Closest Groups

[lightdion]

In your opinions, what group is/was the closest thing to the Tempts. ie; stage presence, voice.
For me, no one can top the Tempts, but I think Boyz II Men did a heck of a job!!

[eyehearttempts]

lightdion said:

In your opinions, what group is/was the closest thing to the Tempts. ie; stage presence, voice.
For me, no one can top the Tempts, but I think Boyz II Men did a heck of a job!!

Long time, no see! Mmm...that's hard. I'll come back later with my answer.

[smooth]

You've asked a difficult question, cause you have alot of great groups coming from the doo-wop era like The Platters,The Drifters,and then from motown like Smokey Robinson and The Miracles,The Four Tops,then groups that hit it big in the 70's like The Spinners,The Chi-Lites,The Stylistics,The O'Jays,Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes,the Manhattans were great also, then in the 90's came Boyz II Men.
On stage the Tempts are too smooth.But on stage I would have to pick The Spinners,The J5,New Edition

But as far as having both the stage presence and the vocals, i couldn't pick anybody

[Duggerman]

I agree with Smooth. As far as dance moves, The Jacksons surpassed the Temptations (in my opinion) but no group harmonizes like the Temptations do. There are other groups that harmonize very well, but you always know Otis and the gang when you hear them

[Beej]

The Flamingos were more than just "close"...they were better.

There were three distinct lineups between 1953 and 1961 that set the standard for vocal groups everywhere. The first ('53-'54) featured Sollie McElroy's crooning and Johnny Carter's soaring falsetto over Zeke Carey, Paul Wilson and Jake Carey's flawless harmonies on such classics as "Golden Teardrops" and "Dream Of A Lifetime."

The second lineup ('54-'56) featured McElroy's replacement, Nate Nelson, singing lead on timeless classics like "I'm Yours," "If I Could Love You," "I'll Be Home," "A Kiss From Your Lips," "The Vow" and "Would I Be Crying."

The third -- and arguably best -- lineup ('58-'61) featured Nate Nelson along with Paul Wilson, Zeke Carey, Jake Carey, Tommy Hunt and Terry Johnson on such memorable ballads as "Lovers Never Say Goodbye," "I Only Have Eyes For You," "Time Was," "Mio Amore," "Besame Mucho," "Dream Girl" and "My Foolish Heart."

Although Nate Nelson's unmistakable tenor leads the way on the Flaimingos' biggest hits from this era, Paul Wilson and Terry Johnson can be heard sharing lead vocals on "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" (a Johnson composition) and "Time Was." Tommy Hunt (a Pittsburgh native, thank you very much!) can be heard singing lead on "Besame Mucho."

I consider all three of these Flamingos lineups to be vocally superior to the Temptations...every incarnation, including the C5.

With respect to "stage presence," the Flamingos certainly had the moves to keep up with the Tempts...and then some.

Here's the classic sextet performing "Jump Children" in Alan Freed's 1959 film Go Johnny Go!. Let's be honest...on their best days, Otis, Melvin and Eddie could've never moved like that.

Here is the second lineup mentioned above performing "Would I Be Crying" three years earlier in Alan Freed's Rock, Rock, Rock. From front to back are Nate Nelson (lead), Johnny Carter (first tenor/falsetto), Jake Carey (bass) and Paul Wilson (baritone). Absent from the clip is Zeke Carey, who was drafted just prior to the start of filming in the summer of 1956.


The Classic Sextet (photo courtesy of Marv Goldberg):

[maria]

Let's be honest...on their best days, Otis, Melvin and Eddie could've never moved like that.



No disrespect BeeJ, But why would they? Remember we are talking about the Mighty Temptation's. Anybody can cook up a series of eye-popping moves, moving around the stage like wild men. But to create dance that takes into consideration such things as the stage layout, the placement of microphones and cords, and how the hell you are going to move, sing , and still breathe takes a scientific approach and attention to detail. That's what the Classic 5 gave you. So Keep looking its not even a tie with the movements(IMO)... I really wasn't feeling the choreography of this clip it reminded me of the Cadillac's. I like those smooth, mild movements that only the Temps could display with Class ......

[bigbadblazer]

The Flamingos are good but they sound like a lot of the groups in their day sounded like. Remember, The Temptations changed the game. I liked the Paul led songs in the beginning. I also like the Eddid led songs. They became more dynamic with David leading - but somehow - someway you knew it was The Temptations when you heard them singing no matter who was sing lead. I heard one of few songs with Otis singing lead "Don't send me away" and it is unmistakealble that this is a Temptations song.

That being said - I would argue that as far as interchangeable leads go and the range of voices plus harmony and sometimes dancing -the Boyz II Men of old.

