The Temptations – Masterpiece
The Temptations (above), Norman Whitfield in the studio (below)
Listen/Download – The Temptations – Masterpiece
Greetings all.
The middle of the week is here, and despite nagging fatigue, I have returned.
This is no doubt an indicator of advancing age, but whenever daylight savings time comes in, or out, I always get knocked for a loop. Maybe my circadian rhythms are especially delicate (probably the only delicate thing about me), but it takes me a week to get my shit together, i.e. feeling sleepy when I’m supposed to, and not sleepy the rest of the time instead of all bombanootz (my own misspelling of my mother-in-law’s Italian slang, which roughly translates to life akimbo) which is how I feel now.
In spite of that fact, I hunkered down on Monday and got a stack of rekkids digi-ma-tized for the blog, including a couple of hot new finds, one of which I’m itching to drop, but I have to do some more research on it before I do.
The tune I bring you today is yet another mile marker on the long journey that is my Norman Whitfield obsession.
A while back, while digging in what turned out to be a largely non-rewarding location (with a few marked exceptions, including today’s selection), I happened upon the Temptations 1973 LP ‘Masterpiece’.
As soon as I got it home and dropped the needle into the grooves on the title cut, I knew I’d heard the song before, but until I played the whole thing I had no idea what I’d been missing.
As has been said elsewhere, ‘Masterpiece’ marks the onset of an artistic period where the group itself had almost become incidental to Whitfield’s creative process. I’m not sure I’d go quite that far, since Whitfield clearly enjoyed creating music with/for the Temps, but once you give ‘Masterpiece’ (the song) a listen, it becomes clear that at least in this case the group were secondary to the recording.
If the music itself didn’t make this clear, take a look sometime at the back cover of the album where the Temps are dwarfed by a huge, godlike picture of Whitfield’s head, looming over them.
The group isn’t heard from until the four minute mark, and then only sporadically for the next two minutes, after which they disappear into the background again.
What you’re getting is a whole lot (about 13 and a half minutes worth) of Whitfield atmosphere, but what atmosphere it is.
There are dark washes of strings, subtle lead guitar, echoed trumpet (shades of ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’) and electric piano snakes in and out of the arrangement.
The effect is cinematic, without sounding entirely like a blaxploitation soundtrack.
Unfortunately, the divide that came from Whitfield overpowering the group caused the pairing that had made so much great music to split. The Temps did one more LP with Whitfield, after which he left Motown and had success with Rose Royce.
That all said, ‘Masterpiece’ is a very groovy, late-night bit of ‘head’ music and I dig it a lot.
I hope you do too, and I’ll see you all on Friday.
Peace
Larry
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Themocracy
hi larry, good call – i love this album too and late night ‘head’ music is exactly how i like to use it!
peace
duncan
I see many Tempts LPs while digging, and many good ones, but I rarely see this. Will have to pick it up now.
Cracking track sir!
The name Norman Whitfield only really came on to my radar thanks to F16C. Sure, I had heard the Temps before, but I had no appreciation of who or what a producer/composer/arranger was at that point (my tweenager years).
It wasn’t until I stumbled across F16C one fateful day many moons ago, that my mature self was able to fully appreciate ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’ for the work of genius it was.
This is yet further proof that I need to get off my ass and source myself a major Whitfield infusion.
Now there’s a F16C Radio Show I’d like to hear!
Thanks for slapping a great big dollop of goodness all over my so far miserable* week Larry.
I am running out of superlatives with which to tell you how much I dig your site and everything about it!
You put in so much work for our educational/emotional benefit and I just wanna say again how much I appreciate it.
You’re the fucking man, man! 🙂
Stu, Glasgow, Scotland
*’miserable’ is of course hyperbole. It was acceptably dull and undemanding work-wise, with occasional moments of mild excitement home-wise and some truly genius music and a couple of cold ones to come home to. Thank goodness it’s Friday 🙂
Wow, Stu! Thanks very much. I means a lot to me to hear you say that.
Great song! Was this before or after Grover Washington Jr’s amazing instrumental version?
Knowing the Temps/Whitfield connection, I would assume theirs would be the original.
Undisputed Truth (a Whitfield playground band) are my fave band of all time and Whitfield is a GOD.
Nice track Larry, thanks.
Larry, this is my my favorite Temps album, track and Whitfield project. Great choice.
Thanks Michael!