[.ca] Sing Smokey (W/Orig Art)

From Amazon.co.uk:
The Temptations Sing Smokey leans heavily on a great soul- music tradition: the practice of Motown artists' covering each other's hits as album tracks. Not that the Temptations' versions of Smokey Robinson-penned "Miracles" and Mary Wells singles qualify as filler. Hardly, as Eddie Kendricks's falsetto makes a convincing stand-in for Robinson's own remakes of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and "What's So Good About Good Bye". Many of these tracks also underscore the strong doo-wop roots at the core of the Temptations' style, none more so than "Baby, Baby I Need You", which barely bothers to update its 1950s influences for mid-60s ears. This minor gem comes complete with three hit singles in "My Girl", "The Way You Do the Things You Do", and "It's Growing". --Rickey Wright

Amazon.com essential recording:
The Temptations Sing Smokey leans heavily on a great soul-music tradition: the practice of Motown artists' covering each other's hits as album tracks. Not that the Temptations' versions of Smokey Robinson-penned Miracles and Mary Wells singles qualify as filler. Hardly, as Eddie Kendricks's falsetto makes a convincing stand-in for Robinson's on remakes of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and "What's So Good About Good Bye." Many of these tracks also underscore the strong doo-wop roots at the core of the Temptations' style, none more so than "Baby, Baby I Need You," which barely bothers to update its '50s influences for mid-'60s ears. This minor gem comes complete with three hit singles in "My Girl," "The Way You Do the Things You Do," and "It's Growing." --Rickey Wright

Underrated classic:
I heard this at a house party some years ago and recently sent off for it. This is really good stuff. Of course some tunes the Tempts made famous (I won't include "My Girl" as it's overplayed on "oldies" stations) are here, especially the beautiful "It's Growing." But you haven't lived until you hear Paul Williams' heartbreaking lead on "You Beat Me to the Punch" turning this tune from teen pop to a masterpiece. I have only two more words to say about this one-GET IT!

The greatest Motown group sings the greatest Motown author:
Motown Records always had a history of artists covering each other's music. How else would both Gladys Knight & Marvin Gaye turn "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" into their own signature songs? But that method went all the way back to Motown's early beginnings & it's earliest success was on this album. The Temptations were already established stars in 1965, as was Smokey Robinson with his own band, the Miracles. But Smokey was a hugely prolific writer & producer on his own & contributed many songs to Motown's large roster of artists. With the Tempts under his exclusive producership at the time, they decided (or at least Berry Gordy did) to pay tribute to their talented mentor by devoting an entire album to his songs. Thus, we have THE TEMPTATIONS SING SMOKEY. Even while the bulk of Motown's albums were just simply a few good singles with pleasant but inconsequential filler, sometimes an album stood out from the pack & this was one of them. 11 of the 12 songs on SING SMOKEY are new recordings, except for "The Way You Do The Things You Do", which had already appeared on their debut MEET THE TEMPTATIONS (1964). The biggest hit from SING SMOKEY was the immortal "My Girl", which topped both R & B & pop charts & became every bit of a standard. David Ruffin's lead vocal is the perfect one to sing about "sunshine on a cloudy day". Everyone & their brother has covered "My Girl", but in the end, it's the Temptations' original classic that reigns supreme. Most of the songs are ones that Smokey's own Miracles first recorded: "Who's Lovin' You", "What's So Good About Good Bye", "Way Over There", "You Really Got A Hold On Me" & "\oYou Can\c Depend On Me". The Tempts don't exactly usurp these songs from the Miracles, but they turn in great performances that easily hold up on their own. It's on some of the lesser-known tunes that the Tempts manage to make their own. "Baby, Baby I Need You", "What Love Has Joined Together", "It's Growing" (another, albeit smaller, hit single) & "You'll Lose A Precious Love". The only other one the Tempts don't manage to singlehandedly steal is of Mary Wells' classic "You Beat Me To The Punch", for its distinctively Smokey wordplay could have only sounded good coming from the sweet-voiced Ms. Wells. What at the time may have been intended as another ad hoc move on Berry Gordy's part instead turned out to be what is one of the Temptations' best albums in their large catalog. SING SMOKEY showed just how the teaming of the Tempts & Smokey Robinson was a match made in heaven. After Mary Wells left Motown, Smokey didn't have another act to work his magic on besides his own. With the Temptations, he found his mouthpiece for those songs that didn't seem right for the Miracles. While their working relationship would be over within the next year, SING SMOKEY is definitely the best tribute a group could ever make to their mentor.

Smokey's Words & The Temps are a Winning Combo:
it doesn't really get much Better than having Smokey Robinson in His Prime Writting these Classics & Having The Temps Record.The Temps Sound Better than Ever on these Tracks.Together with Smokey they were Unstoppable.very Essential Material here.Classic Motown.

Masters Sing A Master:
Smokey Robinson is a brilliant songwriter and his songs provided many Motown artists with their biggest hits. He gave The Temptations their first big hit "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and their first number one with the ubiquitous "My Girl". Both songs are built around simple riffs and the band's peerless vocals elevate them to their lofty heights. They do a great takes on "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", "Who's Lovin' You" and "You Beat Me To The Punch" and on lesser known songs like "What Love Has Joined Together", "You'll Lose A Precious Love" and "What's So Good About Good Bye".

Flawless:
Well, I've got this album on CD, two stereo vinyl pressings and, most cherished, an original mono vinyl pressing, so I guess I'm qualified for an opinion here. Originally Gordy 912, and released March 22, 1965, it handily went to No. 1 on the R & B album chart. Further, with the exception the group's first, 1970 Christmas LP ("Temptations Christmas Card"), none of the group's albums made between 1965 and 1975 charted lower than number six and, in fact, out of those total 27, seventeen of them went to No. 1. Pretty impressive. The centerpiece of this one is, of course, "My Girl." In the entire catalog of Motown songs, by any writer, is there a more evergreen performance than this? I doubt it; not as long as young men find themselves truly and deeply in love for the first time, and realize that David Ruffin's words are articulating what their very hearts are telling them. One or two generations more, and we shouldn't be surprised if Temptations shoppers are directed to the 'classical' section. Providing a fittingly sumptuous setting for this diamond are two more strong hits, "The Way You Do The Things You Do" & "It's Growing" as well as the trio of "Baby Baby I Need You," "...Joined Together" & "...Precious Love" which were ultimately some of their strongest b-sides. Side 2 of the original LP, with the exception of Mary Wells' "You Beat Me to the Punch," is comprised of songs already well-associated with Smokey and the Miracles first and they suit a Temptations delivery every bit as well. "Who's Lovin' You," in particular, is another of Robinson's most durable numbers, recorded also by the Supremes, Brenda Holloway, and revived in 1969 as the b-side of the Jackson 5's first Motown single. Even the cover is perfect - the classic quintet of group members and Smokey too, lean, muscular and in full bloom and command of their respective musical powers. I think it impossible for music tastes to change so drastically that listeners, for decades to come, will not immediately recognize the majesty of this album.

• Way You Do the Things You Do
• Baby, Baby I Need You
• My Girl
• What Love Has Joined Together
• You'll Lose a Precious Love
• It's Growing
• Who's Lovin' You
• What's So Good About Goodbye?
• You Beat Me to the Punch
• Way Over There
• You've Really Got a Hold on Me
• (You Can) Depend on Me