Meet The Temptations and The Temptations Sing Smokey were the first two albums to be released by the Temptations, and were released in April 1964 and February 1965 (both 1965 in the UK). Their first single as the Temptations had come out on Motown's Miracle label in 1961, but their first Top Twenty hit had been seventh single The Way You Do The Things You Do/Just Let Me Know early in 1964, presumably triggering the putting together of Meet The Temptations.

Meet The Temptations was entirely assembled from their previous singles. The earliest included was their second single for Miracle, Check Yourself/Your Wonderful Love back in 1961. Also included is third single Dream Come True/Isn't She Pretty (the first release on the new Gordy label in 1962, and their first minor R&B hit), fourth single Paradise/Slow Down Heart (1963), fifth single I Want A Love I Can See/The Further You Look The Less You See (1963) and sixth single May I Have This Dance?/Farewell My Love (1963). They also had another single out in 1962 under the pseudonym the Pirates, but that was not included.

It served as a good introduction to the band and showed their versatility, featuring lead vocals by either Paul Williams (baritone) or Eddie Kendricks (tenor), and the sublime bass and tenor harmonies of Melvin Franklin, Otis Williams and Elbridge 'Al' Bryant. Brian Holland also adds backing vocals to Check Yourself/Your Wonderful Love. Elbridge Bryant left the band after Christmas 1963 to be replaced by David Ruffin, who can be heard only on The Way You Do The Things You Do, although it is he who got the credits in the original liner notes.

There is a strong doo wop influence on several of these early sides, most of which were produced by Berry Gordy, but when the group were paired up with Smokey Robinson (first on Slow Down Heart in June 1962), considered Motown's hottest songwriter, they began to move forward into the soul ballad and dance sound for which we remember them in the mid-sixties. Smokey was an essential component in this and he produced, wrote or co-wrote three songs on the albums and also co-wrote The Further You Look The Less You See with Norman Whitfield, who produced it (though he was not credited as producer on the original album. Norman Whitfield probably also produced May I Have This Dance? which he co-wrote with Janie Bradford).

Recognizing this, Smokey was assigned as writer and producer for the next Temptations album, the essential classic The Temptations Sing Smokey, and one powerful reason for getting hold of this two-album pairing. Although Smokey Robinson also had his own group, the Miracles, he certainly didn't stint on the material he gave to the Temptations, and this includes of course My Girl, the song for which Smokey, the Temptations and possibly all of Motown is best remembered.

Both Eddie Kendricks and newcomer David Ruffin were ideally suited as vehicles for Smokey's compositional genius: My Girl, follow-up single and big favourite It's Growing and You'll Lose A Precious Love (led by David Ruffin); and The Way You Do The Things You Do and Baby Baby I Need You (led by Eddie Kendricks) all being new Smokey songs. Paul Williams' only lead on this album is on the re-working of Mary Wells' hit You Beat Me To The Punch.

The other songs are Smokey compositions previously known by other artists: Mary Wells' What Love Has Joined Together, and the Miracles' own Who's Lovin' You, What's So Good About Goodbye, Way Over There and its B-side (You Can) Depend On Me, and You've Really Got A Hold On Me (which, amazingly, was another Miracles' B-side). All the originals are unquestionably great, but the more sophisticated production and the Temptations' soaring vocals bring something special and new to each of them.

The addition of David Ruffin to the ranks had provided the missing vocal ingredient preventing greater success and he appears throughout this album, including five vocal leads, the one exception being Baby Baby I Need You. This was recorded in October 1963 when Al Bryant was still in the group.

The Temptations Sing Smokey opened with The Way You Do The Things You Do. Since this was also on Meet The Temptations it obviously did not need to be duplicated, but it is rather misleading for it to have removed from the track-listing of the repro of the album's rear sleeve, though look closely and it is listed on the front cover and mentioned in small print in Berry Gordy's original sleeve notes.

Oddly, the Temptations back catalogue is better represented than that of the Miracles, whose first six albums have either never been on CD, or have been unavailable for a decade or more.

Both albums are presented in pristine stereo mixes and are well mastered. There are no bonus tracks so you will have to look elsewhere for contemporary non-album singles such as Oh, Mother Of Mine/Romance Without Finance (their 1961 debut) and (Talkin' 'Bout) Nobody But My Baby (from 1964, an Eddie Holland/Norman Whitfield song, and the B-side of My Girl). No matter, why gild a lily?

The Temptations formed in 1960, their early line-up being Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin and Elbridge Bryant. David Ruffin replaced Elbridge Bryant in 1964. The albums here are the first two of their illustrious career.

Between 1961 and 1963, the Temptations released five singles in America, these being (in order) Check yourself, Dream come true, Paradise, I want a love I can see and May I have this dance. All of them failed to chart except Dream come true, which nearly made the top twenty of the R+B charts. In 1964, the year in which there were no R+B charts, the Temptations finally broke through with The way you do the things you do (written by Smokey Robinson), which just missed the top ten in the main American pop charts. Actually, I know this song from the classic cover version by Rita Coolidge and it was many years later before I learned that this was a Temptations song.

Both sides of each of those six singles were assembled together as an album, Meet the Temptations, which barely made the American pop album charts, but at least the Temptations were on their way. They then recorded a follow-up album of songs written or co-written by Smokey Robinson, which forms the second half of this twofer, and which was released in 1965. That second album also included The way you do the things you do, but the compilers of this twofer wisely did not include the song twice. (I've seen other twofers, not in this series, where such duplication has been left to stand. It may be technically correct but doesn`t make for great listening.)

Aside from The way you do the things you do, three further American singles were released featuring tracks from their second album. Baby baby I need you was released as the B side of Girl why you wanna make me blue, but the A side, which was a minor hit, isn't on the album. Next came the single that put the Temptations into the big time - My girl. Americans loved the song and it went to number one I n both the pop and R+B charts, but it was only a minor UK hit at the time. In 1992, to coincide with its use in a soundtrack, it was re-issued in the UK and made number two. The B side is not featured on the album. The follow-up to My girl, It's growing, was the last single to be taken from the album. It made the top twenty in the American pop charts and the top three on the R+B charts. The B side, What love has joined together, is also part of the album.

The other songs on the second album include covers by the Temptations of earlier Motown hits, these being What's so good about goodbye (Miracles), You beat me to the punch (Mary Wells) and You've really got a hold on me.

Although the Temptations were only at the beginning of their career, and did not reach their peak until later, these two excellent albums are worthy of a place in any collection of Temptations music.

I had the original mono albums years ago and they disappeared after moving so I kinda forgot what was on these CDs. Let's put it this way, The Temptations are the Temptations. This may not be their best stuff but "Meet the Temptations" shows their growth from a post doo Wopp (God, I hate that term)group to a soul group that was just starting to break out and find "their" sound. "Farewell my love" and "I want a love I can see" show the progression of the group and then to "The way you do the things you do",finding their sound. "The Temptations sing Smokey" covers some of Smokey Robinsons lesser compositions that were previously recorded by other artists. Other than "My Girl" and "You really got a hold on me" (the Miracles) there are no biggies on here but it is interesting to hear the Temps interpretations on them. For the price it is well worth the money. BUY IT.

THIS IS A GREAT CD FROM THE TEMPTATIONS YOU SHOULD GO AND GET THIS ONE

ITS A GREAT CD I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE THIS ONE