1990 (The Temptations album)

June 2024 June 2025 1990 studio The Temptations Tempts-1990.jpg December 7, 1973 1973 Soul funk psychedelic soul 37:31 Gordy Norman Whitfield The Temptations in Japan 1973 A Song for You 1975 1990 studio Let Your Hair Down November 1973 1990 is a 1973 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label, their final LP written and produced by Norman Whitfield. Music and lyrics The LP was the center of a number of problems. The Temptations were dissatisfied with Whitfield's socially conscious message tracks, which were by now failing commercially, and desired to get back to singing ballads. Whitfield relented some here, placing message tracks such as "1990" and "Ain't No Justice" alongside love songs such as "Heavenly" and "You've Got My Soul on Fire".June 2024 Release and promotion The album's first single, the Rose Royce-backed and Dennis Edwards-led funk track "Let Your Hair Down", was its only Top 40 hit. The ballad "Heavenly", sung by Richard Street and Damon Harris, was caught in the center of a disc jockey boycott against Motown. A Motown executive did not thank the United States' DJs while accepting an award for the Temptations at the 1974 American Music Awards, and, as a result, the DJs refused to play "Heavenly". "You've Got My Soul on Fire", another Edwards-led funk track, also stalled out on the pop charts.June 2024 The Temptations remained dissatisfied with Whitfield's "slave-driver" like production mentality and his tendency to overshadow the Temptations' contributions to their own records by emphasising his production techniques and creating extended instrumental tracks with only a few verses of vocals. Group leader Otis Williams complained to Motown chief Berry Gordy, who replaced Whitfield with Jeffrey Bowen for their next LP, 1975's A Song for You. Whitfield left Motown soon afterward, and started his own label, Whitfield Records, which released several hits from Rose Royce.June 2024 Critical reception AllMusic 3.5 5album r427746 yes Christgau's Record Guide C−Christgau Robert Robert Christgau 1981 Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies Ticknor & Fields 089919026X Consumer Guide '70s: T https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=T&bk=70 March 15, 2019 robertchristgau.com Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "Not only isn't this good Motown, it isn't good Motown psychedelic—except for some sharp strumming on the title track (a half-assed indictment of/tribute to America) it never takes off rhythmically or vocally." Track listing All tracks written by Norman Whitfield. Side one Lead singer(s) Let Your Hair Down 2:40 Dennis Edwards I Need You 3:05 Damon Harris Heavenly 3:57 Richard Street, Harris You've Got My Soul on Fire 3:53 Edwards Ain't No Justice 6:08 Edwards, Street, Melvin Franklin, Harris, Otis Williams Side two Lead singer(s) 1990 4:06 Edwards Zoom 13:42 Edwards, Street, Franklin, Harris, Williams Personnel Dennis Edwards – vocals Damon Harris – vocals Richard Street – vocals Melvin Franklin – vocals Otis Williams – vocals Norman Whitfield – producer The Funk Brothers and Rose Royce – instrumentation Aaron Smith – drums Charts Chart (1973)Peak positionAustralian Albums (Kent Music Report)Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 Kent David Australian Chart Book, St Ives, NSW 1993 0-646-11917-698Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) Timo Pennanen 2006 Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 1st Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava Helsinki 978-951-1-21053-5 263 fi24Germany 25 53740 The Temptations 1990 April 14, 2017Japanese Albums (Oricon)Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 Oricon Entertainment Roppongi, Tokyo 2006 4-87131-077-946Spanish Albums (AFE)Salaverri Fernando Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 1st September 2005 Fundación Autor-SGAE Spain 84-8048-639-213US Billboard 200http://www.billboard.com/artist/1490202/the-temptations/chart?f=305 The Temptations US Chart History Billboard April 14, 201719 References 30em Category:1973 albums Category:Gordy Records albums Category:The Temptations albums Category:Albums produced by Norman Whitfield Category:Psychedelic soul albums