Temptations on Lloyd Thaxton

**theboyfromxtown** · 05-02-2016, 04:23 AM

Can any of you see this. It's blocked in some areas

My Girl Get Ready and The Way You Do The Things You Do

**marv2** · 05-02-2016, 09:10 AM

I can see it. What a great memory! Thanks.

**westgrandboulevard** · 05-02-2016, 09:24 AM

I can see it here in UK, and also enjoyed it.

Very slick performance, as usual!

Not wanting to be provocative in any way, but I can't help but notice that there were no black kids shown in the intro....

Also, when I think of David Ruffin, I think of his horn-rimmed glasses....but he's not wearing them here....

**marv2** · 05-02-2016, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by westgrandboulevard

I can see it here in UK, and also enjoyed it.

Very slick performance, as usual!

Not wanting to be provocative in any way, but I can't help but notice that there were no black kids shown in the intro....

Also, when I think of David Ruffin, I think of his horn-rimmed glasses....but he's not wearing them here....

Well we are seeing early sixties America and there was still segregation going on in this country.

**westgrandboulevard** · 05-02-2016, 11:09 AM

Maybe make that mid-sixties [[late '65/early '66?)....but, despite heavy plugging on the show of the 'Temptin' Temptations' album by Lloyd Thaxton, The Temptations' core fan base is being overlooked.

A real shame, and one example of 'the good old days' not always being so 'good' in every respect.

Thank Heaven the music has endured.

**marv2** · 05-02-2016, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by westgrandboulevard

Maybe make that mid-sixties [[late '65/early '66?)....but, despite heavy plugging on the show of the 'Temptin' Temptations' album by Lloyd Thaxton, The Temptations' core fan base is being overlooked.

A real shame, and one example of 'the good old days' not always being so 'good' in every respect.

Thank Heaven the music has endured.

There are stories of black performers not being allowed to enter the front entrances or eat in the same places where they were the headline entertainers. That is how America was......

**marv2** · 05-02-2016, 12:59 PM

"Swingin' Time" [[Detroit-Windsor) , another teen oriented television dance show from the same era always had integrated dancers, in-studio audiences.

**westgrandboulevard** · 05-02-2016, 01:15 PM

I have always imagined that sales of each new release by Motown acts like The Temptations would immediately be keenly supported by black record-buyers in certain areas of the US - including Detroit, of course - which enabled them to have initial movement on the Billboard/Cashbox charts [[as well as the R&B chart), and then the larger, perhaps predominantly white record buyer market would boost increased sales into making them big national hits.

Difficult to know what the approximate percentages would be, but I guess some Motown releases appealed more to black buyers, than others -?

Berry Gordy said he wanted to make music for everyone, so when he asked potential record buyers "If you had a dollar, would you buy this record, or a sandwich?", I wonder what was the black/white ratio of the kids he asked....or whether he went for the black vote first - ?

**marv2** · 05-02-2016, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by westgrandboulevard

I have always imagined that sales of each new release by Motown acts like The Temptations would immediately be keenly supported by black record-buyers in certain areas of the US - including Detroit, of course - which enabled them to have initial movement on the Billboard/Cashbox charts [[as well as the R&B chart), and then the larger, perhaps predominantly white record buyer market would boost increased sales into making them big national hits.

Difficult to know what the approximate percentages would be, but I guess some Motown releases appealed more to black buyers, than others -?

Berry Gordy said he wanted to make music for everyone, so when he asked potential record buyers "If you had a dollar, would you buy this record, or a sandwich?", I wonder what was the black/white ratio of the kids he asked....or whether he went for the black vote first - ?

Being around at the time and knowing my parents, aunts, uncles etc bought many records, I can say with confidence that ALL of Motown release appealed to black buyers, whereas SOME appealed to the general public.

**westgrandboulevard** · 05-02-2016, 04:03 PM

That's just about what I would have thought, especially around the mid '60s - to please the ears of the local record buyers.

I still would have thought some Motown releases would have much less appeal to the discerning black buyers, particularly those in Detroit, and surrounding areas.

You would surprise me if releases from Tony Martin, Ray Oddis, and The Honest Men met with the same approval from black record buyers as those from The Temptations, Miracles, Four Tops. Those releases didn't even work with the white crowd, either. LOL

I could understand all of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas records getting the thumbs up from black buyers, especially in Detroit - but could also understand if that didn't apply to all The Supremes records. 'The Happening' was a #1, but sounded very white orientated. 'Nothing But Heartaches' and 'Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart' were not such big hits, yet sounded far more authentic Motown.

But I'm just guessing.....and you did say all of Motown releases appealed to black buyers, and didn't say 'all to the same degree'......

**marv2** · 05-02-2016, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by westgrandboulevard

That's just about what I would have thought, especially around the mid '60s - to please the ears of the local record buyers.

I still would have thought some Motown releases would have much less appeal to the discerning black buyers, particularly those in Detroit, and surrounding areas.

You would surprise me if releases from Tony Martin, Ray Oddis, and The Honest Men met with the same approval from black record buyers as those from The Temptations, Miracles, Four Tops. Those releases didn't even work with the white crowd, either. LOL

I could understand all of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas records getting the thumbs up from black buyers, especially in Detroit - but could also understand if that didn't apply to all The Supremes records. 'The Happening' was a #1, but sounded very white orientated. 'Nothing But Heartaches' and 'Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart' were not such big hits, yet sounded far more authentic Motown.

But I'm just guessing.....and you did say all of Motown releases appealed to black buyers, and didn't say 'all to the same degree'......

Westgrandboulevard, records by Tony Martin, Ray Oddis, and The Honest Men on Motown never even made it onto radio, which is why most people never knew about those recordings. LOL!

Now regarding Martha & the Vandellas and Supremes records, all of their records were embraced by the black community. The Supremes music had become the musical culture of black households in those days, along with many of the Motown Artists. In many cases, the Supremes records charted just as high on the R&B [[Soul Charts) as they did on the Pop Charts. In many cases the Supremes records charter higher on the R&B/Soul Charts than they did on the Pop Charts. Take a look here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Supremes_discography