The Temptations: China Doll

This is from the Temptations 1976 LP "Wings Of Love", a "critical and commercial failure", as Wikipedia states. It quickly hit the cut-out bins and by the time I stumbled upon it in the early 80's, it was all over the record shops of my home town for under the equivalence of a dollar. But now, over 30 years later, maybe it can get a recognition, as the fine album it is? Perhaps even a CD release?
This album rocks!

From Wikipedia:
Wings of Love is a 1976 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. The album was an unsuccessful release, both commercially and critically. Wings of Love's only single, "Up the Creek (Without a Paddle)" was co-written by Sly Stone, the inspiration for many of the Temptations' late 1960s/early 1970s "psychedelic soul" records; because of tax reasons, he could not take a publishing credit on the song. Stone and other members of the Family Stone appear on "Up the Creek", as well as "Sweet Gypsy Jane" and "China Doll"

Producer Jeffrey Bowen preferred Dennis Edwards to the rest of the group, and wanted to produce an Edwards solo album instead of a group album. As a result, Bowen de-emphasized the rest of the group's vocals and placed them at levels far below Edwards' leads, prompting his dismissal as the Temptations' producer after this album's release. Unsurprisingly, Edwards sings lead on all but one of the songs on the album, leaving "China Doll" in the capable hands of Richard Street. The upshot of Bowen's obsession with Edwards is that fans will enjoy hearing Edwards exercise a greater vocal range than normal, particularly on the album's ballad-heavy second side.

Track listing
1. "Sweet Gypsy Jane"
2. "Sweetness In The Dark"
3. "Up The Creek (Without A Paddle)"
4. "China Doll"
5. "Mary Ann"
6. "Dream World (Wings Of Love)"
7. "Paradise"

Personnel
* Dennis Edwards: vocals
* Glenn Leonard: vocals
* Richard Street: vocals
* Melvin Franklin: vocals
* Otis Williams: vocals
* Sly Stone, Truman Thomas: clavinet, organ and ARP
* Freddie Stewart: bass, guitar
* William "Billy Bass" Nelson: bass, guitar
* Rusty Allen: bass
* Ollie E. Brown: drums and percussion
* Pat Rizzo, Steve Madaio: trumpet
* Donald Charles Baldwin: Moog, Moog Programming, Keyboards, Rhythm and Vocal Arrangements

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_of_Love

Category:

Music

Tags:

• temptations
• china
• doll
• wings
• of
• love
• dennis
• edwards
• motown
• berry
• gordy
• jeffrey
• bowen
• sly
• stone
• william
• billy
• bass
• truman
• thomas
• rustee
• allen
• freddie
• stewart
• pat
• rizzo
• ollie
• e.
• brown
• steve
• madaio
• jimmy
• ford
• glenn
• leonard
• richard
• street
• melvin
• franklin
• otis
• williams
• donald
• baldwin

[unique74muzik]

eye remain QUIET... :) Thank You 4 the post!

[missfunkyflyy]

@unique74muzik Thank YOU for telling me you appreciated it.

[BadNews88]

You did it again! This GEM form Dennis, Melvin, Otis, & Co. -- aided and abetted by composer/producer JEFF BOWEN & associates JAMES HENRY FORD & TRUMAN THOMAS is...one of my...well, you know.. All of Side One ROCKS fer me, just so y'know.

Thanks..

[missfunkyflyy]

@BadNews88 You did it too. :D I agree to every word you write! The entire A-side is awesome!! I have uploaded it today. No one else had it on YouTube, as far as I could tell, at least not with good quality, so I had to rectify that situation. :)

[whistlersmom5]

Thank you!

The commerical and critical failure of this LP make it a very rare gem. Hard to find. I know. It was a favorite of mine during college and I tried to re-aquire it in the late 80's to no avail. Paradise and Dream World are truly masterpieces. I knew J. Bowen's son. He said his dad killed other Motown possibilities because of this album's failure. Thanks again. w/m.