The Temptations Sing Smokey
| The Temptations Sing Smokey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 22, 1965 | |||
| Recorded | September 1963 – March 1965 | |||
| Studios | Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 33:21 | |||
| Label | Gordy | |||
| Producer | Smokey Robinson | |||
| The Temptations chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Temptations Sing Smokey | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (A)[2] |
The Temptations Sing Smokey is the second studio album by the Temptations for the Motown label, released on the Gordy Records subsidiary (G 912) in 1965.[3] As its name implies, it is composed entirely of songs written and produced by Smokey Robinson, and several other members of the Miracles as well.
Several of the songs are covers of songs Robinson produced for the Miracles or Mary Wells, while the rest were originally recorded by The Temptations. Among these are three successful hit singles, starting with "The Way You Do the Things You Do", which featured Eddie Kendricks on lead vocals. The next two songs feature lead vocals by new Temptation David Ruffin – "It's Growing" and the group's signature song, "My Girl".
Not included are two singles which predate these two singles, "I'll Be in Trouble" and "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" (whose B-side, "Baby, Baby I Need You", is here). These songs would be included on the next Temptations album, The Temptin' Temptations. A third hit single, "The Way You Do the Things You Do", is present here, although it was also issued on the previous Temptations album, Meet the Temptations.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Way You Do the Things You Do" | Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers | Eddie Kendricks | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Baby, Baby I Need You" | Robinson | Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Temptations ensemble | 2:53 |
| 3. | "My Girl" | Robinson, Ronald White | David Ruffin | 2:55 |
| 4. | "What Love Has Joined Together" | Robinson, Rogers | Eddie Kendricks | 2:58 |
| 5. | "You'll Lose a Precious Love" | Robinson | David Ruffin; Melvin Franklin on last line of bridge | 2:35 |
| 6. | "It's Growing" | Robinson, Warren Pete Moore | David Ruffin | 3:00 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Who's Lovin' You" | Robinson | David Ruffin | 2:59 |
| 8. | "What's So Good About Goodbye" | Robinson | Eddie Kendricks | 2:40 |
| 9. | "You Beat Me to the Punch" | Robinson, White | Paul Williams | 2:45 |
| 10. | "Way Over There" | Berry Gordy, Jr., Robinson | Eddie Kendricks | 3:03 |
| 11. | "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" | Robinson | Eddie Kendricks; co-lead harmonies: David Ruffin, Paul Williams | 3:00 |
| 12. | "(You Can) Depend on Me" | Gordy, Robinson | Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams | 2:32 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "What's Easy for Two Is So Hard for One" | Robinson | Paul Williams | |
| 2. | "Happy Landing" | Robinson, White | Eddie Kendricks |
Both these songs have subsequently been released.
Personnel
The Temptations
- David Ruffin – vocals (all tracks except "Baby, Baby I Need You")
- Eddie Kendricks – vocals
- Paul Williams – vocals
- Melvin Franklin – vocals
- Otis Williams – vocals
- Elbridge "Al" Bryant – vocals ("Baby, Baby I Need You")
with:
- The Andantes – additional backing vocals ("It's Growing")
- The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
- Detroit Symphony Orchestra – strings
Technical
- Smokey Robinson – producer, executive producer
- Bob Folster – cover design
Chart and singles history
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| "The Way You Do the Things You Do" |
|
| "Baby, Baby I Need You" (recorded 1963; b-side of "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)") |
|
| "My Girl" |
|
| "It's Growing" |
|
| "You'll Lose a Precious Love" (b-side of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg") |
|
| Name | Chart (1964–1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| The Temptations Sing Smokey | U.S. Billboard Pop Albums | 35 |
| The Temptations Sing Smokey | U.S. Top R&B Albums | 1 |
| "The Way You Do the Things You Do" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 11 |
| "The Way You Do the Things You Do" | U.S. CashBox R&B Singles | 1 |
| "Baby, Baby I Need You" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | - |
| "My Girl" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 1 |
| "My Girl" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 1 |
| "It's Growing" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 18 |
| "It's Growing" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 3 |
| "What Love Has Joined Together" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | |
| "What Love Has Joined Together" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | |
- Note – There was no Billboard R&B singles chart from November 1963 until January 1965. Most discographies include R&B information from Cash Box magazine to fill in the gap in the R&B chart, as is done here with the 1964 releases.
See also
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- ↑ CD Universe Sorry
- ↑ "Gordy Album Discography, Part 1 (1962-1981)". Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
