Closest Groups

[smooth]

If I'm not mistaken Eddie Kendricks co-wrote The Girl's Alright With Me and Otis co-wrote Treat Her Like A Lady.I doubt the Tempts had that kind of control at Motown where they would've been able to write all or most of there songs, but that's not the topic, the topic is vocals and dance skills. Cause if we start talking about artists writing and singing there own material then Smokey Robinson and The Miracles would have to be number 1, cause Smokey gave up alot of hits that could've gone to him and his Miralces. I agree with Maria, I don't think any group has surpassed the Tempts in vocal harmony or dancing ability.The Tempts dance moves were so incredible that people think that they started that, when it was actually the Cadillacs who started it. The Flamingos move well, they just move at a faster pace than the Temptations. Dancing fast and dancing great is too different things, like I said they dance faster than The Tempts, but the Tempts moves are sharper and more precise and smoother, and look much better,IMO.I don't think anybody has even come close to touching The Tempts in the dancing department, just look at Get Ready, they tap there thigs,then give each other high-fives, they clap there hands then turn towards the audience with one hand pointing down,t he other raised in the air, then they sing there ahh's, that's incredible,IMO, then look at I'm Losin You,when they dance using there shoulders with one fist pointing upwards and the other fist pointed down and there singing doo-doo-wop, that's great, imo, and when they circle around Ruffin, that's perfect, you can't get any better than that, then the dance for My Girl. I can go on and on, I think The Tempts dance moves brought more excitement than any other act ever, all the others look robotic or too wild, The Tempts moves,IMO, were just right,I guess that's why they broke all of those attendance records at that show called Shebang.

The Tempts moves were precise and smooth,and they looked real cool when they did it, they didn't look robotic.Their moves added flavor to the song, they weren't moving just for the sake of moving, all of there moves had a purpose.

As for the harmonies I don't think anybody surpassed the Tempts. They could sing in the deep harmonies of The Way You Do The Things You Do, or sing in high voices like on the ahh's of Get Ready,that's incredible to be able to harmonize great whether you're singing in deep voices or high voices. The harmonies from The Way You Do The Things You Do, IMO is untouchable, out of all the doo-wop songs, motown songs, and songs from the 70's until now I haven't heard a group harmonize on a song like The Tempts did on that song. I remember somebody had just finished watching The Temptation movie and they asked me a question about when they were in the studio singing The Way You Do The Things You Do, anyway, I was asked does the song really sound like that, and I was like yeah, why do you ask, and it was as if they couldn't believe a song could be sung that well. And when they would watch them sing it in the movie they had this look on there face like they were listening to angels singing.The deep voiced harmonies on that song are magical, IMO.

I'll say this after listening to there acapellas, it's not even close, the harmonies on You're My Everything, Don't Look Back,Get Ready, these brothers sound like a church group, Melvin's bass mixed in with the other harmonies,his deep voice and there high voices combined can't be matched. Even with Dennis at the helm, There ensemble at the beginning of I Heard It Through The Grapevine is magical, unfortunately the harmonies are being smothered by the instruments, the right speaker channel must be turned down to hear what I mean. The harmonies from Just My Imagination and Gonna Keep On Trying Til I Win Your Love from the Sky's The Limit album, the acapella towards the end of Elevator Eyes off of the EOS disc 5, I just don't hear any group coming close to these motown brothers. And I love the doo-wop sound, but I think there harmonies are the greatest. The ooo's from the beginning of Just My Imagination can't be touched except by the oooh's off of there live album from 67 on yesterday, after Ruffin says "I'm not half the man i used to be ",imo. There oo's and ahh's were the best,imo.Also there ooo's from Swannee off of the live album from 68 were arguably untouchable. Arguably the harmonies from there Phoenix Rising Album and especially that song Stay(1998) can't be touched either. Some don't want to give it credit cause it's not the original tempts singing it and it didn't come from back in the days but those harmonies on that song is fire.

