The Temptations, Paradise" c/w "Slow Down Heart," Gordy 7010 (rel. 10/1962)
Welcome to a new week! With hope eternal that it won't be soo brutal or annoying, we kick Monday off with The Temptations' second single for Gordy Records. They'd had releases on Motown's short-lived Miracle imprint (its crappy styrene pressings might have inspired the slogan "it's a miracle if it plays!"), plus one on another lesser subsidiary, Mel-O-Dy, where, as The Pirates, they attempted to poach a hit from Detroit rivals Fortune Records. Their cover version of "Mind Over Matter," one of Fortune's biggest hits, didn't succeed, but the A-side of this single shows evidence that Berry Gordy still wanted to settle some score with Devora and Jack Brown, who ran the ramshackle label from a concrete building with a dirt floor.
"Paradise" is nothing less than a sideways re-write of another Fortune smash, "Village of Love" by Nathaniel Mayer and The Fabulous Twilights. This aggressive move tarnished the record, but as an example of the shark-tank that was the music biz, it's fascinating. It was a comedown from the exquisite "Dream Come True," the group's Gordy Records debut. (Apologies for the near-unreadable record labels. Silver print on vibrant dark color never works, and this obvious conclusion didn't occur to many record companies of the day. Add a little rubwear to these labels and you often have no clue what record it is!)
Berry Gordy penned "Paradise" in defiant imitation of "Village of Love," which he could better, fidelity-wise; his equipment was up-to-date and always in a state of upgrade. The Temptations could sing anything and make it sound good, and there are enough vocal and lyrical hooks to sorta-kinda smooth over the obvious similarities. Check out 1:07 to 1:26; it's proof that no one at Motown need resort to such chicancery. That "Paradise" ends up being an appealing song speaks to the high quality of Motown at this time.
"Paradise" is nothing less than a sideways re-write of another Fortune smash, "Village of Love" by Nathaniel Mayer and The Fabulous Twilights. This aggressive move tarnished the record, but as an example of the shark-tank that was the music biz, it's fascinating. It was a comedown from the exquisite "Dream Come True," the group's Gordy Records debut. (Apologies for the near-unreadable record labels. Silver print on vibrant dark color never works, and this obvious conclusion didn't occur to many record companies of the day. Add a little rubwear to these labels and you often have no clue what record it is!)
Berry Gordy penned "Paradise" in defiant imitation of "Village of Love," which he could better, fidelity-wise; his equipment was up-to-date and always in a state of upgrade. The Temptations could sing anything and make it sound good, and there are enough vocal and lyrical hooks to sorta-kinda smooth over the obvious similarities. Check out 1:07 to 1:26; it's proof that no one at Motown need resort to such chicancery. That "Paradise" ends up being an appealing song speaks to the high quality of Motown at this time.
Cash Box, it seems, was willing to look the other way as an act of blatant plagiarism occurred. The B-side atones for the appealing-but-appalling rip-off A-side.
"Slow Down Heart," written by William "Smokey" Robinson, is more like it. It's set to that eerie Latin-ish beat that was a Motown staple in the first half of the 1960s. This was Robinson's first effort for the group and forecast a sublime collaboration that would birth some of the best Motown records of the '60s. Paul Williams contributes a rare lead vocal, and his raspy, world-weary tone is just right for this melange of emotion, need and an attempt at self-control in the face of a lovestruck ticker.
The arrangement is over-busy; that in-yo'-face drum could be dialed back a good bit, and the flute, though an exotic touch, is almost too much in a crowded soundscape. It remains the best side of this second single and both songs found their way onto the group's debut LP, issued in 1964, by which time they might have sounded a bit dated; musical styles changed by the day in the 1960s and few took time to slow down and examine what had happened a month or a year ago. We have the benefit of many decades and can see the virtues and flaws. The genuine, heartfelt effort of The Temptations is winning and this is an early delight in their catalog.
The arrangement is over-busy; that in-yo'-face drum could be dialed back a good bit, and the flute, though an exotic touch, is almost too much in a crowded soundscape. It remains the best side of this second single and both songs found their way onto the group's debut LP, issued in 1964, by which time they might have sounded a bit dated; musical styles changed by the day in the 1960s and few took time to slow down and examine what had happened a month or a year ago. We have the benefit of many decades and can see the virtues and flaws. The genuine, heartfelt effort of The Temptations is winning and this is an early delight in their catalog.
Tomorrow: another one-record-wonder: teen co-ed group The Andantés deliver a delirious, haunting one-shot slice of teen eeriness; recorded by Downey Records, released by Dot a month after I was born (May 1963)!
'My heart started pounding like at the mallet of a judge.' Yikes! Awkward lyric alert! Otherwise, "Slow Down Heart" is a nice bossa nova-y song. I think you're right about the drum—not sure if it fits on that recording. I'm always amazed at Cash Box's 'kids will go for this' claim–these songs sound more sophisticated and adult-oriented
ReplyDelete