Stepped in for Paul when he was ill, on quite a few occasions. Paul would be on visible on stage, but his mic was dead and Richard was singing from behind the curtain.
He was a true professional, but there was nothing unique about his talented singing. David, Eddie, Ali-Ollie, all had distinctive voices....one KNEW it was them when they sang. Richard, not so much.
About the time of this video, I picked up one of the Temps in my taxi and took him to a rehearsal where he comped me two tickets to a sold out performance that night in Denver. My girlfriend was impressed and we enjoyed a performance by living legends. These guys seemed to have much gratitude for their success.
People kill me saying " This is not the original". So what? They did damn good. Of course the original was the original, but damn!! This is still great!!
King Mellowman KingMellow11 it’s a moment in time for The Temps in 1979. The guys were working hard, having fun, making money, and their act was great!
@@elginjones5686 Lol you do realize Ruffin wasn't a og member of the Temptations either right? You do realize Street was actually with the group before Kendricks or Ruffin?
Yes, I worked on this show. I supervised the post-production, edited the montages before each group, and produced the show in STEREO for Bob Williams. Doing it in stereo was rare since there was NO stereo TV to speak of at the time. HBO thought I was nuts and didn't want to make it in stereo but I pushed it through. The company I worked for owned Sunwest. Online video was at Compact Video. We did the post-production audio at Sunwest Recording Studios, which used to be at Sunset Blvd and Western. Phil Seretti did the magnificent mix. The guy I talked to the most in the Temps was Melvin, great guy. These guys were total pros. We had to pre-record the orchestra because we were so far behind schedule and shooting with a live audience. The Temps went on at about 2am and sang live to the pre-recorded orchestra --- playing their charts. They were TIGHT. Frank Kapp was the contractor and there were a lot of top of the line studio musicians playing that night. I remember Don Randi, but I can't remember anyone else.
The Tempations are my all time favorite group. I had the pleasure of working with them, As well as getting be to hang out with them in the dressing rooms, Between shows to get to know them better. They really were grate guys. And grate performers as well. I learned so much from them. Thanks, Temps. Lance Bruce.
tbh the temps was all around no matter the year they were incredible n no matter the singers the sound had the base foundation of amazing n all the singers were just angels sent from above too good
Glenn was fierce. One Heck of a Tenor. Smooth like Room Temperature Butter on Hot Toast on my song "Just My Imagination". Richard was also very Smooth. Very good singer. Louis may not have lasted long, but he was very soulful. Very good voice.
artyd I Respect your comment/ opinion. My use of the word “nice,” is not to downplay Glenn’s skills. I’m a youngster, so my usage may not have come across clear in the textual world. Nice per the urban dictionary = “An adjective used to describe someone with exceptional skill in a certain area. The term is never used pejoratively or sarcastically.”
Something must have been wacky on a personal level because vocally and in terms of his stage performance he was spot-on. IMO Damon Harris was only ever Eddie-Lite
@@teddyj.3198 the disrespect Glen is trash on any song Eddie sang.same go for anyone singing after David Paul and Denis.the only one who came close to Eddie was Damon Harris.and it's still far.i am only 21.
@@teddyj.3198 what kind of drugs are you on.glen is a great singer but Eddie made all those songs he sang his own.The only replacement worthy is Damon Harris.nuff said.
It isn't fair to compare this line up with the original . Melvin is there so is Otis Williams. No one on earth can replace the magic of the original line up. Melvin and Otis wouldn't let any of the replacements on that stage if they weren't on top of their game. Just to be a replacement is an honor above no other. They are beyond category.
I met Melvin in Lemon Grove CA I think around 1960.... at the Optimum Health Institute. This place is for R&R and detox mental, physical, spiritual,....... and we weren't allowed to ask or tell anybody about whatever health challenges we had going on. Melvin and I bonded. I just loved the man. I had no idea he was a singer.... let alone a Temptation. But just from "who" he was and his speaking voice I remember telling him that when he talked it was as if gold was pouring out --- as if God was pouring out. His wife Kimberly ( I believe) arrived for a visit, I met her briefly but unfortunately turned down the invitation to go back to their place and hang out. I had a crush on some crazy guy.... and lost out on more quality time with Melvin. In that short time I'd felt I met a best friend....get tears now that he passed so early... grateful for the brief friendship and connection. I wish his wife and 6 children all the best!!
@@kafesociety1759 That was a TYPO! I think it was in the late 80's or 90's... I went to OHI every year for 23 years in a row- I know it was one of the later years but can't remember. ): .
@Chris Warren wow I didn't know that I thought he sang with Otis and Melvin when they were the Distants then left to have his own lil group THE MONOTONES.
The 'Atlantic' line up. Louis Price had an unusual voice for the position he filled with a Billy Paul like sound. I noticed Melvin was not in his usual place here. Looking into his history I read that he had received gun shot wounds in 1978 during a robbery. I wonder if this is why he didn't take part in the more physical routines. He was still giving it a good go though.