And the thing is JMI and Runaway Child sound different harmony wise but the harmonies are still tight(anyone who doubts the harmony of Runaway Child just listen to the acapella version, I know the usual suspects might bring that up), the same goes for You're My Everything and The Way You Do The Things You Do, only The Tempts can go from the deep voices of The Way You Do The Things You Do to the high voices of Since I Lost My Baby, only they can go from the high ahh's of Get Ready and Two Sides to Love to the deep ahh's of Don't Send Me Away. The Tempts had to be the most talented,imo, I mean Two Sides To Love in high voices and The Way You Do The Things You Do in deep voices, there have been great groups who can defintiely harmonize, but I haven't heard any to this day who can match the Tempts.

One group that doesn't get alot of mention is the CHi-Lites and there harmonies on Have You Seen Her and Oh Girl are definitely magical,imo, them brothers ahh'd,ooo'd and doo'doo'd, there way to the top of the charts.

One more thing about The Tempts, the harmonies from Silver Bells differ from Little Drummer Boy, and both of these songs harmonies differ from Gonna Keep On Trying Til I Win Your Love from The Sky's The Limit album, but it's the same group, these harmonies are night and day apart but still tight, what other group can do this like The Tempts?NONE. Now I know Little Drummer Boy is an ensemble but the harmonies are sung in deeper voices than on Gonna Keep On Trying Til I Win Your Love.

Even Boyz II Men as great as they are, sing there songs in the same fashion, the sound of there voices basically remain the same when they harmonize no matter what song they sing, whether it's End Of The Road,I'll Make Love To You,On Bended Knee, there cover of Just My Imagination, is also sung the same, where as The Tempts can change it up, like it's nothing, they can sing a song like Since I Lost My Baby and Ain't Too Proud To Beg and then sing, Try To Remember, then sing The Way You Do The Things You Do,and none of these songs sound nothing alike on the harmony tip. Only the Temptations can sing 4 songs and have none of them sound the same as far as the harmony is concerned. IMO,they were the ultimate in harmony and dance and lead singers as well

[maria]

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

You are right Beej that was my preference because I did not see the ability atlease not in that clip of the Flamingos out doing or even coming near to the Temps ability!

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


And once again this would be my preference I did not see it Beej

[irene170]

Smooth, I agree with you 100%.

[janebse]

Well said, Smooth.

There's one little thing I'd like to add. It's probably meaningless, but the Tempts look so good while they are doing all the things you write about. The other groups people mention just don't look as good. The Tempts are classy all the way, and I am talking about today's group as well as in the past. They walk on that stage, and it's class all the way. Whatever it is, the other groups don't have it.

[Aba21]

ramzy said:

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

That's what made them so good. The Dramatics had three lead singers. There wasn't one group during that era that didn't use some form of the formula that made the Temptations great. Chi-Lites, Blue Magic, Stylistics, Dramatics to name a few. But the most "shameless" would have to be the Spinners. They are my second favorite group of all-time and they started out trying to be the Temptations at Motown. They had GC in front for a while but it wasn't until they left Motown that they hit their stride. They had Henry, Bobby and Phillippe singing lead and were outstanding. Yet their stage presense was very much Temptations-like.

[Aba21]

smooth said:

