The Temptations ”Hear To Tempt You”

The Temptations

”Hear To Tempt You”
( LP Atlantic Records, 1977-’78 )
Catalog # SD 19143

Tracklisting:
A1 Think For Yourself (4:55)
Written-By – Allan Felder , Norman Harris , Ron Tyson
A2 In A Lifetime (3:14)
Written-By – Ron Baker , Ron Tyson
A3 Can We Come And Share In Love (6:10)
Written-By – Bruce Gray , T.G. Conway
A4 She’s All I’ve Got (4:52)
Written-By – Ron Baker , Ron Tyson
B1 Snake In The Grass (5:26)
Written-By – Allan Felder , Ron Tyson , T.G. Conway
B2 It’s Time For Love (4:26)
Written-By – Allan Felder , Norman Harris , Ron Tyson
B3 Let’s Live In Peace (4:13)
Written-By – Benjamin Wright , Temptations, The
B4 Read Between The Lines (3:17)
Written-By – Allan Felder , Ron Tyson , T.G. Conway
B5 I Could Never Stop Loving You (3:20)
Written-By – Allan Felder , Norman Harris , Ron Tyson

Personnel & Credits:
Arranged By – Norman Harris (tracks: A1, B5) , Roland Chambers (tracks: B3),
Ron Baker (tracks: A2, A4) , Ron (Have Mercy) Kersey (tracks: B2, B4),
T.G. Conway (tracks: A3, B1)
Artwork By [Art Director] – Bob Defrin
Artwork By [Photography] – Steinbicker/Houghton
Bass – Michael Foreman , Ron Baker
Congas – Larry Washington
Drums – Earl Young , Keith Benson
Engineer – Bobby Warner , Carl Paruolo , Dirk Devlin
Guitar – Bobby Eli , Norman Harris , T.J. Tindall
Keyboards – Bruce Gray , Cotton Kent, Ron (Have Mercy) Kersey, T.G. Conway
Producer – Norman Harris (tracks: A1, A3, B1 to B5) , Ron Baker (tracks: A2, A4)
Strings, Horns – Don Renaldo & His String & Horn Section
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Richard Adderly
Vocals – Glenn Leonard, Louis Price , Melvin Franklin , Otis Williams , Richard Street

Notes:
A Baker-Harris-Young Production
Vocals Recorded at Atlantic Studios, New York
Rhythm, Strings & Horns Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pa.
Mixed at Sigma Sound Studios
Mastered at Frankford/Wayne Recording Labs, Philadelphia
1977 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Format:Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:US
Released:1977

Review:
When The Temptations left Motown in 1977 the group weighed offers from Warner Bros. and Philadelphia International before settling for Atlantic. The album seemed doomed from the start. Temptations lead Dennis Edwards had already left the group and was replaced by Louis Price. This album was released in late 1977 and was a fixture of the cutout bins by the early ’80s. Ron Baker, Norman Harris, and Trammps member Earl Young, collectively known as Baker-Harris-Young, produced this album. They were known for their grittier variant of Philly soul/disco but often they play it too safe here. The fact that The Temptations did their vocals in New York rather than Philadelphia does diminish the Philly credentials a bit. The two singles from the album, “Think For Yourself” and the bittersweet “In a Lifetime,” are the best at mixing The Temptations’ with the Baker-Harris-Young production style. The ballads led by the smooth baritone of Louis Price, “Can We Come and Share in Love” and “Let’s Live in Peace,” also display the rich harmonies in this particular lineup. Unlike other efforts, Hear to Tempt You features all of the members getting a lead vocal. “I Can Never Stop Loving You,” with bass Melvin Franklin, is a melodic ballad that gives Franklin a rare romantic lyric. Hear to Tempt You was released shortly before Baker-Harris-Young began to update their sound. This effort lacks the confidence of late ’70s like-minded albums from The Trammps and Eddie Kendricks. Fans of both The Temptations and the Philly sound may find this an imperfect alliance.
By Jason Elias (AMG)

Pier’s Note:
Disco a cui sono particolarmente affezionato. fa parte dei miei migliori ricordi di quando ero ragazzo…
”Never find another love like yours in the lifetime”…meraviglioso!

By Pier