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1994 box set compilation by The Temptations
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[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.
"Come On" (by Otis Williams & the Distants) (
Otis Williams ,
Johnnie Mae Matthews , J. Bennett)
"
Oh, Mother of Mine " (
Mickey Stevenson ,
Otis Williams )
"Romance Without Finance" (Stevenson,
Eddie Kendricks )
"
Check Yourself " (
Berry Gordy , Elbridge Bryant,
Melvin Franklin , Williams)
"
Dream Come True " (Gordy)
"Mind Over Matter (I'm Gonna Make You Mine)" (credited as "The Pirates") (
Devora Brown )
"I'll Love You 'Til I Die" (credited as "The Pirates") (
Clarence Paul )
"
Paradise " (Gordy)
"Slow Down Heart" (
Smokey Robinson )
"
I Couldn't Cry If I Wanted To " (
Norman Whitfield ,
Eddie Holland )
"Witchcraft (For Your Love)" (Stevenson, Robert Hamilton)*
"
I Want A Love I Can See " (Robinson)
"The Further You Look, The Less You See" (Robinson,
Norman Whitfield )
"
Farewell My Love " (Gordy)
"
A Tear From A Woman's Eyes " (
Brian Holland ,
Lamont Dozier ,
Eddie Holland )
"
The Way You Do the Things You Do " (Robinson,
Bobby Rogers )
"
I'll Be in Trouble " (Robinson)
"
The Girl's Alright With Me " (Whitfield, Kendricks, Holland)
"
Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue) " (Whitfield, Holland)
"
Baby, Baby I Need You " (Robinson)
"
My Girl " (Robinson,
Ronnie White )
"(Talking 'Bout) Nobody But My Baby" (Whitfield, Holland)
"
It's Growing " (Robinson,
Pete Moore )
"You'll Lose A Precious Love" (Robinson)
"
Since I Lost My Baby " (Robinson, Moore)
"
You've Got To Earn It " (Robinson,
Cornelius Grant )
"
My Baby " (Robinson, Moore, Rogers)
"
Don't Look Back " (Robinson, White)
Disc 2: "Classic-5" years
All tracks in mono unless otherwise noted.
"
Get Ready " (Robinson)
"
Fading Away " (Robinson, Moore, Rogers)
"
Ain't Too Proud to Beg " (Whitfield, Holland)
"
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby " (Whitfield,
Barrett Strong ,
Janie Bradford )
"Who You Gonna Run To" (Robinson)
"
Beauty Is Only Skin Deep " (Whitfield, Holland)
"I Got Heaven Right Here On Earth"* (Kendricks, Whitfield, Holland)
"
(I Know) I'm Losing You " (Grant, Whitfield, Holland)
"
All I Need " (
Frank Wilson , Holland,
R. Dean Taylor )
"Sorry Is A Sorry Word" (Holland,
Ivy Jo Hunter )
"I'm Doing It All"* (Robinson, Grant)
"No More Water In The Well" (Robinson, Moore, Rogers)
"
You're My Everything " (Grant, Whitfield,
Roger Penzabene )
"
Just One Last Look " (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
"Angel Doll"* (
Stevie Wonder ,
Clarence Paul , Morris Broadnax)
"
(Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need " (Whitfield, Holland)
"Don't Send Me Away" (Kendricks, Robinson)
"Hello Young Lovers" (
Richard Rodgers ,
Oscar Hammerstein II )
"
Ol' Man River " [Alternate Version]* (
Jerome Kern , Hammerstein II)
"
I Wish It Would Rain " (Whitfield, Strong, Penzabene)
"I Truly, Truly Believe" (George Gordy, Margaret Gordy, Allen Story)
"
I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) " (Whitfield, Strong, Penzabene)
"
Please Return Your Love To Me " (Whitfield, Strong, Barbara Neely)
"How Can I Forget" (Whitfield, Strong)
"For Once in My Life" (live from
TCB ) (stereo) (
Ron Miller , Orlando Murden)
"
My Girl " [Acapella] (bonus track) (Robinson, White)
Disc 3: "Psychedelic soul" years
All tracks in stereo unless otherwise noted.
"
Cloud Nine " (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go)" (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me " (
Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations) (
Kenny Gamble ,
Leon Huff , Jerry Ross)
"I'll Try Something New" (
Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations) (mono) (Robinson)
"
Runaway Child, Running Wild " (single edit) (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down" (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"
I Can't Get Next to You " (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"Message From A Black Man" (Whitfield, Strong)
"
War " (Whitfield, Strong)
"
Psychedelic Shack " ** (Whitfield, Strong)
"
Hum Along and Dance " (Whitfield, Strong)
"
Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today) " (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite The World)" (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"
Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) " (mono) (Whitfield, Strong)
"Take a Look Around" (Whitfield, Strong)
"It's Summer" (Whitfield, Strong)
"
Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are) " (Whitfield, Strong)
"I Ain't Got Nothin'" (C. Maurice King, Evans King)
"
Mother Nature " (
Dino Fekaris , Nick Zesses)
"
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone " (single edit) (Whitfield, Strong)
Disc 4: Funk/disco years
All songs in stereo.
