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Post by sukkafu on Jul 15, 2002 4:02:18 GMT -5
janie, i read it and saw the twilight zone version of it!  |
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Post by Cadeho on Jul 18, 2002 11:48:01 GMT -5
Well I guess those Eddie songs I thought were Al just might be Eddie. Listening to "Way over There" I can hear the voice I hear in "Camouflage" but "May I Have this Dance" I still think could be Al...
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Post by janebse on Jul 18, 2002 16:11:04 GMT -5
In "Pillow" Eddie uses his natural voice, and it sounds quite different. If you count his natural voice, his singing voice and his falsetto, he could accomplish quite a bit.
I don't think Al ever sang lead on any record, and certainly not after they became the Temptations. Or I could have said after Eddie and Paul joined the group. Maybe he sang lead in the Pirates' two records. That whole scenario is hilarious. I am sure the Tempts dreaded the thought of those two records becoming hits.
There is no record of Al having the lead in the four records they made for the Northern label with Johnnie Mae. The high keening wail that is portrayed in the movie series as being done by Al was really done by an Albert Williams who was brought in from one of Johnnie Mae's acts.
I really don't know why people want to think Al was a lead singer. But there's always someone who wants to pretend someone else wrote Shakespeare's plays because Shakespeare didn't go to college and so couldn't have written something so beautiful. Or someone who wants to think someone else must have written the Declaration of Independence because they don't want to give Thomas Jefferson credit.
Eddie had an unusual voice, like no other popular singer.
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Post by Cadeho on Jul 20, 2002 21:13:39 GMT -5
Ow janebse! Do I feel that you're a little offended by the idea that Al could be singing some of those songs? Well it was just a question... just wondering. You have to admit they do sound similar and I'm not talking about the wailing in "Come On." That's definitely Al in "Isn't She Pretty," I can be happy with him having his own mic there.
Don't get me wrong, I like Eddie too and I was not trying to attack or take anything away from him. Hey, I had an idea.. has anyone counted the number of leads Eddie had with the Tempts? I don't mean where they split the leads, but one where he had the song to himself... I think he outnumbers David... now why didn't he get the giant ego? All in personality I guess. If I were in a group (old dream not based in reality), I'm sure I wouldn't get one either.
And in an unrelated topic... I've been listening to Damon in "Smooth Sailing" and he really does his best Eddie there. The whole song sounds like it was done in the 60's with David and Paul... I wonder who's idea was it to return to that style? Eddie would have loved that since I heard he grew tired of the message songs.
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Post by dudatdang on Jul 20, 2002 23:00:29 GMT -5
eddie was ready and steady and not too heady like al the pal who ran his mouth off like a gal and broke from the corral. |
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Post by janebse on Jul 21, 2002 13:55:04 GMT -5
I don't think any of them were too fond of the message songs. Or perhaps they thought Norman was overdoing it. Or perhaps Norman's domineering attitude hit them the wrong way. Otis said some were recorded but never performed live. But all admitted that the message songs were popular and took them in a different direction and that Norman produced hits.
I just think Eddie's voice was very distinctive. The rest are all just tenors. They may be good tenors, just not Eddie.
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Post by Ivory Fair on Jul 21, 2002 19:49:23 GMT -5
Yeah, I can imagine them getting up on stage at the Copa and singing "Run Charlie, Run." LOL!
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Post by Cadeho on Jul 22, 2002 12:20:57 GMT -5
HAHA ... I just listened to that more cloesly the other day... that would actually be hilarious. "Stop the War Now"... man... that is one annoying song. Did it HAVE to be THAT LONG???!!!
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Post by Maliya_J on Jan 28, 2004 10:33:13 GMT -5
Some people believe some songs credited to Eddie are actually sung by Al... does anyone have any songs that you think might be good examples of this? I offer the original "Camouflage" and "May I Have This Dance." This is based on comparing them with Al's part in "Isn't She Pretty." There really aren't but a handfull of songs anyway... but I'd like to know what you think. Too bad Al didn't get more obvious parts in the 3 years he was there. Yeah huh never thought of this good point  |
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Post by Cadeho on Apr 19, 2004 12:55:38 GMT -5
Things have changed over two years. The only song I stand behind is what I said before, "Isn't She Pretty."
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Post by MikeNYC on Apr 19, 2004 16:36:38 GMT -5
Things have changed over two years. The only song I stand behind is what I said before, "Isn't She Pretty." You never heard Al. |
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Elbridge
Tempt Fanatic
Elbridge "Al" Bryant
Posts: 28
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Post by Elbridge on Apr 19, 2004 19:16:00 GMT -5
But who did? Since we've discerned that no one knows for sure, how do we know we haven't heard Al on "Isn't She Pretty" or another earlier track? Ed P.S.: Sorry for continuing this here but our "Al" thread has locked. Just as it was getting good... |
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Post by janebse on Apr 19, 2004 20:46:09 GMT -5
Just for obvious starters. Besides Otis, Richard Street knew Al Bryant and sang with him on The Distants. James "Pee Wee" Crawford sang with Al on both Distants and Premiers. Crawford still lives in Detroit. Rose Franklin was still alive last year and still lives in Detroit, and she knew them all. Vernard Main also sang with Richard, Otis, Al and "Pee Wee" and was still alive a few years ago. And he still lived in Detroit.
Al died almost 30 years ago, and the question is will these people remember what his voice sounded like. But so many posters on this board claim to remember every note any and all Temptations sang, I am sure these people who were part of the singer's life also remember.
In addition to these people, there are members of the Gordy family living in Detroit and running the new Motown Museum and Hitsville and all sorts of things connected with Motown. There are also musicians who worked with the Temptations who did not move to L.A. when Motown moved.
I am hoping to go to Michigan this summer to do all sorts of research, but a little research in your local library or on the internet might get you their telephone number.
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Post by Cadeho on Apr 20, 2004 7:27:13 GMT -5
I am SURE Smokey remembers!
Why is it so hard to contact legends? All this time admiring them and they are stars like the stars, out of reach.
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Elbridge
Tempt Fanatic
Elbridge "Al" Bryant
Posts: 28
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Post by Elbridge on Apr 20, 2004 11:26:08 GMT -5
I wish Richard Street had a web presence somewhere so he could be contacted. I've been quite fascinated by the story of Al so I'd love to know where we could definitively hear him.
Ed
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