Gettin' Ready

Gettin' Ready is a 1966 album by The Temptations for the (Motown) label. It marks the transition of the group from having Smokey Robinson as its main producer, with new producer Norman Whitfield taking over Robinson's position. Two #1 R&B hit singles, one from each producer, are included: "Get Ready" from Robinson with Eddie Kendricks on lead, and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" from Whitfield with David Ruffin on lead. Also included is the original version of "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby", which would be rerecorded as a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1969.

Track listing

Superscripts denote lead singers for each track: (a) David Ruffin, (b) Eddie Kendricks, (c) Paul Williams, (d) Melvin Franklin

Side one

1. "Say You" (Charles Jones, Robert Dobyne, Robert Staunton) * ^{a, d}
2. "Little Miss Sweetness" (Smokey Robinson) ^a
3. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (Edward Holland, Jr., Norman Whitfield) ^a
4. "Get Ready" (Robinson) ^{b, d}
5. "Lonely, Lonely Man Am I" (Holland, Eddie Kendricks, Whitfield) ^{c, d}
6. "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" (Janie Bradford, Barrett Strong, Whitfield) ^b

Side two

1. "I've Been Good to You" (Robinson) ^{b, d}
2. "It's a Lonely World Without Your Love" (Ivy Jo Hunter, William "Mickey" Stevenson) ^b
3. "Fading Away" (Warren Moore, Robinson, Robert Rogers) ^b
4. "Who You Gonna Run To" (Robinson) ^c
5. "You're Not an Ordinary Girl" (Moore, Robinson, Rogers, Marv Tarplin, Ronald White) ^b
6. "Not Now (I'll Tell You Later)" (Robinson, Otis Williams)*** ^{b, d}

1998 CD reissue bonus tracks

1. "Give It Up" ** ^c
2. "The Man Who Don't Believe In Love", ** ^c

(*) in mono (**) bonus tracks for compact disc re-release, unreleased tracks dating from the Elbridge Bryant era of the early 1960s. (***) Recorded in 1963 during the Elbridge Bryant era with The Supremes as background vocals.

Personnel

• David Ruffin: vocals (side one, tracks 1–5 on side two))
• Eddie Kendricks: vocals
• Paul Williams: vocals
• Melvin Franklin: vocals
• Otis Williams: vocals
• Elbridge "Al" Bryant: vocals (track 6 on side two, CD version bonus tracks)
• The Supremes: background vocals ("Not Now, I'll Tell You Later")
• The Funk Brothers: instrumentation (tracks 2 through 6 on side one, side two)

Producers

• Smokey Robinson: "Little Miss Sweetness", "Get Ready", "I've Been Good to You", "Fading Away", "Who You Gonna Run Two", "You're Not an Ordinary Girl", "Not Now, I'll Tell You Later", Executive Producer (Album)
• Norman Whitfield: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Lonely, Lonely Man Am I", "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby", Executive Producer (Album)
• Robert Staunton & Robert Walker, producers: "Say You"
• William "Mickey" Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter: "It's A Lonely World Without Your Love"
• Sylvester Potts (of The Contours) : "Give It Up"
• Marv Johnson: "The Man Who Didn't Believe in Love"

Chart and singles history