Temptations

Rating:
Summary: REALITY CHECK!
Review: I found THE TEMPTATIONS a compelling & fascinating read. I'm shocked at some of the catty comments here directed against leader Otis Williams. Clearly they don't understand the business.

Ask yourself, what if you showed up at your job high, drunk, or chronically missed days without notice...how long before you were dismissed? Suppose you owned your own business, built from the ground up by your own sweat & capital. One of your employees is always messing up, then insists HE is the reason for your success, & attempts to blackmail you into changing the name of YOUR company. How long before you fired him?

The answer to both questions is: probably a LOT less time than it took Otis. You have to understand, aside from nice memories "My Girl" & other hits have given you, it's also their JOB, & when your livelihood & ability to feed your family is threatened, you have to make tough decisions.

Instead what strikes me is how many chances Otis gave David Ruffin, or his equally troubled replacements, Dennis Edwards & Ali Woodson, both of whom were in & out of the group often over the years, or how long they carried the ailing Paul Williams, hoping he would pull himself together. Far from ruthlessness, it shows a familial & very human willingness to forgive & offer a fresh start...until they blew it one time too many. I'd be surprised if just a trace of bitterness did NOT creep into his book from time to time.

Even more rediculous was a comment from a reader sarcastically questioning Otis' contributions. Aside from leading the group, as well as writing, arranging & even producing many of their records, here's a partial list of Otis' leads with the Temptations: "Don't Send Me Away" (With A Lot O' Soul); "Darling Stand By Me" (House Party); "Take A Look Around" (Solid Rock); the movingly soulful "I Ain't Got Nothin'" (All Directions); not to mention the famous spoken interlude in "I'm Going To Make You Love Me," & his flawless baritone & tenor harmonies in the group sound.

Far from pompous, cocky, or disillusioned, here is a man who really WAS the glue that kept it together, through highs & lows that include dozens of Top 40 hits, Grammy awards, sold-out concerts, as well as selfish, egomaniacal & self-destructive bandmates -- & the death of his closest friend in the band, Melvin Franklin -- & continued to do so for over 41 years; a remarkable achievement by any standards. Otis Williams is a real pro, a class act, & The Temptations are truly The Emperors of Soul!

Rating:
Summary: I Can't Totally Get Next To This
Review: I am a big fan of the Temptations, both past and current, and I'm proud to see their legacy still carried on. However, after I saw the Temptations movie, I was left with a sour taste for it's surviving member, Otis Williams. I brought this book to see if my hunches were valid, and I am afraid they are. Mr. Williams comes across very pompus,cocky,and disillusioned at times, and I did not particulary appreciate the picture he painted of the late, great Temps, like David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks.
I was equally mortified when he implied that Dennis Edwards was not worthy of induction into the rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Was it not "Cloud Nine" and "Papa was a Rolling Stone" that garnered the group its first Grammy awards?
One must ask, other than being an original member, what did he really contribute? Reading this book, one get's the picture, which he tried very hard to paint, that he was the glue that kept the group together. However,I see the contradiction. listening to him gloat, at times, of how the He and The Temptations virtually put other groups to shame with their live performances, I have to ask, "And what song do you sing lead on? co-lead? If his one-liner in "Can't Get Next To You" (I can make the seasons change, just by waving my hand) is any indication of what he had to offer, it was best that he presumed his prized position in the group- background singer/dancer.

It was sad to read about the death of his son. However, he did not nearly go in depth about the emotional guilt he may have experienced. One get's the impression that the group name and legacy is his life and everything else is secondary. Though I must admit, he looks good for his age and I'm happy he is still around to spread the Temptation legacy, it is also sad to see a 60+ male with nothing else apparently going for him outside of his "celebrity", and I use the term loosely.

Rating:
Summary: There are more stories that need to be told
Review: I have been a fan of the Temptations for years, but I have to admit that my loyalty is really to the classic lineup that made the Tempts a household name: Eddie Kendrick, David Ruffin, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin and Otis Williams. Not to slight the other singers who have been a part of the group, but these guys always have been my favorites.

