Post by Ivory Fair on Apr 22, 2002 12:39:10 GMT -5
One for all and all for success
By JOHN PATRRICK
Singing or planning for the future, the Temptations believe in togetherness
IT'S A Temptations to write off a rock 'n' roll act as "here today, gone tomorrow." Every year, many such groups come out of nowhere to score with a record that might sell upwards of 100,000 copies. After a few months or less, the group and the record are forgotten by fickle fans.
The Temptations, however, just might have more staying power than most. They certainly don't fall in the "overnight success" category and they're working hard to keep the public from pressing the reject button on theft new recordings.
"It took us a long time to get where we are, says Mel Franklin, the 6'1", 180-pound spokes-man of the quintet. "And we feel we still have a long way to go.
"We cut our first disk in 1960, a number called 'Oh Mother of Mine.' It landed in oblivion instead of on the charts. Four years later, we had our first best seller, 'The Way You Do the Things You Do.' We were pretty proud when it made the top 10, because at the time the Beatles had seven records up there and it was tough for anyone else to squeeze in."
Before forming the Temptations late in 1959, Mel, Dave Ruffin and Otis Williams were members of a quintet called the Distants. Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams (no relation to Otis) belonged to the Primes, a trio which was Motown Records' male version of the Primettes, who later became famous as the Supremes.
Mel, 23, was born in Montgomery, Ma., the eldest of six children. His father, looking for work, brought the family to Detroit when Mel was a child. Dave, 25, of Meridian, Miss., and Otis, 24, of Texarkana, Tex., also arrived in the Motor City at an early age. Paul, 27, and Eddie, 26, are natives of Birmingham, Ala. Both came north in theft teens to launch singing careers. Eventually, they wound up in Detrok, the home base of Motown.
When the Primes and the Distants broke up, the record company brought the five boys together as the Temptations. In the lean years between their first miss and theft first hit, the group came close to breaking up on several occasions.
"During that period," recalls Mel, "we made eight successive records that turned out to be duds. For club engagements, we drew dinky little places, mostly in the Midwest and down around Atlanta. In one joint in Dallas, we found ourselves in the middle of a wild riot, with bottles and chairs flying all over the place. Otis and I were injured but after a few stitches, we were ready to go on to another audience."
"Actually," says Otis, a 6'2", 180-pounder, "those hard times helped us more than they hurt us. They say adversity draws people together and it sure worked that way for the Temptations. Now, each of us can count on the others as true friends as well as business associates. "Singing is a business, you know, even though it can be a lot of fun, too. The experience we had bouncing around the country and playing before different types of audiences helped us to realize that and it taught us to be more professional as performers. It also gave us an opportunity to develop our own act in our own style."
Otis and Dave Ruffin (6'3" and 154 pounds) are the unmarried members of the group. All five make their homes on Detroit's West Side where the Supremes and several other Motown stars reside. Dave's brother, Jimmy, also records for the label as a single. As yet:, none of the Temptations seems tempted to strike out on his own.
"We went through some real bleak days together," says Paul, a 6'1", 165-pound former high school football player. "Now that things are going good, we're not about to split up."
"Fortunately," says Eddie (6'i" and 150 pounds), "there are no personallity conflicts among us. We've known each other for so long that we have begun to think alike. If there is a difference of opinion, it's usually ironed out very quickly because everyone has the betterment of the group uppermost in mind."
These days, audiences are throwing praises instead of bottles at the Temptations. Of theft last 10 record releases, three have passed the million mark in sales. Theft latest single, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," and album, "Gettin' Ready," seem headed in the same direction. For the upcoming TV season, Dean Martin has signed them for a guest shot and several other shows are angling for their services. Their next personal appearance in New York is scheduled for Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.
All in all, it looks as if the Temptations will remain prominent on the show business scene for some time to come.
By JOHN PATRRICK
Singing or planning for the future, the Temptations believe in togetherness
IT'S A Temptations to write off a rock 'n' roll act as "here today, gone tomorrow." Every year, many such groups come out of nowhere to score with a record that might sell upwards of 100,000 copies. After a few months or less, the group and the record are forgotten by fickle fans.
The Temptations, however, just might have more staying power than most. They certainly don't fall in the "overnight success" category and they're working hard to keep the public from pressing the reject button on theft new recordings.
"It took us a long time to get where we are, says Mel Franklin, the 6'1", 180-pound spokes-man of the quintet. "And we feel we still have a long way to go.
"We cut our first disk in 1960, a number called 'Oh Mother of Mine.' It landed in oblivion instead of on the charts. Four years later, we had our first best seller, 'The Way You Do the Things You Do.' We were pretty proud when it made the top 10, because at the time the Beatles had seven records up there and it was tough for anyone else to squeeze in."
Before forming the Temptations late in 1959, Mel, Dave Ruffin and Otis Williams were members of a quintet called the Distants. Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams (no relation to Otis) belonged to the Primes, a trio which was Motown Records' male version of the Primettes, who later became famous as the Supremes.
Mel, 23, was born in Montgomery, Ma., the eldest of six children. His father, looking for work, brought the family to Detroit when Mel was a child. Dave, 25, of Meridian, Miss., and Otis, 24, of Texarkana, Tex., also arrived in the Motor City at an early age. Paul, 27, and Eddie, 26, are natives of Birmingham, Ala. Both came north in theft teens to launch singing careers. Eventually, they wound up in Detrok, the home base of Motown.
When the Primes and the Distants broke up, the record company brought the five boys together as the Temptations. In the lean years between their first miss and theft first hit, the group came close to breaking up on several occasions.
"During that period," recalls Mel, "we made eight successive records that turned out to be duds. For club engagements, we drew dinky little places, mostly in the Midwest and down around Atlanta. In one joint in Dallas, we found ourselves in the middle of a wild riot, with bottles and chairs flying all over the place. Otis and I were injured but after a few stitches, we were ready to go on to another audience."
"Actually," says Otis, a 6'2", 180-pounder, "those hard times helped us more than they hurt us. They say adversity draws people together and it sure worked that way for the Temptations. Now, each of us can count on the others as true friends as well as business associates. "Singing is a business, you know, even though it can be a lot of fun, too. The experience we had bouncing around the country and playing before different types of audiences helped us to realize that and it taught us to be more professional as performers. It also gave us an opportunity to develop our own act in our own style."
Otis and Dave Ruffin (6'3" and 154 pounds) are the unmarried members of the group. All five make their homes on Detroit's West Side where the Supremes and several other Motown stars reside. Dave's brother, Jimmy, also records for the label as a single. As yet:, none of the Temptations seems tempted to strike out on his own.
"We went through some real bleak days together," says Paul, a 6'1", 165-pound former high school football player. "Now that things are going good, we're not about to split up."
"Fortunately," says Eddie (6'i" and 150 pounds), "there are no personallity conflicts among us. We've known each other for so long that we have begun to think alike. If there is a difference of opinion, it's usually ironed out very quickly because everyone has the betterment of the group uppermost in mind."
These days, audiences are throwing praises instead of bottles at the Temptations. Of theft last 10 record releases, three have passed the million mark in sales. Theft latest single, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," and album, "Gettin' Ready," seem headed in the same direction. For the upcoming TV season, Dean Martin has signed them for a guest shot and several other shows are angling for their services. Their next personal appearance in New York is scheduled for Aug. 20 at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium.
All in all, it looks as if the Temptations will remain prominent on the show business scene for some time to come.