If I'm not mistaken Eddie Kendricks co-wrote The Girl's Alright With Me and Otis co-wrote Treat Her Like A Lady.I doubt the Tempts had that kind of control at Motown where they would've been able to write all or most of there songs, but that's not the topic, the topic is vocals and dance skills. Cause if we start talking about artists writing and singing there own material then Smokey Robinson and The Miracles would have to be number 1, cause Smokey gave up alot of hits that could've gone to him and his Miralces. I agree with Maria, I don't think any group has surpassed the Tempts in vocal harmony or dancing ability.The Tempts dance moves were so incredible that people think that they started that, when it was actually the Cadillacs who started it. The Flamingos move well, they just move at a faster pace than the Temptations. Dancing fast and dancing great is too different things, like I said they dance faster than The Tempts, but the Tempts moves are sharper and more precise and smoother, and look much better,IMO.I don't think anybody has even come close to touching The Tempts in the dancing department, just look at Get Ready, they tap there thigs,then give each other high-fives, they clap there hands then turn towards the audience with one hand pointing down,t he other raised in the air, then they sing there ahh's, that's incredible,IMO, then look at I'm Losin You,when they dance using there shoulders with one fist pointing upwards and the other fist pointed down and there singing doo-doo-wop, that's great, imo, and when they circle around Ruffin, that's perfect, you can't get any better than that, then the dance for My Girl. I can go on and on, I think The Tempts dance moves brought more excitement than any other act ever, all the others look robotic or too wild, The Tempts moves,IMO, were just right,I guess that's why they broke all of those attendance records at that show called Shebang.

The Tempts moves were precise and smooth,and they looked real cool when they did it, they didn't look robotic.Their moves added flavor to the song, they weren't moving just for the sake of moving, all of there moves had a purpose.

As for the harmonies I don't think anybody surpassed the Tempts. They could sing in the deep harmonies of The Way You Do The Things You Do, or sing in high voices like on the ahh's of Get Ready,that's incredible to be able to harmonize great whether you're singing in deep voices or high voices. The harmonies from The Way You Do The Things You Do, IMO is untouchable, out of all the doo-wop songs, motown songs, and songs from the 70's until now I haven't heard a group harmonize on a song like The Tempts did on that song. I remember somebody had just finished watching The Temptation movie and they asked me a question about when they were in the studio singing The Way You Do The Things You Do, anyway, I was asked does the song really sound like that, and I was like yeah, why do you ask, and it was as if they couldn't believe a song could be sung that well. And when they would watch them sing it in the movie they had this look on there face like they were listening to angels singing.The deep voiced harmonies on that song are magical, IMO.

I'll say this after listening to there acapellas, it's not even close, the harmonies on You're My Everything, Don't Look Back,Get Ready, these brothers sound like a church group, Melvin's bass mixed in with the other harmonies,his deep voice and there high voices combined can't be matched. Even with Dennis at the helm, There ensemble at the beginning of I Heard It Through The Grapevine is magical, unfortunately the harmonies are being smothered by the instruments, the right speaker channel must be turned down to hear what I mean. The harmonies from Just My Imagination and Gonna Keep On Trying Til I Win Your Love from the Sky's The Limit album, the acapella towards the end of Elevator Eyes off of the EOS disc 5, I just don't hear any group coming close to these motown brothers. And I love the doo-wop sound, but I think there harmonies are the greatest. The ooo's from the beginning of Just My Imagination can't be touched except by the oooh's off of there live album from 67 on yesterday, after Ruffin says "I'm not half the man i used to be ",imo. There oo's and ahh's were the best,imo.Also there ooo's from Swannee off of the live album from 68 were arguably untouchable. Arguably the harmonies from there Phoenix Rising Album and especially that song Stay(1998) can't be touched either. Some don't want to give it credit cause it's not the original tempts singing it and it didn't come from back in the days but those harmonies on that song is fire.

And the thing is JMI and Runaway Child sound different harmony wise but the harmonies are still tight(anyone who doubts the harmony of Runaway Child just listen to the acapella version, I know the usual suspects might bring that up), the same goes for You're My Everything and The Way You Do The Things You Do, only The Tempts can go from the deep voices of The Way You Do The Things You Do to the high voices of Since I Lost My Baby, only they can go from the high ahh's of Get Ready and Two Sides to Love to the deep ahh's of Don't Send Me Away. The Tempts had to be the most talented,imo, I mean Two Sides To Love in high voices and The Way You Do The Things You Do in deep voices, there have been great groups who can defintiely harmonize, but I haven't heard any to this day who can match the Tempts.