"
Masterpiece " (single edit) (Whitfield)
"Plastic Man" (single edit) (Whitfield)
"Hey Girl" (I Like Your Style) (Whitfield)
"Law Of The Land" [Alternate Mix] * (Whitfield)
"Let Your Hair Down" (Whitfield)
"Heavenly" (Whitfield)
"You've Got My Soul on Fire" (Whitfield)
"Happy People" (
Lionel Richie ,
Jeffrey Bowen , Donald Baldwin)
"Shakey Ground" (
Eddie Hazel ,
Al Boyd , Bowen)
"Glasshouse" (Charlemagne)
"
A Song for You " (
Leon Russell )
"Memories" (Baldwin, Bowen,
Kathy Wakefield )
"Keep Holdin' On" (
Brian Holland ,
Eddie Holland )
"Darling, Stand By Me (Song For My Woman)" (
Dennis Edwards ,
Richard Street , Franklin, Williams)
"Who Are You" (original title: "Who Are You (and What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life)")
"In a Lifetime" (
Ron Tyson , Ron Baker)
"Power" (Gordy, Angelo Bond, Jean Mayer)
"Isn't the Night Fantastic" (Franklin, Edwards, Street, Williams,
Glenn Leonard )
"Aiming at Your Heart" (Charles B. Simmons, Richard Roebuck, Joseph B. Jefferson)
Disc 5: 1980s and 1990s
All songs in stereo.
"Standing On The Top" [Pt. 1] (
Rick James )
"Sail Away"
"Treat Her Like A Lady" (
Ali-Ollie Woodson , Williams)
"My Love Is True (Truly For You)"
"Do You Really Love Your Baby"
"Magic"
"Lady Soul" (
Mark Holden )
"I Wonder Who She's Seeing Now"
"Look What You Started"
"Soul To Soul"
"Special"
"My Kind Of Woman" *
"Hoops Of Fire"
"Error Of Our Ways" ***
"Givin' U The Best" ***
"Elevator Eyes" ***
"Blueprint For Love" ***
Personnel
Disc One
Originally recorded between 1959 and 1965
Lead and background vocals:
Paul Williams ,
Eddie Kendricks ,
David Ruffin , Elbridge "Al" Bryant,
Melvin Franklin ,
Otis Williams
Lead vocals on "Come On":
Richard Street
Additional background vocals on "Come On": James "Pee-Wee" Crawford.
Additional background vocals on "Come On" and "It's Growing":
The Andantes
Producers:
Johnnie Mae Matthews , Morty Craft,
Andre Williams ,
William "Mickey" Stevenson ,
Berry Gordy ,
Smokey Robinson ,
Clarence Paul ,
Norman Whitfield , and
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Instrumentation:
The Funk Brothers
Disc Two
Originally recorded between 1965 and 1968; bonus track recorded in 1964
Lead and background vocals by
David Ruffin ,
Eddie Kendricks ,
Paul Williams ,
Melvin Franklin , and
Otis Williams
Producers:
Norman Whitfield ,
Smokey Robinson ,
Frank Wilson ,
Holland-Dozier-Holland ,
Clarence Paul ,
Jeffrey Bowen , and
Ivy Jo Hunter
Instrumentation:
The Funk Brothers and L.A. session artists
Aaron Smith : Drums
Disc Three
Disc Four
Originally recorded between 1972 and 1982
Lead and background vocals by
Dennis Edwards ,
Richard Street ,
Damon Harris ,
Glenn Leonard ,
Louis Price ,
Melvin Franklin , and
Otis Williams
Producers:
Norman Whitfield ,
Jeffrey Bowen ,
Berry Gordy , and
James Anthony Carmichael
Instrumentation:
The Funk Brothers ,
The Commodores ,
Rose Royce , and L.A. session artists
Disc Five
Originally recorded between 1982 and 1994
Lead and background vocals by
Dennis Edwards ,
Ali-Ollie Woodson ,
Richard Street ,
Glenn Leonard ,
Ron Tyson ,
Theo Peoples ,
Melvin Franklin , and
Otis Williams
Additional leads and background vocals on "Standing on the Top":
Eddie Kendricks ,
David Ruffin ,
Rick James , and the
Mary Jane Girls
Guest rap on "My Kind of Woman" by
Ice-T
Producers:
Rick James ("Standing on the Top"),
Berry Gordy ,
Thom Bell ,
Norman Whitfield ("Sail Away"),
Ali-Ollie Woodson , and
Otis Williams
Instrumentation:
Earl Van Dyke ,
Ali-Ollie Woodson ,
Norman Whitfield , and L.A. and Philadelphia session musicians.
References
Studio albums Cover albums Live albums Other albums Compilations Singles(US/UK Top 10) Related