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Cloud Nine (Temptations Album)
''Cloud Nine'' is the ninth studio album by American musical group The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label released in 1969. The album marked a major turning point in the group's career. It is the first full Temptations studio LP to feature Dennis Edwards as the replacement for David Ruffin, who was fired in June 1968. It also marked the beginning of the Temptations' delve into psychedelic soul under the ambitious direction of producer Norman Whitfield. The change in style polarized longtime fans but proved highly successful, with the album rising to number four on the ''Billboard'' Pop Albums Chart. It earned the group their first Grammy Award in 1969. Background Norman Whitfield took the Temptations into psychedelic territory after a suggestion from the group's de facto leader, Otis Williams. Williams had been discussing Sly & the Family Stone's music, and the changes it brought to the soul music industry, with his friend, producer Kenneth Gamble. Gamble agreed with Will ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group 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 45 rpm single, single "Cloud Nine (The Temptations song), Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of Rhythm and blues, 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. Featuring five male vocalists and dancers (save for brief periods with fewer or more members), the group's founding members came from two rival Detroit vocal groups: Otis Williams, Elbridge "Al" Bryant, and Melvin Franklin of (Otis Williams &) The Distants, and Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams (The Temptations), Paul Wil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otis Williams
Otis Williams (born Otis Miles Jr.; October 30, 1941) is an American second tenor/baritone singer.Ribowsky, Mark (2010). ''Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Endearing Soul of the Temptations''. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 7–9 He is occasionally also a songwriter and a record producer. Williams is the founder and last surviving original member of the Motown vocal group The Temptations, a group in which he continues to perform; he also owns the rights to the Temptations name. Early life Williams was born Otis Miles Jr. in Texarkana, Texas, to Otis Miles and Hazel Louise Williams. The couple separated shortly after their son's birth. While he was still a toddler, his mother married and moved to Detroit, Michigan, leaving the young Otis to be raised by both of his grandmothers in Texarkana. Hazel Williams moved her son to Detroit when he was ten years old, where he lived with her and his stepfather. Career 1950s–1990s Becoming interested in music ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melvin Franklin
David Melvin English (October 12, 1942 – February 23, 1995) better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin or his nickname "Blue", was an American bass singer. Franklin was best known for his role as a founding member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1995. Early life David English was born in Montgomery, Alabama to Rose English, a teenage mother from nearby Mobile. His biological father was the preacher of the English family's church in Mobile; he impregnated her through rape. Following David's birth, Rose English married Willard Franklin and moved to Detroit. Her grandmother however insisted on raising young David and was left behind in her care. David English later moved to Detroit with his mother and stepfather in 1952 at age ten. Taking on his stepfather's surname for his stage name as a teenager, David English—now Melvin Franklin—was a member of a number of local singing groups in Detroit, including The Voice Masters with Lamont ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Williams (The Temptations)
Paul Williams (July 2, 1939 – August 17, 1973) was an American baritone singer. He was noted for being one of the founding members and the original lead singer of the Motown group the Temptations. Along with Elbridge "Al" Bryant, Otis Williams, and fellow Alabamians Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin, Williams was a member of the Temptations. Personal problems and failing health forced Williams to retire in 1971 and, at the age of 34, he was found dead two years later as the result of an apparent suicide. Early years Paul Williams was born and raised in the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama. He was the son of Sophia and Rufus Williams, a gospel singer in a gospel music vocal group called the Ensley Jubilee Singers. He met Eddie Kendricks in elementary school; supposedly, the two first encountered each other in a fistfight after Williams dumped a bucket of mop water on Kendricks. Both boys shared a love of singing, and sang in their church choir together. As t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Kendricks
Edward James Kendrick (December 17, 1939 – October 5, 1992), better known as Eddie Kendricks, was an American tenor singer and songwriter. Noted for his distinctive falsetto singing style, Kendricks co-founded the Motown singing group the Temptations, and was one of their lead singers from 1961 until 1971. He was the lead voice on such famous songs as " The Way You Do the Things You Do", " Get Ready", and "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)". As a solo artist, Kendricks recorded several hits of his own during the 1970s including the number-one singles " Keep On Truckin'" and " Boogie Down." Life and career Early years: 1939–1960 Kendricks was born to Johnny and Lee Bell Kendrick in Union Springs, Alabama on December 17, 1939. He had one sister, Patricia, and three brothers, Charles, Robert, and Clarence. Kendricks and his family moved to the Ensley neighborhood of Birmingham, where he met and began singing with his best friend Paul Williams in their church choir i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cloud Nine (The Temptations Song)
