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 its final recognition? 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
@ebenross Was he later in Kool & The Gang?
missfunkyflyy 8 months ago
thanks for sharing.....i saw play with Donald Baldwin often in his cass tech daz....with Jasmin....before Motown moved west....music students had CETA jobs....
he wrote temps/jbowen million sell " memories "
ebenross 9 months ago