupmates...and there was a few scandals in the Miracles...he had enough class and love for them not to go there with them.Otis could have gone the same route...if we want to be logical about it.And real...very real. What you think? |
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Post by kalisa2 on Jul 2, 2004 21:09:14 GMT -5
Kalisa,who says that Otis had to say anything about PAUL"S personal life? Did Otisknow ,or anyone else for that matter, know for sure that Paul was not ill before the alledged ALCHOLISM? Please be logical and real Mike...To answer you, the parts of Paul's 'personal life' that Otis really divulged were those that pertained to the demise of the classic 5...in Otis's eyes. Otis obviously felt that Paul's alcohol and personal problems had something to do with why he eventually left the group. Why more wasn't said about his sickle cell anemia, I do not know or understand. Then it should be pretty easy for you to answer specifically which .66% of the book you consider true and NOT lies  . Whoa...the Temptations story was not Otis's (and Pauls, and Davids and Eddies and Melvins and Dennis's etc etc etc)) to tell? We will have to disagree on that one. The Temptations is the man's life's work, it certainly is at least in part his story to tell. And if he felt that certain problems that the other members had led directly to their leaving the group, he certainly had the right to express that. Thats real. That's logical. And it was already out there. It isn't logical for him to write a book with a. no cusswords LOL (we had this discussion a couple years ago) and b. no dirty laundry. For one thing, a. isn't real and b. is neither real nor logical, given that the Temptations, the Classic 5 or HOF 6, did NOT stay together. There was obviously dirty laundry that lead to the breakups or departures. Now, we can discuss Otis's dirty laundry (if we know what it is), but I do want to know what impact it had on the break up of the group. That is what the book is about. I'm not trying to gloss over whether Otis was right or wrong in what he spilled, but really most of the dirt he put out there in his book had to do with why the group broke up, in his view. And it was stuff that was already out there. There was other dirt that didn't find its way into the book, maybe partly at least because it didn't have to do with why the members left. Are you really saying that Paul's children wouldn't at some time have come across these articles that were written well before Otis published his book? Do you think it realistic that his wife or some other family member wouldn't have clippings of those articles? Put them out there, lets discuss them. Seems to me he's been dissected, bisected, psychoanalyzed and called out for everything under the sun, but if we missed something...put it out there! |
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Post by Aba21 on Jul 2, 2004 21:40:03 GMT -5
And why are we trying to sheild this new generation of Temptation fans from anything less than perfect. No one was perfect in the group and that includes Otis. These people can make up their own minds as to whether it is important enough to know the truth. I think most people watched the movie for the music and was surprised at all the other revelations that came out. It didn't cause anyone not to like the Temptations. In fact, it made many people more curiuos to find the truth. If someone asks a legitmate question about the movie or the book and I know the answer.............I am happy to give it and it matters not to me what Otis wrote. I really want to see what Richard brings to the table because if he says things like he sang behind the curtain for Paul are we gonna call his book a lie as well? See to me, it just one man's story and that's all......you don't have to believe it. Otis book was not imflammatory to me. I have read much worse when it come to tell all books. If enough former members write something we will have enough to compare notes and then we might find a modicum of truth out there somewhere.
I am not going to take Eddie's word over Melvin's or Dennis word over Otis or David's word over Paul or any other combination you can come up with......Each one had a story to tell........
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Post by ZeldaFScott on Jul 2, 2004 21:51:08 GMT -5
"And why are we trying to sheild this new generation of Temptation fans from anything less than perfect."
Aba, I don't think that was ever the issue.
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Post by mcribs on Jul 2, 2004 21:54:25 GMT -5
McRibs,personally if Otis wanted to talk about HIS faults..HIS life is HIS business....it really doesn't interest me.He had no right to do that to others without their consent. It was not his story to tell.I still say the way he portrayed Paul's life was a lowdown,dirty blow. And real...very real. What you think? I think that if the things about Paul and David were public knowledge, and they were, Otis had a obligation to discuss his view of them. As an eye witness to much of what happened, he can provide a perspective that few other people who are alive today have. IF Paul's and David's problems were not public knowledge, then Otis did them a disservice by revealing it. But my understand was that it was well known, therefore he had every right to tell his side. That's my opinion, yours, of course, differs greatly. ;D |
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Post by Temptress on Jul 2, 2004 22:01:33 GMT -5
I consider myself to be a New generation Tempt Fan! After watching the movie a couple of times ;D. I really didn't care too much for Otis.............Because it seemed like he was a good two shoes.I was on Davids' side when he said " Anit nobody comin to see you Otis " He was Always the one in charge. Never did anything wrong. Then I read book......I thought it was the GOSPEL........ until I got on this board . I've learned a lot from you guys. But I have came to my own conclusion about each of the guys. And I really don't care if Paul had a drinking problem. I still Love him. I love Otis and respect him too. It took me a while but I do. I Love all the Tempts past and present. I didn't think they were perfect......No one is! I felt a little better about Otis |
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Post by Aba21 on Jul 3, 2004 7:42:14 GMT -5
One of the reasons Otis isn't discussed around here is because no one is interested in Otis. To most he is the least important, can't dance, can't sing. Yet he shoulders the most blame for everything that happened. I'm still waiting for someone to put something uphere about Otis that we haven't all ready discussed 100 times. I don't use "the good" of Otis to make Paul, Eddie or David look bad and vice versa.