I agree Eddie, Glen, Damon were great but there was two guys from Miami one who's name was Al Washington sound like those three , but his voice was much stronger, and a Bass singer Named Amos Davis better known as TREE , WHO'S BASS WAS MUCH DEEPER , but no other group was like my boys, THE TEMPTATIONS THE GREATEST GROUP EVER.... AND I'LL JUST DROP THE MIC....
Chris Warren After making that statement a year ago and no one has replied.Eddie Kendricks is the epitomy of what a fallseto should be.Him and Smokey are the best.The Louis price era was sad.Only the era when Bruce can compare.Here they did a Temptation performance in Bareback. Otherwise they we're bland.The Tempts are my favorite musical entity and I expect nothing but perfection. This wasn't.TEMPTATUONS FOREVER!
DeeNice681 got that right... anytime you find a live version of that song it's better than the album version... although the album version is great in its own right!!
Not many want to give Glenn Leonard props but they ALL say "Turn it up" when Silent Night comes on......and O Holy Nite is even better....but old school fans remember I'm On Fire the body song
The temptations sang there hearts out and greatest soul golden R&B soul classic they will live decades threw young and old and forever and ever and never go away I wish I can turn the clock around and just be there while they sing,gone to soon left us one of the greatest masters pieces in world, may they rips
@Chris Warren Yes he was. But they were nowhere when he showed up...had no definitive sound, no hits. They were just another one of many nameless and faceless groups singing in the clubs and dives of Detroit, and around Michigan and Ohio, trying to make it. That's because they had not reached their best until Ruff became the lead singer. By Otis' personal account, they came off the road and learned that My Girl was their very first big hit. Elbridge Bryant was long gone and forgotten by that time. At that point the Classic Five was born, and the rest is history! Elbridge Bryant never was the powerful lead voice that David Ruffin was...Period! Not really sure of what songs he may have actually lead. The leads went mostly to Eddie and Paul. Eddie's falsetto during Bryant's tenure with the group was raw and unrefined, like Paul's tenor and baritone. Their lead voices had yet to develop into what they would ultimately become. Otis was never a lead singer. His strength has always been in anchoring the smooth sweet harmonies of the other three voices. When it all came together, it was the magic of THE Classic Five, that will forever identify THE Temptations...Ruff, E.K. Paul, Blue, and of course Otis. 🎤👓🎩👞 🎤🎩👞🎤🎩👞🎤🎩👞🎤🎩👞
Fantastic vocal group, never mind who's in the line up or who's the original ,THE TEMPTATIONS always on key and this vocal group was something else, And further more no ex members of THE TEMPTATIONS name's was every bigger than THE TEMPTATIONS THE BLACKSTONES
This line-up did an admirable job! Glenn Carl Leonard was greatly underrated, he was a strong 1st tenor. If there's a "weak-link" in this line-up it would be Louis Price. He was decent, but to come behind David Ruffin & Dennis Edwards...still fine job.
Richard quit before the Temps formed. He was with Otis Willam and the Distance, but dropped. When the Temps formed, he was the lead singer for the Monitors, and a A&R at Motown.
Thanks Michael for posting. I remember this lineup. Melvin Franklin was one of the top bass singers in singing groups back in the day. You probably got to talk to the fellas? I know Otis in his book seems like he did not care for Glenn. Who Knows? 4evertemps
Glenn had the prettiest first tenor voice of all of all the first tenors in temps history. All you have to do is listen to him. Eddie and damon didnt have nothing on him
This may be a bit of a reach, but I feel like more Tempts deserve to go in the Hall of Fame as Tempts. I can understand doing the six they did (Melvin, Otis, Paul, Eddie, David, and Dennis). I can understand them going in first. But sometime after that, they could've put others in. My picks to go in just based off how they performed onstage and on certain hits would be Richard Street, Ali Woodson, Damon Harris, Glen Leonard (that's not Eddie or Damon you sing along to on "Silent Night") and Ron Tyson. And I'm not familiar with Al Bryant's work but he was an original member so maybe he deserves to go in too, if anything just to recognize him as an original.
Actually Al Bryant is a Original Temp (Otis, Melvin, Paul, Eddie, and Al). But the lineup that everybody knows and the most famous Line-up is the Classic 5 Line-up (Otis, Melvin, Paul, Eddie, and David - David Replaced Al).
Absolutely fantastic Michael! Completely loved it! I got to see the latest line-up on April 3rd of this year, and took a bit of video, although nothing elaborate. But still an impressive show, and incredible voices. Enjoyed seeing Otis in this... time is strange! Thanks for sharing!!!!
I think it's funny though we feel perfectly obliged to pick apart, examine, and critique every little thing these guys are doing. They are obviously master artists in their craft and a whole lot of talent and hard work went into what they do. I don't see a lot of people arguing about who is better between Picasso, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and guys like that. They mostly just enjoy and appreciate their work. People don't even seem to be terribly critical of the Beatles, and they didn't do a lot of things particularly well. Why do we constantly compare these guys to whoever else instead of just appreciating their artistry? These constant comparisons and all of this critiquing doesn't make much sense to me. These guys are good. That's all I see. Very good show.