One group that doesn't get alot of mention is the CHi-Lites and there harmonies on Have You Seen Her and Oh Girl are definitely magical,imo, them brothers ahh'd,ooo'd and doo'doo'd, there way to the top of the charts.

One more thing about The Tempts, the harmonies from Silver Bells differ from Little Drummer Boy, and both of these songs harmonies differ from Gonna Keep On Trying Til I Win Your Love from The Sky's The Limit album, but it's the same group, these harmonies are night and day apart but still tight, what other group can do this like The Tempts?NONE. Now I know Little Drummer Boy is an ensemble but the harmonies are sung in deeper voices than on Gonna Keep On Trying Til I Win Your Love.

Even Boyz II Men as great as they are, sing there songs in the same fashion, the sound of there voices basically remain the same when they harmonize no matter what song they sing, whether it's End Of The Road,I'll Make Love To You,On Bended Knee, there cover of Just My Imagination, is also sung the same, where as The Tempts can change it up, like it's nothing, they can sing a song like Since I Lost My Baby and Ain't Too Proud To Beg and then sing, Try To Remember, then sing The Way You Do The Things You Do,and none of these songs sound nothing alike on the harmony tip. Only the Temptations can sing 4 songs and have none of them sound the same as far as the harmony is concerned. IMO,they were the ultimate in harmony and dance and lead singers as well

What makes great harmony is the separation between the highest high and the lowest low. It gives the others in the middle more room to play with. With Eddie and Melvin you had two fo the best at that and it gave David, Paul and Otis all the room they needed to give you harmonies very rarely heard on records.

[MissTara]

aba21 said:

What makes great harmony is the separation between the highest high and the lowest low. It gives the others in the middle more room to play with. With Eddie and Melvin you had two fo the best at that and it gave David, Paul and Otis all the room they needed to give you harmonies very rarely heard on records.

I don't know about that, I think Melvin has a spirit wondering around in someone else's voice. Gee I wonder who that could be?

[tman2429]

I challenge anybody to go and grab a set of headphones and listen to "save my Love for a rainy day". If you have not done so you are in for a treat. Also listen to th acappella version of "my baby" The first time I heard that I thought that I was loosing my mind. Now as far as singing low harmony. what other group mastered that? Nobody that I can think of. The Temptations were crooners. The never were about wild choreography. they were all about being smooth and classy. did you see some of the moves that Paul and Melvin did on "twydttyd"? Paul was a master by himself. Did anybody ever notice that Eddie rarely missed a step even tho he was not considered a dancer?. Back to singing. I don't believe anybody sang tenor as good as Eddie or souded as good as Eddie. What bass has ever really been better than Melvin? And I would dare say that I have not really heard a person do second tenor like Otis. You see, to do second tenor you have to be able to know when to sing falsetto or in you natural voice. If you get it wrong you will make the harmony sound terrible. Otis is a master. He also uses great techniques when he is doing baritone. the closest in harmony is the dramatics. The one with good a lead was the spinners. Of course the Jackson were dancers. Enhantment had a great tenor. The O'jays had great stage energy. The chi-lites had great potential for greatness. One more thing. I think tempts live in London show just how good the Tempts was. They were very tight. I don't thing anyone can top that.

[Aba21]

tman2429 said:

I challenge anybody to go and grab a set of headphones and listen to "save my Love for a rainy day". If you have not done so you are in for a treat. Also listen to th acappella version of "my baby" The first time I heard that I thought that I was loosing my mind. Now as far as singing low harmony. what other group mastered that? Nobody that I can think of. The Temptations were crooners. The never were about wild choreography. they were all about being smooth and classy. did you see some of the moves that Paul and Melvin did on "twydttyd"? Paul was a master by himself. Did anybody ever notice that Eddie rarely missed a step even tho he was not considered a dancer?. Back to singing. I don't believe anybody sang tenor as good as Eddie or souded as good as Eddie. What bass has ever really been better than Melvin? And I would dare say that I have not really heard a person do second tenor like Otis. You see, to do second tenor you have to be able to know when to sing falsetto or in you natural voice. If you get it wrong you will make the harmony sound terrible. Otis is a master. He also uses great techniques when he is doing baritone. the closest in harmony is the dramatics. The one with good a lead was the spinners. Of course the Jackson were dancers. Enhantment had a great tenor. The O'jays had great stage energy. The chi-lites had great potential for greatness. One more thing. I think tempts live in London show just how good the Tempts was. They were very tight. I don't thing anyone can top that.

