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The Ultimate Collection: The Temptations | 
| Artist: The Temptations
Label: Universal / Island
Category: Music
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £5.08
You Save: £3.91 (43%)
New (30) Used (8) from £2.52
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 1665
Format: Explicit Lyrics
Media: Audio CD
Running Time: 70
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.5
MPN: 530562
UPC: 731453056220
EAN: 0731453056220
ASIN: B000001AMZ
Release Date: August 10, 1998
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
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| Tracks:
| • | The Way You Do The Things You Do | | • | My Girl | | • | It's Growing | | • | Since I Lost My Baby | | • | Don't Look Back | | • | Get Ready | | • | Ain't Too Proud To Beg | | • | (I Know) I'm Losing You | | • | All I Need | | • | You're My Everything | | • | Angel Doll | | • | I Wish It Would Rain | | • | Cloud Nine | | • | I Can't Get Next To You | | • | Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today) | | • | Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) | | • | Papa Was A Rollin' Stone | | • | Shakey Ground | | • | Treat Her Like A Lady | | • | Error Of Our Ways | | • | My Girl |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
A brave effort at cramming one disc full of Temptations classics, The Ultimate Collection nevertheless makes a couple of puzzling choices. Why, for instance, include "Error of Our Ways", a very minor mid-1990s hit, and ignore "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" or "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)", both number ones from their classic period? Still, for the price, it's hard to argue with. --Rickey Wright
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| Customer Reviews:
Essential Motown! March 14, 2006
10 out of 14 found this review helpful
The Temptations were one of Motowns hottest and most versatile acts. They began their career as The Primes, singing on street corners in the ghetto areas for blacks in Detroit with Diana Ross And The Supremes (then known as their sister group, The Primettes). After signing to Motown in 1961, they took a seperate road from The Supremes and before long, were pumping out to what would amount too, an endless river of classics.
In early 1964, the dynamic David Ruffin took over as lead vocalist of the group and immediatley gave them their own unique, identifiable sound, much in the way that Diana Ross had with The Supremes. Their first major hit would be produced by the genius, Smokey Robinson, who wrote and assembled the fantastic and highly infectious, The Way You Do The Things You Do, which featured a remarkable range of harmonies all blended fantastically well together which gelled neatly into the state-of-the-art soul production.
However catapulting them into wider recognition was their 1965 hit, My Girl, which soon became a chart-topper and one of their most distinguished classics. This was also one of Smokey Robinsons most lyrically and evocative compostions. With its sweeping strings and unforgetable vocal trade-offs on the chrous, this has easily become one of Motowns signature tunes.
They also conveyed their versatality on such lush, romantic ballads that steered narrowly into pop with such offerings as I Wish It Would Rain, Since I Lost My Baby and You're My Everything as well as enjoying a dynamic tour de force with Diana Ross and the Supremes on such fabulous cuts such as I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, which are all included on this superbly compiled collection.
They also made renowned classics such as the jamming, Get Ready and Ain't Too Proud To Beg. The alternating lead vocals between the forceful, aggressive delivery of David Ruffin and the sweet, sensual falsetto of Eddie Kendricks marked an interesting transistion in their work. David Ruffins voice mostly sounded seemingly angst ridden especially on the magnificent, (I Know) I'm Losing You.
Other than Smokey Robinson, a large portion of their work was produced by Norman Whitfield. What Whitfield encapsulated with his work with The Temptations was blending late 60's trends of Pop and Funk into this groups output, giving it a healthy balance and therefore making The Temoptations strong innovators with their music.
In 1968, David Ruffin was eventually fired and after an unsuccesful solo career, got caught up in a hazadous whirlwind of drugs and died in 1991. He was replaced by Dennis Edwards, another forceful and dynamic singer that certainly had all the credibility of David Ruffin as The Temptations continued to pump out hits until the early 70's.
Cloud Nine marked a turning point for The Temptations, becoming one of their own and indeed, Motowns landmark recordings. It introduced an injection of social consciousness into the lyrics and featured a startling psychedelic guirtar riffage amidst the complex musical arrangements.
The Temptations were clearly influenced by the Rock-Soul-Psychedelic phenomenon and much of their output from the late 60's to the early 70's, encapsulted this explosive range of styles on such fantastic recordings as Psychedelic Shack and the compelling masterpiece, Runaway Child, Running Wild.
They scored one of my most favourite classics in 1970 with the rip-roaring, Ball Of Confusion, which offered profound political statements and social commentary. Dennis Edwards voice is just explosive and gives startling ignition to the stark musical arrangements that is broken up by an effective harmonica interlude.
Finally in 1972 they scored their last major hit of their heyday with the compelling, Papa Was A Rolling Stone (another favourite of mine), a triumphant soul masterpiece with its compelling undertones of red hot, pulsating funk. After this their momentum sadly wore thin but this compilation highlights their upmost glory days and they remain significant influences in todays music culture.
One of the great Motown groups March 1, 2003
44 out of 47 found this review helpful
This is not quite the ultimate Temptations collection, but it comes close. You could never fit all their great songs on one CD anyway, but the compilers were clearly determined to include some of their later recordings - the last three tracks on this CD. Angel doll, though recorded in 1967, was not one of their big hits - indeed, it was not even released at the time. The inclusion of these four tracks at the expense of real classics, including Beauty is only skin deep, devalues the title somewhat.Despite the omissions, this is the best single-CD collection of Temptations music currently available and contains many familiar songs. It begins with The way you do the things you do. A big hit in America, it did not chart in Britain. I first came across the song via an excellent cover by Rita Coolidge, but the original version is impressive. Other classic sons here include My girl, Get ready, Ain't too proud to beg, I wish it would rain, Cloud nine, I can't get next to you, Ball of confusion, Just my imagination and Papa was a rolling stone. Anybody seriously interested in sixties music in general and Motown in particular will enjoy the Temptations. Unless you want to go for a double-CD or a boxed set, this is the CD to choose.
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