Otis Williams' book, TEMPTATIONS, is an interesting read, but really left me wanting to know what the other side of the coin was like. Even though Otis had his own view of what happened with the group (and I'm not implying that he wasn't entitled to that), the trouble is he attempts to belittle the other members by constantly pointing out their faults and ignoring his to the degree that we should have to call him Saint. To me, he painted David, Eddie and Paul, the stars of the group, as talented men but troubled individuals. That may have been true, but for every complimentary thing Otis would say about them, he'd follow it with something negative. I noticed that he did the same thing with certain members of the group that followed after the originals left as well. That mini-series that aired about four years ago that was based on this book only backed up his so-called belief that "No man is bigger than the group" (which was supposedly also Berry Gordy's belief) and made him to look like the sane hero in a world filled with people running amok. Also Otis talked too much about his romantic relationships with certain women...other than his first marriage, I didn't see the need for it to be mentioned. If it didn't have anything to do with the rise of the group, then why bother?

This is the Temptations' story through the eyes of Otis Williams, the remaining original group member who seems to revel in that distinction. But I feel that there were other stories that have yet to be told. Unfortunately Ruffin, Kendrick, Franklin and Paul Williams are no longer here to tell their side, but I feel someone will be able to write a truly unbiased story about this legendary group one day. But I still do recommend this. At the time it was written, Ruffin and Kendrick were still alive, and I wish we could've known what their opinions were of this book, and how they felt about it.

Rating:
Summary: More Tempting Than Before!!
Review: I purchased "Temptations" by Otis Williams and Patricia Romanowski when the book was first released back in 1988. I loved it because finally the tale of one of my favorite musical groups had been told. Then, in 1998, I saw the miniseries based on the book that I had read back in 1988. Now, if you want to know the real story, you have to read the book. The miniseries does give you the bases of the story, but the books gives you all of the story. I recently purchased the updated version of the book with the addition of Chapter 10. FOLKS, stop paying those outlandish prices for the 1988 version, and get the updated version. It has the entire book, plus the addition of a new chapter. Thank you Otis for giving us the last 14 years of the Temptations' story in the new updated version. It made me sad and happy all in those pages of Chapter 10. Now, if in the next 14 years you decide to add a Chapter 11, I am there.Haha! I recommend the updated version to everyone out there who wants to know the story. GOD bless you, Otis Williams.

Rating:
Summary: TEMPTATIONS, UPDATED 2002 written by Otis Williams
Review: IT's HERE! IT'S AFFORDABLE ! What you always wanted to KNOW about the TEMPTATIONS is available for you to read and you will LOVE it. YOU saw the TEMPTATION mini-series and you were mesmerized. YOU went to buy the 1988 hardcover book written by Otis Williams with Patricia Romanowski and it was out of print and very expensive. BUT NOW YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT!!

This book is an honest heartfelt story of what it was like for OTIS to be the founder of the group and keep it going strong 41 years later. The mini-series was written by SCREEN WRITERS whose goal was to keep the action flowing, so be prepared for how the book is a different read and Otis truthfully explains his decisions and does NOT attempt to present himself as a saint. It flows in the telling with how the CLASSIC Temptations, Paul, Eddie, David, Melvin and Otis got started and became super stars. Paul was the architect for the group with the blueprint for the Temptations, 5 classy men with superb HARMONY AND CHOREOGRAPHY. OTIS over saw the CONSTRUCTION of the group as he STILL does today. In this updated book you will read about how PAUL, DAVID, EDDIE,and MELVIN struggled so hard before they passed on;you will know about their funerals, so have your tissues ready. But you will come away with love for them ALL and appreciation for them working so hard for the music they have left to us. OTIS still performs with the current Temptations RON, BO, HARRY and TERRY who are written about at the end of the book and all I can say is PLEASE go to a TEMPTATION concert in 2002 and see how this group has carried on the LEGACY. Thanks to OTIS WILLIAMS' inner strength and tenacity, we have TEMPTATIONS FOREVER.

