From the category archives:

Berry Gordy Jr.

"Camouflage" – Performed by The Temptations (1962 & 1967)

January 22, 2009 · 5 comments

The Original Temptations

The Original Temptations

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The Temptations – Camouflage (Recorded February 1962)

The Classic Temptations

The Classic Temptations

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The Temptations – Camouflage (Recorded March 1967)

This month’s posting theme here at OSML has been “Motown Covers Motown.” I am still keeping within this theme, but have made it even more specific for the rest of this month,  posting on The Temptations covering The Temptations. Yes you read it right.  The Tempts have re-recorded songs they made in one incarnation and redone them with a slightly different group line up during their Motown tenure.

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This first example is one that you may not be familiar with since BOTH of these songs languished in the “Vault” of unreleased material until the release of the “Motown Lost and Found Series” in 1999.  These two songs come from the marvelous 1999 CD release entitled “Lost and Found:You’ve Got to Earn It (1962-1968)” which contains 19 previously unreleased Temptations studio tracks and one live track. If you don’t own this set and are a classic Temptations fan you must get a copy. When I first played it I felt like I had gone back in time and was listening to a new Temptations LP in the sixties.  IMHO all of these studio cuts could have been hits!

Of course I hate to sound like a broken record on this issue but I just don’t understand the “Motown Vault’s” existence: this music should ALL be released to the public. A few years back we fans had to get together a petition to get Eddie Kendrick’s Motown/Tamla  solo music re-released on CD and our efforts paid off — plus we received some bonus “Vault” material that was simple superb! (A sincere thank you to Mr. Harry Weinger – Mr. Weinger you are a Prince!)  But I digress (Can you tell how much I love Eddie K.? )  ;-)

In addition to the Temptations’ Lost and Found set there were also CDs released on Smokey Robinson & The Miracles; The Four Tops;  Martha & The Vandellas in the series.  But more often than not after release these gems go out of print so I always grab vault releases as soon after they come out as I can afford to buy them –  and I recommend you do the same.

This song “Camouflage” was written by Berry Gordy.  In fact both versions were produced by Berry Gordy. But alas they remained unheard by the public for forty years!? Wonder why? What do you think? Let’s discuss it after you vote.

Musically yours,
sondanyr2

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Filed under: Berry Gordy Jr., Camouflage, Motown Covers Motown, Motown/Gordy, Pop/R&B, Sixties, The Temptations, The Temptations Cover The Temptations

Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance)

January 11, 2008 · 3 comments

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[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/812879_fxs5u/20.Contours-DoYouLoveMe.mp3] The Contours – Do You Love Me (1962)

The Contours had a number #1 R&B Hit (#3US) in 1962 with this Berry Gordy, Jr. penned song that was meant for the Temptations. As the story goes, when Berry finished creating the hit for the Temptations, who had not had much luck on the charts yet, he could not locate them to get them in the recording studio. It turns out that the fellas were at the Fox Theater attending a Gospel show to both praise the Lord and hone their harmony skills listening to The Dixie Hummingbirds” and The Harmonizing Four. (These are my two favorite gospel quartets). So Gordy tasked the singing of his song to The Contours and the rest is history. The Temptations were sorry they missed out on a hit song, but things happen for a reason and we all know what bigger and better things were in store for fabulous The Temptations!

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[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/818552_cg5sg/TheSupremes-DoYouLoveMe.mp3] The Supremes -  Do You Love Me (1964)

“Do You Love Me” next appeared on The Supremes album “A Little Bit of Liverpool” released in 1964. Now obviously, the song has nothing to do with the theme of the album, so I can only suggest it was filler for Gordy royalties – yes I said it. (LOL)

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[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/812878_6rdft/01.TheTempations-DoYouLoveMe.mp3] The Temptations – Do You Love Me (1995)

Now speaking of Mr. Gordy, it is on the 1995 release entitled “Memories, Music, Magic of Motown: Tribute to Berry Gordy” on which you can finally hear the Temptations do their version of “Do You Love Me”. In this outing the Motown artists of 1990’s sing the classic songs that Mr. Gordy wrote and co-wrote. In the liner notes Gordy says that getting this song concept was “easy. I remembered the days when I could never get the girls I really liked because I couldn’t dance…”

So you know the drill. Please let me know which of the three versions you like the best by voting here.

Well as always thanks for reading about and listening to the music.

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Filed under: Berry Gordy Jr., Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance), Motown, Motown Covers Motown, Motown/Gordy, Nineties, R&B/Motown, Sixties, The Contours, The Supremes, The Temptations

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