TCB (TV program)

TCB was a 1968 television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter–Ed Friendly Productions (of Laugh-In fame). The special was a musical revue starring Motown's two most popular groups at the time, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Containing a combination of showtunes, specially prepared numbers, and popular Motown hits, the special was taped before a live studio audience in September 1968 and originally broadcast December 9, 1968 on NBC, sponsored by the Timex watch corporation. The title of the program uses a then-popular acronym, "TCB", which stands for "Taking Care of Business".

Among the program's highlights were Diana Ross' "Afro Vogue" solo spot, Paul Williams' emotionally charged rendition of "For Once in My Life," a cover by both groups of the Aretha Franklin version of Otis Redding's "Respect," and then-new Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards' lead performance on "(I Know) I'm Losing You," a song considered a signature for his predecessor, David Ruffin.

A soundtrack album, TCB – The Original Cast Soundtrack was released a week before the special aired on December 9 and reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 albums chart.

Cast

• Diana Ross & the Supremes:
  • Diana Ross
  • Mary Wilson
  • Cindy Birdsong
• The Temptations:
  • Dennis Edwards
  • Eddie Kendricks
  • Paul Williams
  • Melvin Franklin
  • Otis Williams

Program

1. "TCB"
2. "Stop! In the Name of Love"
3. Introduction of Diana Ross & the Supremes
4. "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
5. Introduction of the Temptations
6. "Get Ready"
7. Introduction of Diana Ross
8. "The Way You Do the Things You Do"
9. Medley:
   1. "A Taste of Honey"
   2. "Eleanor Rigby"
   3. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose"
   4. "Mrs. Robinson"
10. Medley:
    1. "Respect"
    2. "Reflections"
    3. "Afro-Vogue"
    4. "Somewhere"
    5. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
11. Introduction of the Temptations
12. "Hello, Young Lovers"
13. "For Once in My Life"
14. "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
15. "With a Song in My Heart"/"Without a Song"
16. Medley:
    1. "Come See About Me"
    2. "My World Is Empty Without You"
    3. "Baby Love"
17. "I Hear a Symphony"
18. "The Impossible Dream"

Tracklist for the TCB soundtrack

Lead vocalists on each track are identified by superscripts: (a) Diana Ross, (b) Dennis Edwards, (c) Eddie Kendricks, (d) Paul Williams, (e) Temptations ensemble

Side one

1. "TCB" (Bill Angelos, Buz Kohan) – 2:55 ^{a, e}
2. "Stop! In the Name of Love" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 1:12 ^a
3. Introduction of Diana Ross & the Supremes – 0:55
4. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 1:48 ^a
5. Introduction of the Temptations/"Get Ready" (Smokey Robinson) – 2:34 ^{a, c}
6. Introduction of Diana Ross/"The Way You Do the Things You Do" (Robinson, Robert Rogers) – 3:23 ^{b, a, c}
7. Medley – 5:15
   1. "A Taste of Honey" (Bobby Scot, Ric Marlow) ^c
   2. "Eleanor Rigby" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) ^a
   3. "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) ^a
   4. "Mrs. Robinson" (Paul Simon) ^{a, e}
8. "Respect" (Otis Redding) – 2:37 ^{d, a}
9. "Somewhere" (Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim) – 3:07 ^a

Side two

1. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (Norman Whitfield, Edward Holland, Jr.) – 2:05 ^b
2. Introduction of the Temptations – 0:45
3. "Hello, Young Lovers" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 2:17 ^e
4. "For Once in My Life" (Ron Miller, Orlando Muller) – 3:43 ^d
5. "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (Whitfield, E. Holland) – 3:07 ^b
6. "With a Song in My Heart/Without a Song" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Vincent Youmans, Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose) – 3:00 ^a
7. Medley (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 2:20 ^a
   1. "Come See About Me"
   2. "My World Is Empty Without You"
   3. "Baby Love"
8. "I Hear a Symphony" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 2:47 ^a
9. "The Impossible Dream" (Joe Darion, Mitch Leigh) – 3:10 ^{a, d}

Chart history