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The Temptations – I Ain’t Got Nothing (1972)
This is the end of Black Music Month and I sure hope President Obama comes through with the appropriate Proclamation for 2009. I will be sorely disappointed of he doesn’t.
This is also my last post for the month of June, here at OSML, with the theme being “Motown Guy Groups” in honor of Motown’s 50th Anniversary — which BTW, with the year now half over, where is the anticipated Suzanne DePasse produced 50th Anniversary TV Special?
Well I have covered some of my favorite Male Motown vocal groups this month purposely leaving these talented gentlemen for last. Many of you younger readers often consider The Temptations and the Tops the only Motown male vocal groups so I wanted to be sure that the visitors here knew that the Tempts and Tops were just the tip of the talented male Motown iceberg.
Another misconception regarding Motown, specifically The Temptations, was that Otis never sang lead. Well I am here to tell you that is so wrong. Not only did Otis Williams’ mellow tone help to blend the other four voices together in perfect harmony but he had some leads and they were quite good.
The song I am presenting here today, with Otis singing lead, comes from 1972′s “All Directions” LP. The song “I Ain’t Got Nothing” was composed by Evans King & Maurice King. The album “All Directions” is The Temptations’ first after Sweet Eddie Kendricks had left the group. I can recall at that time saying that I would never buy another Temptations LP again. But I was a very wrong teenager.
My Father had purchased this LP, played it and sang from it non-stop, so I of course I eventually fell in love with it as the rest of the country obviously did: it charted #1 R&B and #2 Pop on the Album Charts.
Musically Yours,
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Filed under: Evans King & Maurice King, Guy Groups, I Ain't Got Nothing", Motown/Gordy, Pop/R&B, R&B/Motown, The Temptations
