Lunch with The Temptations today – from their 1982 Reunion tour, recorded at Painters Mill Music Fair in Owings Mills, Maryland on July 10, 1982.
This concert, from the aforementioned Reunion tour, features Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Glenn Carl Leonard, David Ruffin, Richard Street and Otis Williams.
The Temptations formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group’s work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single “Cloud Nine” in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. The group members were known for their choreography, distinct harmonies, and dress style. Having sold tens of millions of albums, the Temptations are among the most successful groups in popular music.
By the late 1970s, The Temptations, going through a number of personnel changes and their string of hits they enjoyed during the early part of their career began to ebb and signed with Atlantic Records for a brief period of time before coming back to Motown.
Upon the return to Motown several lineup changes occurred. Louis Price departed from the group and joined The Drifters. Dennis Edwards – who had made an unsuccessful attempt at developing a solo career during his three-year exit from the group – returned to the lineup. Berry Gordy co-wrote and produced “Power”, The Temptations’ first single under the new contract. This song, from the album of the same name, hit no. 11 on the R&B charts but failed to chart in the Top 40. Two years of under-performing singles and albums followed, including an eponymous album with Philadelphia-based producer Thom Bell, until Motown began planning a Temptations reunion tour in 1982.
Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin agreed to rejoin the group for the new album, aptly titled Reunion, and its subsequent promotional tour. Rick James, the Motown funk star who had previously used The Temptations as backup vocalists on his 1981 hit “Super Freak” and whom Franklin claimed as his nephew,[13] wrote, produced, and guested on the Reunion album’s lead single, “Standing on the Top“. The single went to no. 6 on the R&B charts and featured Ruffin, Kendricks and Edwards trading back and forth on lead.
While the ensuing Reunion tour with all seven Temptations (Ruffin, Kendricks, Otis Williams, Franklin, Edwards, Richard Street, and Glenn Leonard) was financially successful, it ended up being a stressful venture: Kendricks’ voice had weakened after decades of chain smoking, Ruffin (still addicted to drugs) missed a number of the performances due to being incapacitated, and current group members Dennis Edwards and Glenn Leonard were causing problems. At the conclusion of the Reunion tour, Ruffin and Kendricks were dismissed, and they began touring and performing together as a duo.
So to get some idea of what at least most of the original members of The Temptations sounded like, dive into this 1982 concert for a glimpse.
