Who Wrote Most of the Songs That Were Performed by The Temptations During Their Heyday with Motown Records? Did Any Members Play Instruments or Contribute to Writing at All?
During their heyday with Motown Records, The Temptations performed some of the most iconic songs of the era. But who was responsible for writing these timeless hits?
Primary Songwriters
The vast majority of the songs performed by The Temptations were written by the legendary songwriting duo of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Whitfield was the primary songwriter, penning many of the group's biggest hits, including "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone," "Cloud Nine," and "Just My Imagination." Strong, meanwhile, contributed to several early hits, such as "The Way You Do the Things You Do" and "My Girl."
Occasional Member Contributions
While Whitfield and Strong were the primary songwriters, some of The Temptations members occasionally contributed to the writing process. Otis Williams, the group's lead singer, co-wrote "Don't Look Back" and "I Can't Get Next to You." David Ruffin also penned a few songs, including "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" and "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep."
Instrumental Contributions
As for playing instruments, most of The Temptations members did not play any instruments on their recordings. However, Melvin Franklin, the group's bass singer, did play bass guitar on some tracks.
FAQs
- Who wrote most of the songs performed by The Temptations during their heyday with Motown Records? Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
- Did any members of The Temptations play instruments? Yes, Melvin Franklin played bass guitar on some tracks.
- Who wrote "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"? Norman Whitfield
- Who co-wrote "I Can't Get Next to You"? Otis Williams
- Who penned "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep"? David Ruffin
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