If you're listening to Save My Love For A Rainy Day, then you know for sure. What a great tune!!! And by the way, let's not sleep on New Edition with Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown! Bobby was a hellofa entertainer fo he went nuts! And Johnny Gill can sing for any woman!!

[Aba21]

misstara said:

aba21 said:

What makes great harmony is the separation between the highest high and the lowest low. It gives the others in the middle more room to play with. With Eddie and Melvin you had two fo the best at that and it gave David, Paul and Otis all the room they needed to give you harmonies very rarely heard on records.

I don't know about that, I think Melvin has a spirit wondering around in someone else's voice. Gee I wonder who that could be?

Is that right! Now who could that be?

[DC]

aba21 said:

tman2429 said:

I challenge anybody to go and grab a set of headphones and listen to "save my Love for a rainy day". If you have not done so you are in for a treat. Also listen to th acappella version of "my baby" The first time I heard that I thought that I was loosing my mind. Now as far as singing low harmony. what other group mastered that? Nobody that I can think of. The Temptations were crooners. The never were about wild choreography. they were all about being smooth and classy. did you see some of the moves that Paul and Melvin did on "twydttyd"? Paul was a master by himself. Did anybody ever notice that Eddie rarely missed a step even tho he was not considered a dancer?. Back to singing. I don't believe anybody sang tenor as good as Eddie or souded as good as Eddie. What bass has ever really been better than Melvin? And I would dare say that I have not really heard a person do second tenor like Otis. You see, to do second tenor you have to be able to know when to sing falsetto or in you natural voice. If you get it wrong you will make the harmony sound terrible. Otis is a master. He also uses great techniques when he is doing baritone. the closest in harmony is the dramatics. The one with good a lead was the spinners. Of course the Jackson were dancers. Enhantment had a great tenor. The O'jays had great stage energy. The chi-lites had great potential for greatness. One more thing. I think tempts live in London show just how good the Tempts was. They were very tight. I don't thing anyone can top that.

If you're listening to Save My Love For A Rainy Day, then you know for sure. What a great tune!!! And by the way, let's not sleep on New Edition with Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown! Bobby was a hellofa entertainer fo he went nuts! And Johnny Gill can sing for any woman!!

Amen. B Brown was incredible in the 80's. Truly talented. Johnny Gill's voice is incredible and strong. His range is unbelievable as well. Since Christmas is approaching all need to check out his version of 'Give Love On Christmas Day". He tore it up.

[tman2429]

Hey Aba21

You Are right. but I did not think that Bobby's voice was all that great. As an intertainer he had the energy. Hey. You and I had some business the were to complete along time ago. I will be contacting you in just a little bit. You probably don't remember but we'll talk.

tman

[BASSSINGER]

There was one group that has been totally ignored and not even mentioned. "GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS." Even though Gladys did the lead vocals on all of their recordings, the Pips was something to behold in their choreography and their vocal harmonies was impeccable.

[irene170]

basssinger said:

There was one group that has been totally ignored and not even mentioned. "GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS." Even though Gladys did the lead vocals on all of their recordings, the Pips was something to behold in their choreography and their vocal harmonies was impeccable.

You are right. I remember seeing them sing "Giving Up" at the Apollo right before the Tempts blew up and the choreography was incredible.

[statone]

The Dramatics are the closest sounding to The Temps.