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Post by janebse on May 28, 2003 16:32:18 GMT -5
O.K. you experts, here's the question. The last few days I've heard three versions of "You Beat Me To The Punch," all of which have the Temptations as background singers.
1. Mary Wells
2. David Ruffin (although perhaps background singers is the wrong term here since the Tempts are doing the cover.)
3. Diana Ross (Again, not exactly background singers, but with Diana everyone else was a background. Anyway, it's on one of the two albums the Tempts and DIANA ROSS and the supremes did together.
The question is: Did the Temptations use the same harmonies, or are their harmonies different in each version?
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Post by MikeNYC on May 28, 2003 17:50:08 GMT -5
O.K. you experts, here's the question. The last few days I've heard three versions of "You Beat Me To The Punch," all of which have the Temptations as background singers. 1. Mary Wells 2. David Ruffin (although perhaps background singers is the wrong term here since the Tempts are doing the cover.) 3. Diana Ross (Again, not exactly background singers, but with Diana everyone else was a background. Anyway, it's on one of the two albums the Tempts and DIANA ROSS and the supremes did together. The question is: Did the Temptations use the same harmonies, or are their harmonies different in each version? Jane,I need to hear David Ruffin singing this song,the one I have,PAUL is singing lead and it's on "Temptations Sing Smokey",is that what you are talking about ?  |
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Post by janebse on May 28, 2003 19:17:20 GMT -5
Yes, it is. I don't know why I wrote Paul. I was listening to it while exercising, after having walked three miles outdoors, I went to the Exercise Center and continued exercising. Soon I felt the way Melvin must have felt. At least, I thought so. Every bone ached. I could hardly walk home. And then I called the orthopedic doctor to make an appointment. I must have arthritis or some horrible disease.
And then I read about people overdoing exercising and how painful that can be.
In the midst of all this misery I wrote David instead of Paul.
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Post by SoulStirrer on May 28, 2003 19:51:30 GMT -5
I can't find Ms. Ross singing with any of the Tempts on "You Beat Me To The Punch", which album is it on?
Mikey took care of the Tempts version...
Did the Tempts back Mary on her version? I can't hear Kendricks or Mel, usually they stand out when backing some up.
If this was a Norman Whitfield song, I would think that the same harmonies would be used, because Norman had done that. He has used Tempt harmonies on Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and Jimmy Ruffin tunes.
But Smokey didn't do that, if he re-did a song, the arrangements are different. And other producers have done Smokey songs; notice how you never hear another producer using a Whitfield or a HDH song.
So if the Tempts were on all three(we know they are on Paul's lead), Smokey did the productions on Paul's and Mary, but they are different, someone else (Frank Wilson?) did the Supremes/Tempts version.
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Post by Nish on May 28, 2003 19:58:07 GMT -5
Actually, on Mary Wells' "you beat me to the punch" it's not the Temptations, it's the Lovetones. The Lovetones did male backup on most of Mary's recorded work. The "Lovetones" aren't really a group per se, from what I've been told, it was just whatever male singers were in the studio at the time. Oftentimes in those early days, there were Temptations, Rayber Voices, etc. in the place, so it's not necessarily the Temptations proper harmonizing on the Mary Wells' records, but Tempts members could have well recorded on these particular songs.
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Post by SoulStirrer on May 28, 2003 20:06:33 GMT -5
Actually, on Mary Wells' "you beat me to the punch" it's not the Temptations, it's the Lovetones. The Lovetones did male backup on most of Mary's recorded work. The "Lovetones" aren't really a group per se, from what I've been told, it was just whatever male singers were in the studio at the time. Oftentimes in those early days, there were Temptations, Rayber Voices, etc. in the place, so it's not necessarily the Temptations proper harmonizing on the Mary Wells' records, but Tempts members could have well recorded on these particular songs. Like "Everybody Needs Love" by Mary Wells, which sounds like Mr Kendricks and Mr. Otis Williams backing up the First Lady of Motown. (At least that's what my tone-deaf ears think it is...) The first members of the Rayber Voices include Robert Bateman Brian Holland and Miss Ray herself, Raymona Gordy. But if you were around the studio and they needed someone to help out, well... |
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Post by janebse on May 28, 2003 20:14:57 GMT -5
All I know is that Eddie said in an oral interview that the Temptations backed up Mary Wells on "You Beat Me to the Punch." And I think they did write down the Lovetones. I know it was some really stupid name because they didn't want the name "Temptations" used for a backup group.
