Emperors of Soul

Emperors of Soul
Box set by The Temptations
Released September 20, 1994
Recorded 1959 - 1994
Genre Doo wop/soul/psychedelic soul/funk/pop/R&B
Length 385:36
Label Motown
Producer Various
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Emperors of Soul is a 1994 box set compilation for The Temptations, released by Motown Records. The five-disc collection covers the Temptations' entire four-decade history, from the first recording of The Distants in 1959 ("Come On") to four new recordings by the then-current Temptations lineup of Ali-Ollie Woodson, Theo Peoples, Ron Tyson, and stalwart members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin.

The first two discs and the first half of the third disc collect the original mono versions of the Temptations' most popular singles, including "My Girl", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", and "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)", and several b-sides, album tracks, and unreleased songs. The rest of the set continues on through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s with later hits, album tracks, and unreleased songs.

Track listing

* - previously unreleased
** - mono 45 single, with stereo LP intro added to beginning
*** - newly recorded song

Disc 1: Early years

All tracks in mono.

  1. "Come On" (by Otis Williams & the Distants)
  2. "Oh, Mother of Mine"
  3. "Romance Without Finance"
  4. "Check Yourself"
  5. "Dream Come True"
  6. "Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)" (credited as "The Pirates")
  7. "I'll Love You 'Til I Die" (credited as "The Pirates")
  8. "Paradise"
  9. "Slow Down Heart"
  10. "I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To"
  11. "Witchcraft (For Your Love)" *
  12. "I Want A Love I Can See"
  13. "The Further You Look, The Less You See"
  14. "Farewell My Love"
  15. "A Tear From A Woman's Eyes"
  16. "The Way You Do the Things You Do"
  17. "I'll Be in Trouble"
  18. "The Girl's Alright With Me"
  19. "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)"
  20. "Baby, Baby I Need You"
  21. "My Girl"
  22. "(Talking 'Bout) Nobody But My Baby"
  23. "It's Growing"
  24. "You'll Lose A Precious Love"
  25. "Since I Lost My Baby"
  26. "You've Got To Earn It"
  27. "My Baby"
  28. "Don't Look Back"

Disc 2: "Classic-5" years

All tracks in mono unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Get Ready"
  2. "Fading Away"
  3. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
  4. "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby"
  5. "Who You Gonna Run To"
  6. "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep"
  7. "I Got Heaven Right Here On Earth" *
  8. "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
  9. "All I Need"
  10. "Sorry Is A Sorry Word"
  11. "I'm Doing It All"*
  12. "No More Water In The Well"
  13. "You're My Everything"
  14. "Just One Last Look"
  15. "Angel Doll"*
  16. "(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need"
  17. "Don't Send Me Away"
  18. "Hello Young Lovers"
  19. "Ol' Man River" [Alternate Version]*
  20. "I Wish It Would Rain"
  21. "I Truly, Truly Believe"
  22. "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)"
  23. "Please Return Your Love To Me"
  24. "How Can I Forget"
  25. "For Once in My Life" (live from TCB) (stereo)
  26. "My Girl" [Acapella] (bonus track)

Disc 3: "Psychedelic soul" years

All tracks in stereo unless otherwise noted.

  1. "Cloud Nine" (mono)
  2. "Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go)" (mono)
  3. "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations)
  4. "I'll Try Something New" (Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations) (mono)
  5. "Runaway Child, Running Wild" (single edit) (mono)
  6. "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down" (mono)
  7. "I Can't Get Next to You" (mono)
  8. "Message From A Black Man"
  9. "War"
  10. "Psychedelic Shack" **
  11. "Hum Along and Dance"
  12. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" (mono)
  13. "Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)" (mono)
  14. "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" (mono)
  15. "Take a Look Around"
  16. "It's Summer"
  17. "Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)"
  18. "I Ain't Got Nothin'"
  19. "Mother Nature"
  20. "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (single edit)

Disc 4: Funk/disco years

All songs in stereo.

  1. "Masterpiece" (single edit)
  2. "Plastic Man" (single edit)
  3. "Hey Girl" (I Like Your Style)
  4. "Law Of The Land" [Alternate Mix] *
  5. "Let Your Hair Down"
  6. "Heavenly"
  7. "You've Got My Soul on Fire"
  8. "Happy People"
  9. "Shakey Ground"
  10. "Glasshouse"
  11. "A Song for You"
  12. "Memories"
  13. "Keep Holdin' On"
  14. "Darling, Stand By Me (Song For My Woman)"
  15. "Who Are You" (original title: "Who Are You (and What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life)")
  16. "In a Lifetime"
  17. "Power"
  18. "Isn't the Night Fantastic"
  19. "Aiming at Your Heart"

Disc 5: 1980s and 1990s

All songs in stereo.

  1. "Standing On The Top" [Pt. 1]
  2. "Sail Away"
  3. "Treat Her Like A Lady"
  4. "My Love Is True (Truly For You)"
  5. "Do You Really Love Your Baby"
  6. "Magic"
  7. "Lady Soul"
  8. "I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now"
  9. "Look What You Started"
  10. "Soul To Soul"
  11. "Special"
  12. "My Kind Of Woman" *
  13. "Hoops Of Fire"
  14. "Error Of Our Ways" ***
  15. "Givin' U The Best" ***
  16. "Elevator Eyes" ***
  17. "Blueprint For Love" ***

Personnel

Disc One

Disc Two

Disc Three

Disc Four

Disc Five

References

  1. ↑ Planer, Lindsay. "Emperors of Soul - The Temptations". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 March 2012.