I agree with Temptress, she is old enough to make her own decision as to who she likes and what she believes about the temptations. It is not my life's mission to make sure everybody know what *I* believe to be the story of the Temptations. As a matter of fact I like to hear what others got out of the movie and book because I all ready have my own opinion of the story and that's all it is, an opinion.
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Post by TemptsFanforLife on Jul 3, 2004 11:21:33 GMT -5
Everybody always jumps on Big O's case. I heard the stories about David before and after he left the group. I read Soul magazine announcing Davids departure, looked at my brand new copy of the Wish It Would Rain album and wondered if it was their last. True David wasn't the only lead singer but he and Eddie were the ones producers chose to showcase more than the others even Paul, thus giving them a certain sound that people expected to always hear. I read articles about David arriving at gigs in his own limo, not showing up for gigs and Pauls problems were also public knowledge. What people fail to realize is that Otis was writing his biography, and what he wrote was his perspective of the events that happened in his life. Now everyone knows that there two sides to every story and in the case of the Classic 5 there are five sides. Just because you may not agree with what Otis has to say doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to say it. Also we should stop Knocking Otis' singing and dancing abilities, regardless to what you or I may think about his talent, he has helped to keep the legacy of the Temptations well into his sixties when others have long since fallen by the wayside. Otis knows he's not the best singer or dancer thats why he searches so hard to find the talent that helps the Temptations to be one of the best vocal groups in the music industry today. Thats what Otis' job is, he's the voice of reason, he's the organizer, he's the motivator, he's the one behind the scene helping to keep things together. There is one thing that can't be denied regardless to whether or not you like the current line up or the music they record or their live show, if it were not for Otis Williams there would not be any Temptations for us to enjoy. I'm sure that the Review would be around because of the influence of Dennis but they aren't recording new material and I don't know if they would be if Otis' group weren't around. Give Otis a break, give Otis his due.
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Post by Aba21 on Jul 3, 2004 18:18:12 GMT -5
Makes sense to me. I am a Temptation fan through and through............all 22 of them. Matters not to me what line-up is out there...........I liked Bo while he was in there......Louis Price as well.......don't matter to me. I know who the classic five is and none of the other combinations could touch them with a ten foot pole except Dennis combination with Paul still in the group. I look for the good in what they are trying to do. I've been recording, playing and listening to music for more than 90 per cent of my life and I have listened to Legacy over and over and its Tempts music to me. I don't like all the songs but to say the cd is garbage is to me a slap at the Temptations........are you saying Ali Woodson didn't write a good Song.......how about Cornelius Grant? To say there is not one good song on the cd i find hard to believe.. I never rate the current line-up's music on some scale of how it did on the charts because the charts don't tell the whole story about what artists like the Review and The Temptations and others of that ilk have to deal with just to get a cd out.........
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Post by TemptsFanforLife on Jul 3, 2004 20:12:22 GMT -5
I think Legacy is a great cd that needs a record company behind it. Motown's treating it like a tax write off. It just bugs me how some people down any and every thing Otis seems to do, give the man a break.
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Post by BlueEyedSoul on Jul 3, 2004 21:18:35 GMT -5
What I don't understand is that no matter what subject seems to come up here it always goes back to Otis....its always Otis did this and Otis did that......if we are going to discuss people not being portrayed correctly in books why don't I ever see Tony Turner's treatment of David being bought up here...yes ,we all know David had drug problems big time but Turner made David look really bad in his book also Dennis where he talks about Dennis having his drug problem...so my point here is why no one ever questions what Tony Turner wrote but Otis is always up for discussion ...just cut the man a break once in awhile  edited for spelling |
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Post by Temptress on Jul 4, 2004 2:08:53 GMT -5
Despite his faults. Otis must be doing something right ...........Because The Tempts are still around.
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Post by Temptress on Jul 4, 2004 2:27:38 GMT -5
I like both groups I hope to see the Review soon! I am glad theey are still around. Happy I got a chance to see True Living Legends  |
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Post by Aba21 on Jul 4, 2004 2:31:15 GMT -5
I like both groups I hope to see the Review soon! I am glad theey are still around. Happy I got a chance to see True Living Legends THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' BOUT!!!!  |
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Post by keres on Jul 4, 2004 3:04:57 GMT -5
Despite his faults. Otis must be doing something right ...........Because The Tempts are still around. Finally someone said it out!  |
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