The interview with Eddie was taped, and I heard him say it. Whether it's true or not, I don't know.
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Post by kalisa2 on May 28, 2003 20:25:28 GMT -5
We know they did it on tours, we have them at the Apollo doing just that. Whether they did the back up on Mary's recording, I don't know, but I sure don't hear Eddie in there at all.
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Post by SoulStirrer on May 28, 2003 20:28:54 GMT -5
All I know is that Eddie said in an oral interview that the Temptations backed up Mary Wells on "You Beat Me to the Punch." And I think they did write down the Lovetones. I know it was some really stupid name because they didn't want the name "Temptations" used for a backup group. The interview with Eddie was taped, and I heard him say it. Whether it's true or not, I don't know. In those early days, as Nish said, if you were around the studio you might be singing backup. As in Mary Wells' "You've Lost The Sweetest Boy", with Tempts and Supremes in there. It can be interesting to think what else could be in the Motown vaults. |
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Post by Nish on May 28, 2003 21:33:52 GMT -5
The song on which the Tempts most notably sing backup is "Two Lovers." But even that song doesn't sound like the Temptations - it's definitely Eddie on top with Ron White MAYBE thrown in there somewhere.
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Post by Nish on May 28, 2003 21:40:18 GMT -5
It can be interesting to think what else could be in the Motown vaults. SS - you know what's always nagged me? There is a Smokey Robinson-Mary Wells duet of "I Want You Round" (released by Kim and Marvin on the It Takes Two Album). And I always wonder if there were any plans for Smokey and Mary to record duets. However, this could just as likely be a demo of the song, Smokey may have asked her to do him a favor after a session, asking her to be the female voice for a demo of a song he wanted to record on Mary and Marvin. Who knows? But why would you record a demo with just 1/2 of the duet team? Why not just teach both of them the song at the same time and record it on them? He could have used Claudette as the second voice if he wanted to record a rough and ready demo. And if there were plans for a Smokey-Mary duet album, why bypass Claudette, who has a very pleasant lead voice? Hmmm... The questions abound when it comes to those Motown vaults. |
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Post by rufffan on May 29, 2003 12:54:58 GMT -5
Martha and Eddie discussed him singing background on Street Gold and it seems they talked about both You Beat Me To The Punch and Two Lovers.
I was wondering if anyone know if Eddie or the Temptations sang background on The One Who Really Loves You?
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Post by MikeNYC on May 29, 2003 21:40:25 GMT -5
All I know is that Eddie said in an oral interview that the Temptations backed up Mary Wells on "You Beat Me to the Punch." And I think they did write down the Lovetones. I know it was some really stupid name because they didn't want the name "Temptations" used for a backup group. The interview with Eddie was taped, and I heard him say it. Whether it's true or not, I don't know. He was talking about on the road when they first started they backed her up!  |
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Post by MikeNYC on May 29, 2003 21:41:44 GMT -5
Martha and Eddie discussed him singing background on Street Gold and it seems they talked about both You Beat Me To The Punch and Two Lovers. I was wondering if anyone know if Eddie or the Temptations sang background on The One Who Really Loves You? Might be the Spinners! |
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Post by sukkafu on Jun 4, 2003 19:02:22 GMT -5
nice to see you posting soulstirrer!
it is amazing how many people sang on each other's records!
does anyone know who sang backup for smokey on his version of get ready? tanisha, you must know.
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