Temptations discography

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This is a listing of all of the singles and albums released by Motown singing group The Temptations. Thirty-seven of their singles reached the Billboard Top 40 in the US; four of them reached #1. On the R&B singles chart, the group scored a record seventy-one Top 40 singles on the R&B singles chart; fourteen of the singles reached #1.

Contents

[edit] Singles

[edit] Otis Williams & The Siberians

  • 1958: "Pecos Kid"

[edit] The Distants

  • 1959: "Come On" (with The Andantes) (Northern Records)
  • 1960: "Open Your Heart" (Northern Records)

[edit] The Temptations

[edit] 1960s Motown releases

The following singles were released on Motown's Gordy label except for the following: "Oh Mother of Mine" and "Check Yourself" were released on Miracle, "Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)" was released on Mel-o-dy, and the three American-issued Supremes/Temptations duets were released on Motown. "I Second That Emotion" was released only in the United Kingdom on Tamla-Motown. Lead vocalists are identified for each of the following singles.

Year Song title Lead Vocal US chart US R&B chart UK chart
1961 "Oh Mother of Mine" Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks
1961 "Check Yourself" Paul Williams, Otis Williams, and Melvin Franklin
1962 "Dream Come True" Eddie Kendricks 22
1962 "Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)"
(credited as The Pirates)		 Eddie Kendricks
1962 "Paradise" Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin 122
1963 "I Want A Love I Can See" Paul Williams
1963 "Farewell My Love" Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Eddie Kendricks
1964 "The Way You Do The Things You Do" Eddie Kendricks 11 1*
1964 "I'll Be in Trouble" Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin 33 22*
1964 "The Girl's Alright with Me"
(b-side of "I'll Be In Trouble" )		 Eddie Kendricks 102 39*
1964 "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" Eddie Kendricks 26 11*
1964 "My Girl" David Ruffin 1 1 43
1965 "It's Growing"
(additional background vocals by The Andantes)		 David Ruffin 18 3 45
1965 "Since I Lost My Baby" David Ruffin 17 4
1965 "You've Got to Earn It"
(b-side of "Since I Lost My Baby")		 Eddie Kendricks 123 22
1965 "My Baby" David Ruffin 13 4
1965 "Don’t Look Back"
(b-side of "My Baby")		 Paul Williams 83 15
1966 "Get Ready" Eddie Kendricks 29 1 10
1966 "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" David Ruffin 13 1 21
1966 "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" David Ruffin 3 1 18
1966 "(I Know) I'm Losing You" David Ruffin 8 1 19
1967 "All I Need" David Ruffin 8 2
1967 "You're My Everything" Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin 6 3 26
1967 "I've Been Good To You""
(b-side of "You're My Everything")		 Eddie Kendricks 124
1967 "(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need" David Ruffin 14 3
1968 "I Wish It Would Rain" David Ruffin 4 1 45
1968 "I Truly, Truly Believe"
(b-side of "I Wish It Would Rain")		 Melvin Franklin 116 41
1968 "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" David Ruffin 13 1 47
1968 "Please Return Your Love To Me" Eddie Kendricks 26 4
1969 "Cloud Nine" Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams,
Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin		 6 2 15
1968 "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams
1968 "Silent Night"
(b-side of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer")		 Eddie Kendricks
1969 "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
(Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations)		 Diana Ross and Eddie Kendricks
(Spoken interlude by Otis Williams)		 2 2 3
1969 "Runaway Child, Running Wild" Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams,
Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin		 6 1
1969 "I'll Try Something New"
(Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations)		 Diana Ross, Eddie Kendricks, and Melvin Franklin 25 8
1969 "Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down" Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams,
Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin		 20 2
1969 "I Second That Emotion"
(Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations)		 Diana Ross and Eddie Kendricks 18
1969 "I Can't Get Next to You" Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams,
Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin		 1 1 13
1969 "The Weight"
(Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations)		 Diana Ross, Eddie Kendricks, and Paul Williams 46 4

(*) Denotes information derived from the Cashbox R&B chart, as there was no Billboard Billboard R&B Singles Chart from November 1963 to January 1965. When the Billboard R&B singles chart was reinstated on January 30, 1965, The Temptations' "My Girl" was the first #1 hit on the new chart.

[edit] 1970s Motown releases

The following singles were released on Motown's Gordy label except for "Why (Must We Fall in Love)" and "Law of the Land", released on Tamla-Motown in the United Kingdom. Lead vocalists are identified for each of the following singles.

