jdwheat
12-02-2012, 05:17 PM
Forty years ago today [[Dec. 2, 1972), one of the greatest recordings of the Temptations, "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," rose to the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it stayed for a week. It was the last time the Temptations would top the Hot 100 chart [[after My Girl, Can't Get Next To You, and Just My Imagination). Surprisingly, "Papa" only reached #5 on the Billboard R&B chart.
Written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, the song was first recorded by the Motown/Gordy act the Undisputed Truth. Whitfield also produced the song for the Temps, clocking in at a whopping 12 minutes on the "All Directions" album. The single was edited down to a run time of 6:53, but that was still very long for a radio single [[especially in the old AM format). But the new epic soul style of Isaac Hayes [[on Hot Buttered Soul) had changed all that, and the longer run time did not hurt the song's popularity. The instrumental opening runs more than a minute before Dennis Edwards begins the vocal.
The song was recorded at Hitsville in Detroit in May/June 1972. Lead vocals were handled primarily by Dennis Edwards, along with Damon Harris, Melvin Franklin and Richard Street, and with STRONG backing from the Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. [[Interesting note: The entire song is performed in one chord, B-Flat minor.)
Wikipedia reports the rumour is NOT TRUE that Edwards was upset with the opening line "It was the third of September..." because his own father had died on that date [[he didn't). But it is apparetly true that Edwards was P.O.'d with Whitfield for making him sing the opening dozens of times, getting Edwards angry and achieving the desired vocal effect.
The song won three grammys in 1973, including Best R&B Group Vocal Performance, Best R&B Instrumental [[for the B-side version, essentially a grammy to the Funk Brothers), and Best R&B Song, awarded to writers Whitfield and Strong.
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" has endured, and some call it the last great classic Temptations record. [[I prefer to think of the '75 album "A song For You" as their last great recordings.) It has been covered numerous times, but never bettered. Rolling Stone magazine places the song at #168 on its list of the 500 greatest modern recordings.
So pull out your record, cassette or CD, or click the MP3 track, and once again enjoy the sad, mysterious, funky sound of the Temptations and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," which conquered the American music scene 40 years ago today.
Written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, the song was first recorded by the Motown/Gordy act the Undisputed Truth. Whitfield also produced the song for the Temps, clocking in at a whopping 12 minutes on the "All Directions" album. The single was edited down to a run time of 6:53, but that was still very long for a radio single [[especially in the old AM format). But the new epic soul style of Isaac Hayes [[on Hot Buttered Soul) had changed all that, and the longer run time did not hurt the song's popularity. The instrumental opening runs more than a minute before Dennis Edwards begins the vocal.
The song was recorded at Hitsville in Detroit in May/June 1972. Lead vocals were handled primarily by Dennis Edwards, along with Damon Harris, Melvin Franklin and Richard Street, and with STRONG backing from the Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. [[Interesting note: The entire song is performed in one chord, B-Flat minor.)
Wikipedia reports the rumour is NOT TRUE that Edwards was upset with the opening line "It was the third of September..." because his own father had died on that date [[he didn't). But it is apparetly true that Edwards was P.O.'d with Whitfield for making him sing the opening dozens of times, getting Edwards angry and achieving the desired vocal effect.
The song won three grammys in 1973, including Best R&B Group Vocal Performance, Best R&B Instrumental [[for the B-side version, essentially a grammy to the Funk Brothers), and Best R&B Song, awarded to writers Whitfield and Strong.
"Papa Was a Rolling Stone" has endured, and some call it the last great classic Temptations record. [[I prefer to think of the '75 album "A song For You" as their last great recordings.) It has been covered numerous times, but never bettered. Rolling Stone magazine places the song at #168 on its list of the 500 greatest modern recordings.
So pull out your record, cassette or CD, or click the MP3 track, and once again enjoy the sad, mysterious, funky sound of the Temptations and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," which conquered the American music scene 40 years ago today.