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The Temptations: Otis Williams
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The original Temptations came together from two struggling vocal groups. Otis Williams (not to be confused with Otis Williams of Charms fame), Elbridge (a.k.a. Al, or El) Bryant, and Melvin Franklin had been in a series of Detroit groups, including Williams’ Siberians and Otis Williams and the Distants. Once Franklin, the young bass singer of Detroit’s Voice Masters, joined the Distants (which included future Tempt Richard Street) they recorded “Come On” for the local Northern label. Around the time that Williams decided to expand the group, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams (no relation to Otis), with Kell Osborne, were working around Detroit as the Primes. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, this trio was making something of a name for itself in the Motor City.
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Before the Temptations formed, while the Primes were still performing, Otis Williams saw them perform and was impressed by Kendricks' vocals and Paul Williams' impressive choreography. When the Primes finally disbanded in 1961 the Temptations formed soon after, and they quickly signed with a Motown Records' affiliate, Miracle; several singles were released over the next few months. Their first commercial success came in 1962 with "Dream Come True." The group hit a bump in the road in 1963 when Elbridge Bryant attacked Paul Williams and then left the band. The loss, then tragic, ended up being a great break for the boys. They replaced Bryant with David Ruffin and their luck began to change: they entered the studio with writer/producer Smokey Robinson and came out with "The Way You Do the Things You Do," a smash hit that reached the top ten on the pop charts.
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The current Temptations line up is Otis Williams, Terry Weeks, G.C. Cameron, Ron Tyson and Joe Herndon. Their smooth voices mixed together are a treat to any listener’s ears. The challenge the group says is to live in the present but to respect their past. The group’s commercial comeback began in the fall of 1998, when NBC aired the two-part miniseries Temptations, based on Williams’ book of the same name. Released about the same time, Phoenix Rising and its lead single, “Stay” brought the Temptations to a new generation.
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After several undermining releases, the Temptations planned a reunion tour and would be joined by former members Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin. The Reunion tour kicked off in 1982 with an accompanying album. The single “Standing on the Top” peaked at number six on the R&B charts bringing the group back into the spotlight... underlying personal differences caused Kendricks and Ruffin to leave the group a second time. For the next several years, the Temptations would simply become a thing of the past. With most of its members retired or deceased, Otis Williams remains an original of the group. In 1998, the reformed Temptations released Phoenix Rising, their first million dollar selling album in twenty years introducing new members Terry Weeks, Barrington “Bo” Henderson, Ron Tyson, and Harry McGilberry.
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The Temptations formed in 1961 by the merging of two Detroit groups, The Primes (Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams) and The Distants (Otis Williams, Elbridge Bryant, Melvin Franklin) under the name The Elgins, prior to changing their name to The Temptations. They signed onto Motown on its subsidiary label, Miracle. Only one of their songs, "Dream Come True" had any commercial success in 1962. In 1964, Elbridge Bryant attacked Paul Williams after a Christmas Review Show and left the group a short time thereafter.
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Soon, Otis Williams, Paul Williams, Bryant, Franklin, and Kendricks joined together as the Elgins; after a name change to the Temptations, they signed to the Motown subsidiary Miracle, where they released a handful of singles over the ensuing months. Only one, the 1962 effort "Dream Come True," achieved any commercial success... and in 1963, Bryant either resigned or was fired after physically attacking Paul Williams. The Tempts' fortunes changed dramatically in 1964 when they recruited tenor David Ruffin to replace Bryant; after entering the studio with writer/producer Smokey Robinson, they emerged with the pop smash "The Way You Do the Things You Do," the first in a series of 37 career Top Ten hits. With Robinson again at the helm, they returned in 1965 with their signature song, "My Girl," a number one pop and R&B hit; other Top 20 hits that year included "It's Growing," "Since I Lost My Baby," "Don't Look Back," and "My Baby."
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