The Temptin' Temptations

Overview

The three pre-"My Girl" singles all feature Eddie Kendricks on lead vocals. "I'll Be in Trouble" was written and produced by Smokey Robinson, while "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" was a Norman Whitfield production. Both songs were Top 40 hits for the group immediately following the success of their first hit, "The Way You Do the Things You Do". "The Girl's All Right With Me", "I'll Be in Trouble's" b-side, charted on its own at number 102, and was written by Kendricks, Whitfield, and Eddie Holland, but produced by Smokey Robinson and Whitfield.

"Since I Lost My Baby", a heartbroken ballad exemplary of Smokey Robinson's work, features David Ruffin on lead vocals, pining away for a lost lover even though the world around him is a relative nirvana. Longing and melancholy, "Since I Lost My Baby" (written by Robinson & fellow Miracle Pete Moore) tells a story about the pain of losing a lover. Temptations lead singer David Ruffin paints a picture as the song's narrator of an idyllic world where he has everything anyone could ask for, except for love. Contemporary R&B singer Luther Vandross would later cover the song on his 1982 album Forever, For Always, For Love.

"My Baby", an extension of the theme from "My Girl", features Ruffin and the Temptations bragging about the qualities of a special lady. It was written by Miracles members Robinson, Pete Moore, and Bobby Rogers .

"My Baby"'s B-side, the Paul Williams-led "Don't Look Back", was a minor hit in its own right, becoming a top 20 R&B hit and serving for several years as the Temptations' live-show closing number. It was also the original A-side of this recording, and as such, was performed by the group on The Ed Sullivan Show. It was later relegated to B-side status in the wake of "My Baby"'s bigger pop success at the time. However, today, "Don't Look Back" is the far more popular and better-remembered tune. Although the Temptations retired "Don't Look Back" from their reperoire following Williams' 1971 departure from the group, several cover versions have been recorded. These include versions by Al Green, Bobby Womack, The Persuasions, and Teena Marie, as well as a collaboration between Peter Tosh, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards for Tosh's 1978 album Bush Doctor.

Track listing

Superscripts denote lead singers for each track: (a) David Ruffin, (b) Eddie Kendricks, (c) Paul Williams, (d) Melvin Franklin.

Side one

1. "Since I Lost My Baby" (Smokey Robinson, Warren Moore) ^a
2. "The Girl's Alright with Me" (Norman Whitfield, Edward Holland, Jr., Eddie Kendricks)^b
3. "Just Another Lonely Night" (Ivy Jo Hunter, William "Mickey" Stevenson) ^c
4. "My Baby" (Robinson, Moore, Bobby Rogers) ^a
5. "You've Got to Earn It" (Robinson, Cornelius Grant)^b
6. "Everybody Needs Love" (Whitfield, Holland) ^{b, d}

Side two

1. "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" (Whitfield, Holland) ^b
2. "Don't Look Back" (Robinson, Ronald White) ^c
3. "I Gotta Know Now" (Whitfield, Holland) ^b
4. "Born to Love You" (Ivy Jo Hunter, William "Mickey" Stevenson) ^{b, a}
5. "I'll Be in Trouble" (Robinson) ^{b, d}
6. "You're the One I Need" (Robinson) ^{b (bridge: a,c)}

Unreleased recordings from the The Temptin' Temptations sessions:

These three songs have subsequently been released.

Personnel

Performers

Producers

Chart and singles history