The Temptations are an iconic group from Detroit that always contained a boatload of talent despite extensive personnel changes and dramatic shifts in musical styles over the decades. They began their astounding run up the charts in 1964 when "The Way You Do The Things You Do" reached #11. They scored four #1 hits during their career: "My Girl" (1965), "I Can't Get Next To You" (1969), "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" (1971), and "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (1972). The Temptations are ranked the 16th most successful group of the 60s, 29th for the 70s, and 23rd of all-time. By the end of the 1980s, the wind had run out of their sails, but they scored a big comeback hit in 1991 when they helped Rod Stewart take "The Motown Song" to #10. It would be the final chart appearance of this phenomenal group. "I Want A Love I Can See" comes from their early days when everything they touched turned to gold. This is a little-known gem that evaded the charts.
R. Dean Taylor is a Canadian singer and songwriter known as a one-hit wonder in the US thanks to "Indiana Wants Me," a tune that reached #5 in 1970. He managed a handful of additional chart appearances in the US, but nothing else that cracked the Top 40. While not racking up many of his own hits, he was a force behind some classics from other groups, including "Love Child" by The Supremes and "All I Need" by The Temptations. "There's a Ghost In My House" did well in the UK, but did not chart in the US for some reason.
David Ruffin, brother of Jimmy Ruffin, was one of the lead singers of The Temptations in the 60s until striking out on a solo career at the end of the decade. He wasted no time getting back on the chart with "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)," which soared to #9 in 1969. Ruffin would visit the Top 10 once more in 1976 when "Walk Away From Love" matched his previous entry at #9. Other than that, Ruffin had a lackluster chart career. He enjoyed a bit of a comeback in 1985 when he participated in the "A Nite At The Apollo Live!" medley led by Hall & Oates, which went to #20. "It Takes All Kinds Of People To Make A World" is a forgotten gem from his 1975 album, "Who I Am." Sadly, Ruffin passed away in 1991 at the age of 50 from a drug overdose.