Year Song title Lead Vocal US chart US R&B chart UK chart
1970 "Psychedelic Shack" Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams,
Eddie Kendricks, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franklin		 7 2 33
1970 "Why (Must We Fall in Love)"
(Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations)		 Diana Ross and Eddie Kendricks 31
1970 "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" Dennis Edwards, Paul Williams,
Eddie Kendricks, and Melvin Franklin		 3 2 7
1970 "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)" Dennis Edwards and Melvin Franklin 33 8
1970 "Hum Along and Dance"
(b-side of "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)")		 Dennis Edwards, Eddie Kendricks,
Otis Williams, and Melvin Franklin
1971 "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams 1 1 8
1971 "It's Summer" Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, and Melvin Franklin 51 29
1971 "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)" Dennis Edwards, Richard Street,
Damon Harris, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franlkin		 18 8 32
1972 "Take a Look Around" Dennis Edwards, Richard Street,
Damon Harris, and Otis Williams		 30 10 13
1972 "Mother Nature" Dennis Edwards 92 27
1972 "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On"
(b-side of "Mother Nature")		 Dennis Edwards, Richard Street,
Damon Harris, Otis Williams,
and Melvin Franlkin		 27
1972 "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" Dennis Edwards, Richard Street,
Damon Harris, and Melvin Franlkin		 1 5 14
1973 "Masterpiece" Dennis Edwards, Richard Street,
Damon Harris, and Melvin Franlkin
(Spoken introduction by Otis Williams)		 7 1
1973 "Plastic Man Dennis Edwards, Richard Street,
Damon Harris, and Melvin Franlkin		 40 8
1973 "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)" Richard Street 35 2
1973 "Law of the Land"
 Dennis Edwards, Richard Street,
and Damon Harris		 41
1973 "Let Your Hair Down"
(instrumentation by Rose Royce)		 Dennis Edwards 27 1
1975 "Heavenly" Richard Street and Damon Harris 43 8
1974 "You've Got My Soul on Fire" Dennis Edwards 74 8
1974 "Happy People"
(instrumentation by "The Temptations Band": The Commodores)		 Dennis Edwards 40 1
1975 "Shakey Ground"
(instrumentation by The Eddie Hazel Band)		 Dennis Edwards 26 1
1975 "Glasshouse" Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, and Richard Street 37 9
1976 "Keep Holdin' On" Dennis Edwards 54 3
1976 "Up The Creek (Without A Paddle)" Dennis Edwards 94 21
1976 "Who Are You (and What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life)" Dennis Edwards 22

[edit] Atlantic Records releases

The following four singles were released by Atlantic Records.

Year Song title Lead vocal US R&B chart
1977 "In a Lifetime" Glenn Leonard 21
1978 "Think for Yourself" Glenn Leonard 58
1978 "Bare Back" Richard Street and Glenn Leonard 42
1978 "Ever Ready Love" Gleen Leonard 31

[edit] Motown releases

The Temptations return to Motown and the Gordy label.

Year Song title Lead vocal US pop chart US R&B chart UK pop chart
1980 "Power" Dennis Edwards, Glenn Leonard, Melvin Franklin & Richard Street 43 11 -
1980 "Struck By Lightning Twice" Dennis Edwards - 55 -
1980 "Take Me Away" Dennis Edwards & Richard Street - 69 -
1981 "Aiming At Your Heart" Richard Street and Glenn Leonard 67 36 -
1981 "Oh What a Night" Glenn Leonard 104 - -
1982 "Standing On The Top - Pt. 1"
(featuring Rick James)		 Dennis Edwards, David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks 66 6 53
1982 "More On The Inside" Dennis Edwards - 82 -
1983 "Love On My Mind Tonight" Dennis Edwards" 88 17 -
1983 "Miss Busy Body (Get Your Body Busy)" Dennis Edwards - 67 -
1983 "Sail Away" Richard Street & Ron Tyson 54 13 -
1984 "Treat Her Like a Lady" Ali-Ollie Woodson 48 2 12
1985 "My Love is True (Truly for You)" Ron Tyson - 14 84
1985 "How Can You Say That It's Over" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 81 -
1985 "Do You Really Love Your Baby" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 14 88
1986 "Touch Me" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 63 -
1986 "A Fine Mess" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 63 -
1986 "My Girl" (re-issue) David Ruffin - - 92
1986 "I'm Fascinated" Ali-Ollie Woodson - - 84
1986 "Lady Soul" Ali-Ollie Woodson 47 4 -
1986 "To Be Continued..." Ali-Ollie Woodson - 25 -
1987 "Someone" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 45 -

The Gordy label is absorbed into the main Motown label.

Year Song title Lead vocal US pop chart US R&B chart UK pop chart
1987 "I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now" Dennis Edwards - 3 90
1987 "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" (re-issue) Dennis Edwards, Richard Street, Melvin Franklin and Damon Harris - - 31
1987 "Look What You Started" Dennis Edwards - 8 63
1988 "Do You Wanna Go With Me" Dennis Edwards - 53 -
1989 "All I Want From You" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 16 71
1989 "Special" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 10 -
1990 "Soul to Soul" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 12 -
1991 "The Motown Song"
(Rod Stewart ft. the Temptations; issued on Warner Bros)		 Rod Stewart and Ali-Ollie Woodson 10 - -
1991 "The Jones" Otis Williams, Ron Tyson and Ali-Ollie Woodson - 41 69
1992 "My Girl" (re-issue) David Ruffin - - 2
1992 "Hoops of Fire" Ali-Ollie Woodson and Richard Street - 68 -
1994 "Error of Our Ways" Ali-Ollie Woodson - 86 -

The following album cuts all charted, but were not available as commercially issued singles.

Year Song title Lead vocal US R&B chart
1995 "Silent Night" Melvin Franklin, Dennis Edwards and Glenn Leonard 16
1998 "Stay" Theo Peoples, Terry Weeks and Ron Tyson 28
1999 "This Is My Promise" Theo Peoples 54
1999 "How Could He Hurt You" Barrington "Bo" Henderson 57
2000 "I'm Here" Terry Weeks 40

[edit] Albums

[edit] Motown releases

All Temptations albums until 1977 were released on the Gordy label except for the four Supremes/Temptations collaborative albums, which were released on Motown..

[edit] Atlantic Records releases

The following two albums were released by Atlantic Records.

  • 1978: Bare Back
  • 1978: Hear To Tempt You

[edit] Motown releases

The Temptations return to Motown and the Gordy label.

  • 1980: Power
  • 1980: Give Love At Christmas
  • 1981: The Temptations
  • 1982: Reunion
  • 1983: Surface Thrills
  • 1983: Back To Basics
  • 1984: Truly for You
  • 1985: Touch Me
  • 1986: To Be Continued

The Gordy label is absorbed into the main Motown label.

[edit] New Door release

[edit] Compilations

All Motown releases