Why didn't the Temptations use the Andantes?

**RBTEMPSFAN** · 08-21-2010, 11:19 PM

Hi SDFers,

I have not posted in a while - I was thinking, why is it that the Temps recordings did not have the Andantes? I know that on a few, like It's Growing, you can hear the Andantes.

But on all of the hits, they are not there. BG said that he needed the Andantes to sweeten up the harmonies of The Marvelettes, The Vandellas, not to mention using them on all of the Supremes records after Flo left.

The Four Tops records had them all the time. Was O so powerful that he could keep them off the Temps records?

Why did BG leave the Temps alone?

What do you think?

**mellow_q** · 08-22-2010, 12:43 AM

From what I've read, and also from what Louvain once told me, the entire group didn't want to use the Andantes; it wasn't just Otis.

Marc Taylor

**bradsupremes** · 08-22-2010, 01:05 AM

In my opinion, the Andantes make "It's Growing" a better song. The build-up of the song and then to have them begin to sing toward the end of song is perfect. "That'll Be The Day" is up there on my favorite songs by the Temptations and it's because the Andantes are on it. They added a beauty to the tracks which I happen to like.

Regarding the Andantes, one thing I never understood was that by the late 60's Motown was using the Andantes on every recording by the Marvelettes and Vandellas and a lot on the Supremes. Everyone targets Mary and Cindy for not being used during a lot of the Supremes recordings, but if you look at it, they probably were used a lot more than any of the Vandellas or Marvelettes. Anything after 1967, I would say that the Marvelettes and Vandellas only appeared on just a few tracks whereas the Supremes were on a few dozen. Motown said it was cheaper to fly in just the lead singer instead of the whole group to record, but why didn't Motown practice this on their male groups? You never hear the Originals subbing for the Temptations or Four Tops. I know they had their own sound, but didn't the female groups have their own sound too. I just doesn't make sense to me that Motown would say that yet only do it to the female groups. Much cheaper to fly in 3 Supremes than 5 Temptations!

**RBTEMPSFAN** · 08-22-2010, 09:46 AM

This was part of the un-truth that we were told - that it was cheaper to fly in just the lead singer. When they flew in Diana, what did they do with Mary and Cindy? Didn't they have to pay for hotel rooms and food for them while Diana was recording?

The use of the Andantes for the Supremes was to send a message to the group that only Diana was needed - the other girls were merely back-up singers.

But getting back to the Temps, someone either in the group or the producers must have made Berry agree that the Andantes were not to be used.

I just want to know who had the power to keep them off the tracks.

Remember that all of us who lived in that day knew that something sounded different about the Marvelettes beginning with Don't Mess With Bill. But we thought it was just that the girls had matured in their sound! By the time of When You're Young and In Love, we knew for sure that they really sounded better - then we found out that it was not them at all!!!!

I know that this has been discussed on this forum over and over again - for me, this is a thread about the Temptations - a group that I personally saw as early as 1967 in Newark New Jersey at Symphony Hall - now you can figure out how old I am!!!

Maybe Ralph can help out with this and let us know why the Andantes were not behind all of the mighty Temps records - which is fine with me - because with those five voices, you didn't need anyting else to"sweeten the sound".

**mrlonleyheart** · 08-22-2010, 10:00 AM

I know in one track the Temps use the Andantes, you can hear The Andantes on "Just another lonley night" on the album "Temptin´Temptations"

In my opinion you hear on this track in the backround clear women voices.

**soulballad** · 08-22-2010, 10:30 AM

There are also female voices on "Get Ready".

**RBTEMPSFAN** · 08-22-2010, 10:55 AM

On Just Another Lonely Night, you do hear the Andantes.

But this is because this was actually a Four Tops song.

Levi sang the lead, with the Tops in the background.

It was released on The Four Tops Fourever anthology as the Four Tops with the Temptations because they took the lead from Levi and put in the background with The Temps - the Andantes were still there.

**splanky** · 08-22-2010, 11:10 AM

TempsFan, you and mrlonelyheart are talking about two different songs..check it out, this is the song he's refering to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhC_9PiCexc

As for your original question, Marc Taylor already answered it. They all told Berry they didn't want them on any more of the groups recordings...

**paladin** · 08-22-2010, 11:25 AM

Quite possibly one of the best decisions they ever made.

**arrr&bee** · 08-22-2010, 12:25 PM

The temps were perhaps the only group that berry didn't interfere with when it came to using backing voices simply because they were that good,now as stated the use of the adantes on[it's growing]was great,now the only other female voices used on a temps record i believe is[not now i'll tell you later]with the supremes!

**reese** · 08-22-2010, 05:45 PM

I've read that the Tempts asked that the Andantes not be used on their recordings because the sound couldn't be duplicated on stage.

Re the use of the Andantes with the female groups, I think that might have been the choice of particular producers rather than trying to send any group members a message that they weren't needed. The producer could have the entire track recorded and ready when the lead singer hit town. No need to work out the background arrangements with the group members. Probably got the records done quicker.

Re why this wasn't done with the male groups, how do we know that it wasn't? Also, maybe the guys were much more vocal than the girls about singing on their own records.