Song #290 - "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" - The Temptations

Recorded - May 15 & June 14, 22 and 28, 1972

Released - July 27, 1972 (album), September 28, 1972, (single)

#1 for week of December 2, 1972. 

     Isn't it amazing just how much a group's sound can change when a key member leaves the group? Now, try having two key members depart, and you've got The Temptations circa late 1971. Eddie Kendricks' instantly recognizable falsetto voice had helped "Just My Imagination" top the pop charts in '71. Now that voice was moving on to a solo career. Paul Williams' smokey baritone voice would never be heard from again. He left the Temptations due to health problems. Sadly, in 1973, he took his own life. 

     Since David Ruffin was already long out of the group, this left just two classic Temptations members in the lineup: Bass singer Melvin Franklin and "Tenor in the middle" Otis Williams. One could easily come to the assumption that the Temptations were a group, in name only. Me? I consider this to be just another phase in their career. 

     "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" was one of the last Temptations songs written by the Whitfield/Strong songwriting team. By this point in their career, tensions were arising between Whitfield and some of the Temptations members. Of course, as Fleetwood Mac's Rumors has taught us, sometimes high tension produces great results. 

     Just going to show how advanced the productions were getting for Temptations music, the album version of "Papa..." is over twelve minutes long! Even the single version is a lengthy seven minutes. The instrumentation includes funky guitar lines, reverb-filled trumpets, a heartbeat-like bassline, and some tension-filled strings. If you are listening to the single version, it takes a whopping two minutes for the vocals to come in. Of course, with a music track this rich, I'm not complaining!

     Dennis Edwards, Richard Street (the new baritone, who was originally in an early lineup of the Temptations), Damon Harris (the new falsetto vocalist), and Melvin Franklin, all alternate lead vocals on the song. Of particular note is the opening verse sung by Edwards about "The Third of September...the day my daddy died". Dennis' father had died on the "Third" of a month, and he was quite livid about singing such a touchy line. If you listen to the recording, his voice sounds genuinely anguished, and now you know why!

     After the smash success of "Papa...", the Temptations streak of hit singles began to wane. Aside from a reunion album in 1982 with all the surviving members, the success of the group has since been limited. The 1990's saw the deaths of David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, and Melvin Franklin. Only Otis Williams remains both alive and as an original Temptation. Since the current lineup of the group has resorted to such lowsy modern production "Techniques" such as Auto-Tune, one can further argue that the group is a pale imitation of a once magnificent vocal group. 

Final Verdict - "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" is a drastic departure from the formerly upbeat-sounding quintet. I applaud the song for featuring a mesmerizing music track, and superb emotional vocals. On the other hand, if you give me a choice of which era of the Temptations I enjoy most, I'll still choose the classic 1964-1968 period. Nonetheless, "Papa..." is a funky classic that remains a highly enjoyable listen. 

Coming Up Next - "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy. 

Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I'm a rollin' stone -