Temptations live-at the upperdeck

[arr&bee]

Happy new years gang i hope each of you are in the best of health and happy,with all the sadness around,[natalie's passing-the bill cosby mess]i'm chillin with my pardners-eddie-david-paul-otis-melvin as they help me bring in the new year with thier classic performance from way back in the day but timeless as always-if you got this gem put it on a let time stand still motown style.

[StuBass1]

I was there, hanging out in the dressing room with Paul and the Tempts...Getting Paul's drinks for him and drinking myself...I was about 15 lol...Different times...

[arr&bee]

Stu my brother,how are ya? Yes i know and envy you[you lucky dog]temptations and stubass forever!!!

[StuBass1]

LOL...Happy New Year to you and your family Jai...

[marv2]

I was there, hanging out in the dressing room with Paul and the Tempts...Getting Paul's drinks for him and drinking myself...I was about 15 lol...Different times...

Every time I read you saying this, I go nuts! That should have been me! LOL! They all smoked didn't they? I mean cigarettes?

[StuBass1]

Every time I read you saying this, I go nuts! That should have been me! LOL! They all smoked didn't they? I mean cigarettes?
I'm pretty sure most smoked...I know I did...A couple of things I vividly remember...One was three women coming up behind Ruffin and one putting her hands over his eyes [[glasses on) and saying "guess who"...I don't know If David really appreciated it...Also...Mr Gordy, accompanied by Chris Clark and two of his sons in matching blue suits came back into the dressing room to wish them good luck...Also, The Tempts pre show prayer ritual that I was right there for...and after the first show...Paul ordering a steak dinner that he ate back in the room...I got sent out on another drink run LOL...

[arr&bee]

Hey stu,i know they all got play from the ladies,but would you say that ruffin got more attention than the others as far as you know?

[StuBass1]

Hey stu,i know they all got play from the ladies,but would you say that ruffin got more attention than the others as far as you know?
Yes he did......One performance I was at I met Tammi Terrell backstage, but didn't know at the time that she was with Ruffin...I assumed she was just there as one Motown artist attending the show of another Motown act...

[arr&bee]

Stu,as best you can remember,were there any songs from that performance that didn't make it onto the album?

[StuBass1]

Stu,as best you can remember,were there any songs from that performance that didn't make it onto the album?
Couldn't begin to tell you...They did two shows that night and as I recall used parts of each show for the recording...

[arr&bee]

Hey stu,maybe you saw it differently because you were right there,but i can't fully put into words the raw excitement of a temps show back then,it was almost like electricity under your seat and it started from the time that the four headed mikes were being set up,otis mentioned that in the book and he's absolutly right,i've seen many great acts but none ever brought the excitement that the classic temps did,and if i see a hundred more none will.

[StuBass1]

The shows were great with a high level of excitement...especially with those horns blasting out on Girl [[Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) as they took the stage...

[arr&bee]

They did that at the howard too...with those white suits.

[arr&bee]

HEY STU,BEAR WITH ME AS I'M IN A TEMPS MOOD TODAY[hell I'm in a temps mood everyday,hehehe]I JUST THINK THAT SOMETIMES THE CLASSIC GROUP IS OVERLOOKED A STRANGE AS THAT MAY SOUND MAYBE I'M GETTIN OLD,BUT I'M ALWAYS GONNA LOVE MY TEMPS.

[edafan]

You folks are right. The Classic 5 were the greatest

edafan

[StuBass1]

Perhaps that's why as much as I enjoy the nostalgia, it's somewhat difficult for me to see the current incarnations...just not the same...I did have RIchard Streets group performing at the Funk Brothers party in Beverly Hills after their Walk Of Fame ceremony. Unfortunately, Richard had just passed not two weeks earlier and they had to cancel out on a gig in Dubai with the FLOS...So the surviving members performed for us as a sort of tribute to Richards widow who attended???...Also had Stevie take the stage and perform several of his early Motown songs which had featured The Funk Brothers...that was fun but he wouldn't leave the stage throwing my program off schedule...I wasn't gonna be the one to tell him to stop LOL...

[arr&bee]

For me the last grouping anywhere close to the classic temps were the ali woodson temps of the eighties.

