|
Known for both his years with the Temptations and his major solo hits of the 1970s, Eddie Kendricks was among the many soul legends who did his part to put Motown Records on the map. The expressive vocalist (who often sang in a falsetto) grew up in Birmingham, AL, but it was Motown's original home of Detroit that made him a star. Kendricks was still living in Alabama in the late '50s, when he formed the Primes with Kell Osborne and Temptation-to-be Paul Williams. After moving from Alabama to Detroit, the Primes caught the attention of a Motor City group known as the Distants (whose members included Tempations-to-be Otis Williams, Elbridge Bryant, and Melvin Franklin). The Primes broke up after being together only a few years, and the Temptations (originally known as the Elgins) were formed when, in 1961, members of the Primes and the Distants came together. With a lineup that included former Primes Kendricks and Paul Williams and former Distants Otis Williams (who was unrelated to Paul), Melvin Franklin, and Elbridge Bryant, the Temptations signed with the little-known Motown subsidiary Miracle. The Temptations (who went through many personnel changes over the years) didn't become successful right away, but by the mid-'60s, they had become huge thanks to such smashes as "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and "My Girl."
The Temptations enjoyed one mega-hit after another in the mid-to-late '60s, and they were still tremendously popular when Kendricks left to pursue a solo a career in 1971 (the year he sang lead on their hit "Just My Imagination"). Many Temptations fans questioned the wisdom of Kendricks leaving such a successful group, but Kendricks proved to be quite viable as a solo act thanks to early-'70s singles like "Keep on Truckin'" (a number one R&B hit) and "Boogie Down" (which went to number two on the soul charts). Other noteworthy solo hits followed, including "Shoeshine Boy," "Get the Cream Off the Top," and "Happy" in 1975 and "He's a Friend" in 1976. Most of his solo albums came out on Motown, although Kendricks recorded Something More for Arista in 1979 and Love Keys for Atlantic in 1981. By that time, Kendricks' popularity had decreased considerably. The singer wasn't heard from that much in the 1980s, but he did participate in the Artists United Against Apartheid's Sun City project in 1985 and recorded with another former Temptation, David Ruffin, as a duo for RCA in 1988.
Sadly, the 1990s would see the premature deaths of no less than three former members of the Temptations. First, Ruffin died of a cocaine overdose in 1991, followed by the deaths of Kendricks in 1992 and Melvin Franklin (from a brain seizure) in 1995. (Tragedy was nothing new to Temptations members, for Paul Williams had committed suicide back in 1973). Kendricks was only 52 when he died of lung cancer in his native Birmingham on October 5, 1992. -- Alex Henderson of All Music Guide.
01. Let's Go Back To Day One 02. This Used To Be The Home Of Johnnie Mae 03. I Did It All For You 04. It's So Hard For Me To Say Goodbye |
05. Something's Burning 06. Can I 07. Didn't We |
01. If You Let Me 02. Let Me Run Into Your Lonely Heart 03. Day By Day 04. Girl You Need A Change Of Mind 05. Someday We'll Have A Better World |
06. My People Hold On 07. Date With The Rain 08. Eddie's Love 09. I'm On The Sideline 10. Just Memories |
01. Only Room For Two 02. Darling Come Back Home 03. Each Day I Cry A Little 04. Can't Help What I Am |
05. Keep On Truckin' 06. Any Day Now 07. Not On The Outside |
01. The Thin Man 02. Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need 03. Son Of Sagittarius 04. Boogie Down 05. Hooked On Your Love |
06. Honey Brown 07. You Are The Melody Of My Life 08. Trust Your Heart 09. Girl Of My Dreams 10. Loving You The Second Time Around |
01. Please Don't Go Away 02. One Tear 03. Shoeshine Boy 04. Deep And Quiet Love |
05. Let Yourself Go 06. If 07. If You Think (you can) 08. Time In A Bottle |
01. If Anyone Can 02. Happy 03. Get The Cream Off The Top 04. Body Talk |
05. Fortune Teller 06. Skippin' Work Today 07. You Loved Me Then 08. I've Got To Be |
01. He's A Friend 02. A Part Of Me 03. I Won't Take No 04. Never Gonna Leave You 05. Get It While It's Hot |
06. Chains 07. The Sweeter You Treat Her 08. It's Not What You Got 09. On My Way Home 10. All Of My Love |
01. How's Your Love Life Baby 02. The Best Of Strangers Now 03. Don't Underestimate The Power Of Love 04. Ain't No Smoke Without Fire 05. If It Takes All Night 06. One Of The Poorest People 07. Whip 08. Your Wish Is My Command |
09. Maybe I'm A Fool To Love You 10. Love, Love, Love 11. Pleasure Man 12. I Just Want To Be The One In Your Life 13. Your Love Has Been So Good To Me 14. I Can't Let You Walk Away 15. Something More |
01. Oh I Need Your Loving 02. I'm In Need Of Love 03. I Don't Need Nobody Else 04. The Old Home Town 05. Bernadette |
06. You Can't Stop My Loving 07. Never Alone 08. Hot 09. Looking For Love 10. In Love We're One |
01. Standing On The Top 02. Psychedelic Shack 03. Cloud Nine 04. Ball Of Confusion 05. A Song For You 06. Don't Look Any Further 07. Boogie Down 08. Keep On Truckin' 09. My Whole World Ended |
10. I Wish It Would Rain 11. Get Ready 12. Ain't Too Proud To Beg 13. Papa Was A Rolling Stone 14. Don't Look Back 15. Girl, Why You Wanna Make Me Blue 16. Just My Imagination 17. My Girl 18. The Way You Do The Things You Do |
01. Keep On Truckin' 02. If You Let Me 03. Get The Cream Off The Top 04. Tell Her Love Has Felt The Need 05. Boogie Down 06. Goin' Up In Smoke 07. Shoeshine Boy 08. This Used To Be The Home Of Johnnie Mae |
09. Date With The Rain 10. Darling Come Back Home 11. Girl You Need A Change Of Mind 12. He's A Friend 13. Intimate Friends 14. Skippin' Work Today 15. Get It While It's Hot 16. Can I |