Reunion (The Temptations album)
| Reunion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Temptations | ||||
| Released | April 7, 1982 | |||
| Recorded | 1982 | |||
| Genre | R&B/Funk | |||
| Length | 45:37 | |||
| Label | Gordy | |||
| Producer | Berry Gordy, Rick James, Smokey Robinson, Barrett Strong, Iris Gordy | |||
| The Temptations chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [2] |
Reunion is a 1982 album by The Temptations for Gordy Records. The album was released during the 1982 Temptations Reunion tour, which reunited David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks with the Temptations after a decade-long absence. The album also features then-current Temptations Dennis Edwards, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, and founding members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. Reunion featured the hit single "Standing on the Top", produced by and featuring Motown funk star Rick James, who had previously used the Temptations as the background vocalists for his 1981 hit "Super Freak".
The Reunion tour, which began in April 1982 was only partially successful. Ruffin, a cocaine addict, missed several shows, causing the group to be fined thousands of dollars for each performance he missed, and Eddie Kendricks' falsetto voice had weakened due to constant smoking. Group leader Otis Williams decided that the reunion would not be a permanent thing, and fired Ruffin and Kendricks shortly after Christmas 1982.
Track listing
| Side one | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Standing on the Top" | Rick James | Edwards, Ruffin, Kendricks, Street, Leonard, Franklin, James | 9:48 |
| 2. | "You Better Beware" | Barrett Strong | Ruffin | 5:00 |
| 3. | "Lock It in the Pocket" | Kerry Gordy, Benny Medina | Edwards | 4:30 |
| Side two | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist(s) | Length |
| 4. | "I've Never Been to Me" | Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch | Edwards | 5:57 |
| 5. | "Backstage" | Smokey Robinson | Edwards Street | 4:31 |
| 6. | "More On the Inside" | Robinson | Edwards | 3:49 |
| 7. | "Money's Hard to Get" | K. Gordy, Medina | Edwards | 4:44 |
| CD issue bonus tracks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocalist(s) | Length |
| 8. | "Like a Diamond in the Sky" | Robinson | Edwards | 3:06 |
| 9. | "Don't Hold it In" | Angelo Bond, Berry Gordy, Jr., Melvin Ragin | Ruffin, Edwards | 4:12 |
Personnel
Performers
- Dennis Edwards: vocals
- Melvin Franklin: vocals
- Eddie Kendricks: vocals
- Glenn Leonard: vocals
- David Ruffin: vocals
- Richard Street: vocals
- Otis Williams: vocals
- Rick James: guest vocals, producer
- Mary Jane Girls: background vocals ("Standing on the Top")
Musicians
- Oscar Alston: bass guitar
- Paulinho da Costa: percussion
- Bill Elliott: electric piano, synthesizer
- Clarence McDonald: keyboards
- Bobby Nunn: synthesizer
- Benjamin Wright: synthesizer, arranger
Producers
- Berry Gordy: "Lock It In the Pocket", "Money's Hard to Get", "Don't Hold it In"
- Iris Gordy and Barrett Strong: "You Better Beware"
- Suzee Ikeda and Melvin Ragin: "Don't Hold it In"
- Rick James: "Standing on the Top"
- Ron Miller: "I've Never Been to Me"
- Smokey Robinson: "Backstage", "More on the Inside", "Like a Diamond in the Sky"
Charts
| Year | Album | Chart positions[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| 1982 | Reunion | 37 | 2 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions[3] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US AC |
UK | ||
| 1982 | "Standing On the Top - Pt. 1" (featuring Rick James) |
66 | 6 | — | 53 |
| "More On the Inside" | — | 82 | — | — | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
References
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/reunion-mw0000118781
- ↑
- 1 2 "The Temptations US albums/singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
External links
- Reunion at Discogs
- Reunion at Rate Your Music
