Reunion (The Temptations album)
| Reunion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 7, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | R&B, Soul, Funk | |||
| Length | 45:37 | |||
| Label | Gordy | |||
| Producer | Berry Gordy, Rick James, Smokey Robinson, Barrett Strong, Iris Gordy | |||
| The Temptations chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [2] |
Reunion is a 1982 album by The Temptations for Gordy Records. The album was released during the 1982 Temptations Reunion tour, which reunited David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks with the Temptations after a decade-long absence. The album also features then-current Temptations Dennis Edwards, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, and founding members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. Reunion featured the single "Standing on the Top", produced by and featuring Motown funk star Rick James, who had previously used the Temptations as the background vocalists for his 1981 hit "Super Freak". It was their first album to reach the top 40 since Wings of Love (1976).
The Reunion tour, which began in April 1982 was only partially successful. Ruffin, by then a full-blown cocaine addict, missed several shows, causing the group to be fined thousands of dollars for each performance he missed, and Eddie Kendricks' falsetto voice had weakened due to constant smoking. Group leader Otis Williams decided that the reunion would not be a permanent thing, and fired Ruffin and Kendricks shortly after Christmas 1982.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Standing on the Top (arranged by Rick James)" | Rick James | Edwards, Ruffin, Kendricks, Street, Leonard, Franklin, James | 9:48 |
| 2. | "You Better Beware (arranged by Rudy Robinson, Curtis Nolen and Raymond Crossley)" | Barrett Strong | Ruffin | 5:00 |
| 3. | "Lock It in the Pocket (arranged by Benjamin Wright, William Bickelhaupt and Kerry Gordy)" | Kerry Gordy, Benny Medina | Edwards | 4:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4. | "I've Never Been to Me (arranged by Daniel Kane, Ken Hirsch and Ron Miller)" | Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch | Edwards | 5:57 |
| 5. | "Backstage (arranged by Paul Riser)" | Smokey Robinson | Edwards, Street | 4:31 |
| 6. | "More On the Inside (arranged by Paul Riser)" | Robinson | Edwards | 3:49 |
| 7. | "Money's Hard to Get (arranged by Benjamin Wright, Kerry Gordy and William Bickelhaupt)" | K. Gordy, Medina | Edwards | 4:44 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Like a Diamond in the Sky" | Robinson | Edwards | 3:06 |
| 9. | "Don't Hold it In" | Angelo Bond, Berry Gordy, Jr., Melvin Ragin (arranged by Melvin Ragin) | Ruffin, Edwards | 4:12 |
Personnel
[edit]Performers
- Dennis Edwards – vocals (tenor/baritone)
- Melvin Franklin – vocals (bass)
- Eddie Kendricks – vocals (first tenor/falsetto)
- Glenn Leonard – vocals (first tenor/falsetto)
- David Ruffin – vocals (tenor/baritone)
- Richard Street – vocals (tenor/baritone)
- Otis Williams – vocals (second tenor/baritone)
- Rick James – guest vocals, producer
- Mary Jane Girls – background vocals ("Standing on the Top")
Musicians
- Oscar Alston, Freddie Washington, Jervonny Collier, Nathan Watts, Eddie Watkins – bass guitar
- Paulinho da Costa, Gary Coleman, Nathan Hughes – percussion
- Bill Elliott – electric piano, synthesizer
- Kerry Ashby, Rudy Robinson, Erskine Williams, Clarence McDonald – keyboards
- Bobby Nunn, Levi Ruffin – synthesizer
- Ken Hirsch – piano
- Chris Powell – saxophone
- Ken Scott, LaMorris Payne – trumpets
- Benjamin Wright – synthesizer, arranger
- Ndugu Chancler, Ed Greene, Jerry Jones, Lanise Hughes, Quentin Dennard – drums
- Robert Bowles, Bruce Nazarian, Dennis Herring, Louis Russell, Wah Wah Watson, Tom McDermott – guitars
Production
[edit]- Executive Producer: Berry Gordy
- Tracks 3, 7 and 9 produced by Berry Gordy; track 9 co-produced by Melvin Ragin. Recording and mix by Barney Perkins, Bob Robitalle, Bobby Brooks, Fred Law, Glen Jordan, Jane Clark, Russ Terrana.
- Track 1 produced by Rick James. Recording and mix by Tom Flye, Ann Fry and Michael Johnson.
- Track 2 produced by Iris Gordy and Barrett Strong. Recording and mix by Warren Woods.
- Track 4 produced by Ron Miller. Recording and mix by Barney Perkins, Bob Robitalle, Russ Terrana, Fred Law, Kevin Sorrells, Michael Johnson.
- Tracks 5, 6 and 8 produced by Smokey Robinson. Recording and mix by Howard Wolen and Louis Russell.
Charts
[edit]| Year | Album | Chart positions[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 1982 | Reunion | 37 | 2 |
Singles
[edit]| Year | Single | Chart positions[4] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US AC |
UK | ||
| 1982 | "Standing On the Top – Pt. 1" (featuring Rick James) |
66 | 6 | — | 53 |
| "More On the Inside" | — | 82 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
References
[edit]- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/reunion-mw0000118781
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. ISBN 9780743201698.
- ^ "The Temptations – Reunion (1982, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1982.
- ^ a b "The Temptations US albums/singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