[Beej]

maria said:

Anybody can cook up a series of eye-popping moves, moving around the stage like wild men.

Um, the Temptations couldn't.

That was the point of the video clip. The 1954 recording of "Jump Children" is a slower tempo song. This "wild men" version -- as you describe it -- was performed specifically for the movie. It's no more indicative of every Flamingos' performance than the choreography for "Swanee" is of every C5 performance. It was simply an example of what the Flamingos were capable of on stage...something which no Temptations lineup could ever pull off.

You're looking at this comparison as a matter of "preference"...I'm looking at it as a matter of "ability."

The premise of this thread, to me, was to answer the question "what group, if any, had the ability to harmonize and move on stage as well as the Temptations?" My answer to both is the Flamingos. They were not only capable of matching the Tempts in both harmony and choreography, they surpassed them. It's not a matter of which group you or I prefer or enjoy more. It's simply a matter of ability.

The Flamingos had tighter harmonies than anyone...not just the Temptations. Group members had the ability to write their own lyrics, compose their own music and play their own instruments. Big hits like "Lovers Never Say Goodbye" and "Mio Amore" were original compositions. Even on a standard like "I Only Have Eyes For You" -- which has been recorded too many times to count -- they employed their own arrangement to make their 1959 cover of Dick Powell's original the definitive version. No one can record that song today without being compared to the Flamingos.

You'd have to be familiar with more than just a few songs or a couple YouTube clips to make an honest and educated comparison between the two groups, though. If you were, there's no way you'd dismiss them so readily...not even on a "Temptations-friendly" message board.

maria said:

So Keep looking its not even a tie with the movements...

You're right about that part...it's not a tie. The Flamingos were more talented in every respect.

bigbadblazer said:

The Flamingos are good but they sound like a lot of the groups in their day sounded like.

No, not if you're a doo-wop fan.

The Flamingos had their own distinct sound. When you heard those minor keys and haunting, echoing, perfect harmonies, you instantly knew it was the Flamingos. No one sounded like them. Johnny Carter's falsetto is as unmistakable with the Flamingos (and Dells) as Eddie Kendricks' voice was with the Temptations. You can even pick out his voice singing background on Barbara Lewis' "Hello Stranger."

The Temptations weren't the only group who could score hits with alternating lead singers, either. Be it Nate Nelson or Johnny Carter or Paul Wilson or Terry Johnson or Zeke Carey or Tommy Hunt, the Flamingos had a lot of weapons in their arsenal. Unlike the Temptations, however, they also had the ability to compose and arrange their own music and play their own instruments.

Scoring a hit with your own material is an accomplishment today...let alone for black vocal groups in the 1950s.

Terry Johnson was talented enough on his own to get Motown's attention. In 1967, he joined the label to record but ended up primarily writing and producing with Smokey, instead. For the seven years he was with Motown, he wrote, arranged and/or produced for everyone from the Miracles, Tempts, Supremes and Four Tops to Martha and the Vandellas, David and Jimmy Ruffin and the Spinners.

He (Terry Johnson's Flamingos), Tommy Hunt and Johnny Carter (the Dells) are all still performing.

[Aba21]

One group that seems to have fallen through the cracks is the Dramatics. IMO, they were the closest to the Temptations in harmony and stage presence. LJ Reynolds and Ron Banks could hold thier own with any groups leads.

[AnnaK]

Voice-wise and considering the background harmonies, I think The Futures, the group Harry was with before joining the Tempts, were very good, too.

AK

[maria]

aba21 said:

One group that seems to have fallen through the cracks is the Dramatics. IMO, they were the closest to the Temptations in harmony and stage presence. LJ Reynolds and Ron Banks could hold thier own with any groups leads.

So far I must agree with you totally "In The Rain"

[ramzy]

Hey yall what about The Floaters Im just playing. In my opinion the only group on par with the Tempts ( the good Tempts) was The O'jays they were some bad boys.

[ramzy]

aba21 said:

One group that seems to have fallen through the cracks is the Dramatics. IMO, they were the closest to the Temptations in harmony and stage presence. LJ Reynolds and Ron Banks could hold thier own with any groups leads.

Aba I liked them alot myself and but they were shamless imitators

[AnnaK]

ramzy said:

Hey yall what about The Floaters Im just playing. In my opinion the only group on par with the Tempts ( the good Tempts) was The O'jays they were some bad boys.

I agree. No doubt about The O'Jays being on a par with the Tempts.
The Manhattans maybe?

AK

[bigbadblazer]

WELL If we are talking about doo wop - we should mention that Otis Williams & The Charms as a group were quite close to The Temptations. www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8MIkz_9cVU