Gettin' Ready

The Artist

The Temptations formed in Detroit in the early 1960s and became one of Motown's defining vocal groups, known for sharp choreography, matching suits, and a rare ability to trade lead vocals among several distinctive voices. The classic lineup paired Eddie Kendricks' airy falsetto and David Ruffin's raw, gritty tenor with Otis Williams, Paul Williams, and the deep bass of Melvin Franklin. Early on they were closely tied to Smokey Robinson, whose elegant songwriting gave them their breakthrough. Gettin' Ready arrived in 1966, at the peak of the Ruffin era, and captures the moment the group's sound began tilting from Robinson's sweetness toward Norman Whitfield's harder, more urgent approach.

The Album

Gettin' Ready was recorded at Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit, with the label's house band, the Funk Brothers, laying down the tracks. Production was split mainly between Smokey Robinson and Norman Whitfield, and that division is audible across the record. Motown released it on its Gordy imprint in 1966, built around two major hits, "Get Ready" and "Ain't Too Proud To Beg." Whitfield's single performed so strongly that he soon became the group's primary producer, making this album a quiet turning point. Thematically, it lives in the push and pull of romance: devotion, pleading, heartbreak, and the ache of being alone.

Listen For

Falsetto front and center. On "Get Ready," Eddie Kendricks floats high above the band, giving the song a light, buoyant urgency. Notice how the group's answering vocals keep pulling him back to earth.

The rhythm section takes over. "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" is driven by a hard, insistent backbeat from the Funk Brothers. Listen to how the drums and bass practically shove the vocal forward.

Two producers, two worlds. Play "Get Ready" against "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" back to back. One feels playful and graceful, the other gritty and desperate, a preview of where the group was heading.

The bass voice underneath. Melvin Franklin's low register anchors the harmonies throughout. Try tracking his part alone on a song like "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby."

A thread of loneliness. "Lonely, Lonely Man Am I" and "It's a Lonely World Without Your Love" share a fixation on isolation. Notice how the album keeps circling back to that feeling between its happier moments.