All Directions
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All Directions is a 1972 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label, produced by Norman Whitfield.
Overview and background
The LP features the #1 hit "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", a twelve-minute cover of a Whitfield-produced Undisputed Truth single. "Papa" won three Grammy Awards in 1973: Best R&B Performance by a Group for the Temptations, Best R&B Instrumental Performance for Whitfield and arranger/conductor Paul Riser's instrumental version of "Papa" on the single's b-side, and Best R&B Song for Whitfield and lyricist Barrett Strong. All Directions was Strong's final LP as the Temptations' lyricist; Strong in fact had no direct involvement in the album as both of his compositions for it -- "Papa was a Rollin' Stone" and "Funky Music Sho' Nuff Turns Me On", were both covers (originally by The Undisputed Truth and Edwin Starr, respectively). Strong left Motown to re-start his career as a recording artist.
According to group leader Otis Williams, the Temptations fought "tooth and nail" not to record "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" or "Run Charlie Run", a socially conscious Black power track (dealing primarily with the phenomenon of white flight) that called for them to repeatedly call out, in an affected Caucasian accent, "the niggers are comin'!" The group was certain that "Papa" and All Directions would flop, and that they would be back to singing ballads like "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" again. Although the first single, "Mother Nature", charted at number 92 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart, "Papa" was a number-one hit and is today one of the Temptations' signature songs.
Also included on All Directions are the Edwin Starr cover "Funky Music Sho' Nuff Turns Me On" (the b-side to "Mother Nature", a Top 30 R&B hit), the Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell cover "Love Woke Me Up Early This Morning", and "I Ain't Got Nothin'", a rare lead showcase for Otis Williams.
Track listing
All songs produced by Norman Whitfield.
Side A
| # | Title | Length | Songwriter(s) | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Funky Music Sho' Nuff Turns Me On" | 3:05 | Barrett Strong Norman Whitfield |
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, Otis Williams, and Melvin Franklin |
| 2 | "Run Charlie Run" | 3:01 | C. Maurice King J. Foreman |
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, and Melvin Franklin |
| 3 | "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" | 11:45 | Barrett Strong Norman Whitfield |
Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Damon Harris, and Melvin Franklin |
Side B
| # | Title | Length | Songwriter(s) | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | "Love Woke Me Up This Morning" | 2:22 | Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson | Damon Harris |
| 5 | "I Ain't Got Nothin'" | 3:33 | C. Maurice King Evans King |
Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin |
| 6 | "The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)" | 4:11 | Ewan MacColl | Richard Street |
| 7 | "Mother Nature" | 3:08 | Nick Zesses Dino Fekaris |
Dennis Edwards |
| 8 | "Do Your Thing" | 3:30 | Isaac Hayes | Richard Street, Damon Harris and Melvin Franklin |
Personnel
- Dennis Edwards: vocals
- Damon Harris: vocals
- Richard Street: vocals
- Melvin Franklin: vocals
- Otis Williams: vocals
- The Andantes: Additional background vocals on "Love Woke Me Up This Morning"
- Norman Whitfield: producer
- The Funk Brothers: instrumentation
Chart and singles history
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| All Directions |
|
| "Mother Nature" |
|
| "Funky Music Sho' Nuff Turns Me On" |
|
| "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone [Vocal]" |
|