"Cloud Nine" is a 1968 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown label. It was the first of their singles to feature Dennis Edwards instead of David Ruffin in the lineup, was the first of producer Norman Whitfield's psychedelic soul tracks, and won Motown its first Grammy Award. The song was written by Whitfield and former Motown artist Barrett Strong. Background In 1968, Sly & the Family Stone had a hit with their single " Dance to the Music", and Temptations member Otis Williams introduced Norman Whitfield to the band's music. At first, Whitfield did not want to produce anything with such a radically different sound. "I don't want to get into all that crazy shit," he said. "That ain't nothing but a little passing fancy."Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). ''Temptations''. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. pp. 138–140 Within a few weeks, however, he had created the backing tracks for the newest Temptations single, a psychedelic-styled number c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
(I Know) I'm Losing You
"(I Know) I'm Losing You" is a 1966 hit single recorded by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label, written by Cornelius Grant, Eddie Holland and Norman Whitfield, and produced by Norman Whitfield. The group performed the song live on the CBS variety program ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' on May 28, 1967, and in a duet with Diana Ross & the Supremes later that year, on November 19, 1967. Background ''Billboard'' described the song as a "blues swinger with a solid dance beat and powerful vocal workout." ''Cash Box'' said that "the ork is throbbing, the chorus is smooth and the group tells its sad tale in exquisite fashion." Personnel * Lead vocals by David Ruffin * Background vocals by Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams * Guitar by Cornelius Grant * Other instrumentation by the Funk Brothers * Arrangements by Wade Marcus and Paul Riser Chart performance "(I Know) I'm Losing You" was a No. 1 hit on the ''Billboard'' R&B singles chart, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
My Girl (The Temptations Song)
"My Girl" is a 1964 song recorded by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) record label. Written and produced by the Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, it became the Temptations' first U.S. number 1 single, and is considered their signature song. Robinson's inspiration for writing "My Girl" was his wife, Miracles member Claudette Rogers Robinson. The song was included on the Temptations 1965 album ''The Temptations Sing Smokey''. In 2017, the song was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Recording and release The recorded version of "My Girl" was the first Temptations single to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals. Previously, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams had performed most of the group's lead vocals, and Ruffin had joined the group as a replacement for former Temptation Elbridge Bryant. While on tour as part of the Motortown Revue, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dance To The Music (song)
"Dance to the Music" is a 1967 hit single by soul/funk/rock band Sly and the Family Stone for the Epic/ CBS Records label. It was the first single by the band to reach the ''Billboard'' Pop Singles Top 10, peaking at No. 8 and the first to popularize the band's sound, which would be emulated throughout the black music industry and dubbed " psychedelic soul". It was later ranked No. 223 on ''Rolling Stone''s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Dance to the Music" by Sly and the Family Stone was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. History Reluctance to adopt a pop sound None of the band members particularly liked "Dance to the Music" when it was first recorded and released. The song, and the accompanying '' Dance to the Music'' LP, were made at the insistence of CBS Records executive Clive Davis, who wanted something more commercially viable than the band's 1967 LP, '' A Whole New Thing''. Bandleader Sly Stone crafted a formula, blending the band's distinct p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nightclub
A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who mixes recorded music. Nightclubs tend to be smaller than live music venues like theatres and stadiums, with few or no seats for customers. Nightclubs generally restrict access to people in terms of age, Clothing, attire, personal property, personal belongings, and behaviors. Nightclubs typically have dress codes to prohibit people wearing informal, indecent, offensive, or gang-related attire from entering. Unlike other entertainment venues, nightclubs are more likely to use Bouncer (doorman), bouncers to screen prospective patrons for entry. The busiest nights for a nightclub are Friday and Saturday nights. Most nightclubs cater to a particular music genre or sound for bran ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the mid-20th century. It deemphasizes melody and chord progressions and focuses on a strong rhythmic groove of a bassline played by an electric bassist and a drum part played by a percussionist, often at slower tempos than other popular music. Funk typically consists of a complex percussive groove with rhythm instruments playing interlocking grooves that create a "hypnotic" and "danceable" feel. It uses the same richly colored extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as minor chords with added sevenths and elevenths, and dominant seventh chords with altered ninths and thirteenths. Funk originated in the mid-1960s, with James Brown's development of a signature groove that emphasized the downbeat—with a heavy emphasis on the first be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sly Stone
Sylvester Stewart (March 15, 1943 – June 9, 2025), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, was an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the development of psychedelic soul and funk with his pioneering fusion of Soul music, soul, rock music, rock, psychedelic music, psychedelia, and gospel music, gospel in the 1960s and 1970s. AllMusic stated that "James Brown may have invented funk, but Sly Stone perfected it," and credited him with "creating a series of euphoric yet politically charged records that proved a massive influence on artists of all musical and cultural backgrounds". ''Crawdaddy!'' has credited him as the founder of the "progressive soul" movement. Born in Denton, Texas, and raised in the Bay Area city of Vallejo, California, Vallejo in Northern California, Stone mastered several instruments at an early age and performed gospel music as a child with his siblings (and future ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