[StuBass1]

For me the last grouping anywhere close to the classic temps were the ali woodson temps of the eighties.
That's around the time my brother and Norman Whitfield had teamed up. They did a couple of Temptations albums including Back To Basics as arranger and producer...Some decent stuff, still not the classics. Funny story though...I was at the Mowest studios just prior to that hanging out in the lobby between the two studios and several of the Tempts had arrived and Dennis [[persona non-grata at the time) were waiting for Otis to arrive so they could push Otis to let Dennis back in the group. I was just standing there as they were plotting and Dennis seemed a bit nervous as to whether Otis would green light the idea or not...so even then, Otis was pretty much calling the shots...

[arr&bee]

Stu,legend has it that dennis showed up late for a rehersal and otis alrady had ollie in his place,so dennis just turned and walked away.

[marv2]

For me the last grouping anywhere close to the classic temps were the ali woodson temps of the eighties.

Yes, yes I agree with that. The reaction they got around Detroit with that grouping was fantastic.

[marv2]

I'm pretty sure most smoked...I know I did...A couple of things I vividly remember...One was three women coming up behind Ruffin and one putting her hands over his eyes [[glasses on) and saying "guess who"...I don't know If David really appreciated it...Also...Mr Gordy, accompanied by Chris Clark and two of his sons in matching blue suits came back into the dressing room to wish them good luck...Also, The Tempts pre show prayer ritual that I was right there for...and after the first show...Paul ordering a steak dinner that he ate back in the room...I got sent out on another drink run LOL...

Any of the Motown women visit backstage?

[marv2]

That's around the time my brother and Norman Whitfield had teamed up. They did a couple of Temptations albums including Back To Basics as arranger and producer...Some decent stuff, still not the classics. Funny story though...I was at the Mowest studios just prior to that hanging out in the lobby between the two studios and several of the Tempts had arrived and Dennis [[persona non-grata at the time) were waiting for Otis to arrive so they could push Otis to let Dennis back in the group. I was just standing there as they were plotting and Dennis seemed a bit nervous as to whether Otis would green light the idea or not...so even then, Otis was pretty much calling the shots...

Back to Basics was a good, strong album. I bought it and the Four Tops Back Where I Belong albums together in the fall of 1983.

[StuBass1]

I'm sure some...but can't remember...People were coming and going...

[StuBass1]

Back to Basics was a good, strong album. I bought it and the Four Tops Back Where I Belong albums together in the fall of 1983.
Bruce started working with Norman on some Rose Royce material and after that, they worked fairly exclusively together...Bruce orchestrated most of the BTB album, they did the first non-Lionel Commodores album together...Commodores 13, and co-wrote and co-produced the theme song for Berry's movie The Last Dragon and some other projects.

[StuBass1]

Stu,legend has it that dennis showed up late for a rehersal and otis alrady had ollie in his place,so dennis just turned and walked away.
That was all around late 1984 when this thing with Dennis happened...I had just moved to L.A.

[marv2]

Bruce started working with Norman on some Rose Royce material and after that, they worked fairly exclusively together...Bruce orchestrated most of the BTB album, they did the first non-Lionel Commodores album together...Commodores 13, and co-wrote and co-produced the theme song for Berry's movie The Last Dragon and some other projects.


I'm been going crazy trying to remember what the single was from Commodores 13? I remember the album and the single was played on Denver radio.

[marv2]

That was all around late 1984 when this thing with Dennis happened...I had just moved to L.A.

Another story Ali use to tell was the first time he auditioned for the Temptations, they turned him down because he had orange hair at that time. hehehehehehehe..........

[StuBass1]

I'm been going crazy trying to remember what the single was from Commodores 13? I remember the album and the single was played on Denver radio.
Only You was the ballad that was popular on the Adult Contemporary stations. Bruce did a real nice string arrangement on that one. Turn Out The Lights was an up tempo track which I liked...

[marv2]

Only You was the ballad that was popular on the Adult Contemporary stations. Bruce did a real nice string arrangement on that one. Turn Out The Lights was an up tempo track which I liked...

Thank you Stu.