Rating:
Summary: Temptations Revised
Review: I have had the pleasure of reading other works by this author but I feel he has just outdone himself with this book along with Patricia Romanowski..
I laughed, I cried and I felt the emotions he felt as he wrote the book. The one thing I enjoyed the most about Otis' writings is he keeps it real, he's not afraid to talk about the bad times along with the good. He gives his readers a different perspective of what show business is about without all the glamour and glory and gives the readers a feeling of being there....
Mr. Williams is an inspiring writer and I strongly suggest this book to everyone who enjoys reading about the Temptations....

Rating:
Summary: Temptations Revised Edition
Review: I have had the pleasure of reading other books written and published by Mr. Otis Williams, he truly writes from the heart and keeps it real... Not many authors would tell the whole story behind the scenes without all the glitter and glamour but Otis has a way of grasping his audiences attention and keeping it...
I purchased my book a few weeks ago and the first thing I did was turn to chapter 10. I laughed, I cried and really enjoyed every minute of his story....
If you enjoy reading about the Temptations I strongly suggest this book for you and give it a five star salute!!

Rating:
Summary: Love those Temps
Review: I have always been a die-hard Tempts fan. When I got engaged in 19--, My friends said, "You're getting married?!!! I thought you were waiting for Eddie"
When the book came out in the mid eighties, a friend lent it to me for the weekend. I read that book while playing and listening to my Tempts album. Now I'm working on replacing all my albums with CD. But I won't give up my albums. I found the book on the clearance table of a local bookstore a year after it came out and I bought it [...]. I lent it out once after the movie came out and the guy did not give it back to me for 6 months. Now, I guard that book with my life. The book is good, but the movie really gives you a different perspective. My daugthers who were 15 and 17 when the movie came out used to wake up to "Oh Mother of Mine".
They love the movie and they love their 5 CD set called "Emperors of Soul". I had to threaten them to make them bring one of my CD's back home from school. If you love the Tempts, you'll enjoy the book as well as the movie. They both brought back so many wonderful memories for me: youth, innocence, first love, carefree days, family gatherings etc. If you loved the Tempts or Motown music, read the book and see the movie.

Rating:
Summary: temptations by otis williams
Review: as i was personally associated with all of the original temptations ( elbridge excluded, however ), either initially just watching their rehearsals ( because my sister was dating one of the guitarists who played for the cavaliers and then later the posse )or later when i had the opportunity to do studio vocals ( demo tracks ) for david, then eddie, subsequent to their departure from the temptations, and then perform with them sporadically, in their various configurations - i was a tad disappointed in the ( by comparison ) rather negative characterizations of david and eddie by the author. my friends/colleagues who were in their presence jokingly ( but seriously ) quip that the only thing the author didn't attribute to himself( and melvin ) was a HALO! although it was written from the author's perspective and perhaps he truly perceives what he wrote was, in fact, reality, i assure you ( and MANY others will corroborate ), it is quite skewed in a multiplicity of areas ( specifically, the " choir boy " lifestyle the author attributed to himself. but, on balance, i do appreciate the author sharing the details of his growing up, the relationship with his father and other facts of his growing up which i'm certain, influenced his belief and subsequent behaviors. for "entertainment value ", i give it 4 stars, for accuracy, 2, at best....

Rating:
Summary: A MUST READ IF YOU'RE A TEMPTATION FAN
Review: After seeing the movie I knew I had to read the book. After finally getting the book and reading it, I came away wishing one thing that the book was longer. It was so good. It is a must read if you're into the Temptations. The book has plenty of pictures and it is just plain good. I kept the book so long that when I finally took it back I had to pay almost the price of the book. If I could have given it 10 stars I would have. For anyone looking for it, go to the library. Sometimes they only have reference copies, so sit down and read it there. You won't regret it.