- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: RHYTHM AND BLUES BAND TEMPTATIONS APPEARS IN CONCERT
- Date: 22nd February 2001
- Summary: (REUTERS -ACCESS ALL) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) OTIS WILLIAMS SAYING "Well I think part and parcel of the key to a great song is one which everyone can identify with, can relate to. Through it all it's very simplistic, even down to the point where a child on the floor playiung with his toys can go "La dee dee dah" because it's a very simplistic melody. So those are the ki
- Embargoed: 9th March 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA50L87VSTREEDWTCX0LMDA8DTY
- Story Text: They provided the soundtrack of the sixties and four decades on they've been awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album. In an effort to unravel the key to their phenomenally enduring success, Reuters met up with the phenomenon that is The Temptations.
There aren't many bands that can enjoy as much popularity today as they did forty years ago, but once again The Temptations have walked away with a Grammy - this time for Best R&B Traditional Vocal album. Not bad considering it was in 1969 that the band got its first Grammy.
The Motown legends penned such classics as "My Girl", "Papa was a Rolling Stone", "Ball of Confusion", "The Way You Do The Things You Do", as well as numerous hits with other motown artists, including Diana Ross and The Supremes.
Otis Williams is the only original member of the band. He says the happy, uplifting mood that their songs evoked was a product of the times: "We did make music that was indicative of the times that we were living in . Like I always said, it's been written that the sixties was the most tumultous decade in the last hundred years, and from that very different ideologies spanned from that, so we did do "The Ball of Confusion" and "Papa was a Rollin' Stone" and "The Message from a Black Man" and "Runaway Child" and "Running Wild" and "Cloud Nine", and it was because of the time we were living in."
They're living in quite a different time now, but their hits from the 60s/70s are still played in countless clubs and disco floors around the world. And now their new tunes are getting quite an audience too, despite every radio station in the States refusing to play them! With the new single "Stay", the Temps - as they fondly refer to themselves - had to send in their single under the name of "Anonymous Motown Artist" as they knew that with their real name, it wouldn't stand a chance: "You know, it's sad to say that a lot of the stations in the States - feel as though once you're past a certain age you're too old, you can't be played on the station which I will forever say is a whole load of bunk because I believe good music should be played regardless how old the artists is and let the fans say they don't want to buy it rather than somebody because they have a certain position feel as though they have the right to not play a certain artist, so it was that reason. Also, to try and ease it on in there and to let it get to what it's got to be, speaking of the single, and then hopefully buy it once... the Temptations? Yeah the record sells so we've got to play it now."
The group faced similar problems when they tried to release a new album in the UK. They had no intention of making a Best Of, but they were told that this was the only way they could release a new album. Good news for their fans who get a double CD - one with all the classics, one with all the new tunes - but bad news for the band to be told that their new material does not stand alone.
But it doesn't phase them. After what Otis Williams has been through... with the sudden departure and then tragic death of David Ruffin from an overdose and loss of Eddie Kendricks due to lung cancer... just keeping the group going, in whatever shape and form, is a source of happiness to him now.
And it's the live performances that are key. Even today, the Temptations are playing to packed venues all over the world - at present they're touring the UK. The question is just how long can it all go on for? "Oh, it's timeless as far as I'm concerned. They always when I say "I'm going to ride the hair off this horse". When I get off the horse it's going to be butt-naked! ---ENDS--- - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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