EXCLUSIVE - Otis Williams Interview!!!

[Alex McCann]

Hi,

Just letting you know about Designer Magazine's exclusive interview with Otis Williams of THE TEMPTATIONS

designermagazine.tripod.com

I hope you enjoy the read and please remember to post your TEMPTATIONS related comments on the Designer Magazine Message Board.

Cheers

Alex McCann
(Editor)

NB: Please don't post this interview on your message board / website without written permission. All interviews and articles within the site are copyright of Designer Magazine.

[AnnaKonda]

I've just read the interview. Why can't he keep his mouth shut?
Does anyone else feel offended by what Otis is saying about the U.S. fans? Is he really saying, we all had forgotten about the Temps if he had had no hits after their early successes? What is he trying to say? (Mainly question 2).

AK

[kalisa2]

AnnaKonda said:

I've just read the interview. Why can't he keep his mouth shut?


AK

Because people want to hear what he has to say.

Does anyone else feel offended by what Otis is saying about the U.S. fans?

Not at all. Its the truth.

Is he really saying, we all had forgotten about the Temps if he had had no hits after their early successes? (Mainly question 2).

He's saying (accurately) that in UK and Europe in general, the audiences are less fickle, if they are a fan they love you even if you haven't cut a new record for 30 years. As long as you put on a good show.

Has Otis done anything right?

[Ivory Fair]

Exactly Kalisa, Otis doesn't have to keep his mouth shut and what he says is correct although it's more a result of the nature of the record industry and radio than it is something we are intentionally doing.

(Here's what Anna is refering to......... The difference between the States and the UK is that if we shouldn't get a hit again they (the UK) love us for the memories and the songs that were hits. Here in the States everything has you got to be now, if you're not now it's almost as if you're passé. Luckily for us were still received greatly over here and in the States, but some artists it's like a fast food kind of thing. I guess the artists that come from here are so abundant so it is a difference. The English people will love you if you had a hit 10 or 15 years ago and you're still coming over singing those hits. If you never have any more hits other than the ones you've had they receive it like it's a hit all over again.

[c5temptsfan]

Uh..."DC" Cameron? Now THAT"S funny! ;D

[Ivory Fair]

Yeah, the article also refered to "Don" Massenberg. KEDAR MASSENBURG, might go by "Don" but I've never heard it before.

[curet30]

I don't see anything wrong with Otis said. I did have to go over a few sentences more than once because of some typo's but that was it as far as the article is concerned.

What Otis said about the Temp fans in the UK and those of us here in the US is very similar to the doo wop fans I've encountered.

A lot of the doo wop groups came out of New York City in the mid 1950's. Yet we (Earl Lewis & The Channels) get more LOVE from the fans outside of New York City. Doo wop groups get treated royally in Pittsburgh and all over the state of Florida. I'm not saying there is NO love at all in New York City, there are plenty of doo wop heads in the NYC tri-state area but the demand is not as much as it is outside NYC.

Curet30 - mypages.netopia.com/channels

[tdallasw]

Hi Curet! We've missed you lately!

[AnnaKonda]

American fans not love the Temps for the memories? Why did he fight tooth and nail to own the name -- after the group was nothing but memories? Because he knew that he needed those memories of loyal fans to keep him alive ... "Ain't nobody coming to ..." you know what I mean.

[Ivory Fair]

Yep, and I don't think he'd argue with you on that one.

[AnnaKonda]

I must have said something wrong? What was it?

[Ivory Fair]

What do you mean?

[Alex McCann]

Glad that you guys like the interview. The typo's are partly down to the auto-correct on the comp and partly down to tings such as fitting in 36 hours into 24. Most typos have now been corrected.

Please remember to post your Temptations related comments on our message board as well.

Alex

[MikeNYC]

AnnaKonda said:

I've just read the interview. Why can't he keep his mouth shut?
Does anyone else feel offended by what Otis is saying about the U.S. fans? Is he really saying, we all had forgotten about the Temps if he had had no hits after their early successes? What is he trying to say? (Mainly question 2).

AK

Anna,I understand what you are saying...I got a kick out of when they asked Otis if he considered going solo! :laughing .Now THAT was funny and also should have told you that the interviewer didn't know a damn thing about The Temptations...at all!
As far as the quote about the U.S. fans as opposed to the U.K fans is ..more U.S. fans know that they are not the "VOICES THAT THEY KNOW & LOVE" ...the revolving door is responsible for this ! That's why most U.S. fans react the way that they do...they remember...and waht's being presented to them is NOT what they remember! temptsinfo.com/smilies/wtg.gif

[kalisa2]

MikeNYC said:

As far as the quote about the U.S. fans as opposed to the U.K fans is ..more U.S. fans know that they are not the "VOICES THAT THEY KNOW & LOVE" ...the revolving door is responsible for this ! That's why most U.S. fans react the way that they do...they remember...and waht's being presented to them is NOT what they remember!

:bs: :bs::bs: ...

And this is why Otis's group has no trouble filling large venues, while the only living "Voice" (Dennis) can't quite say the same thing? :bs: :bs: :bs: When did Dennis last play Royal Albert Hall?

I've seen it said over and over (don't ask me to cite a source this time LOL!) that it is well known that UK and European and even Asian audiences will love the Soul groups no matter what...down times, up times, hit records, long-time-no-hits. That's the only point I was making.