Reunion (The Temptations album)

1982 studio album by The Temptations

Reunion

Studio album by

The Temptations

Released| April 7, 1982
Recorded| 1982
Genre| R&B, Soul, Funk
Length| 45:37
Label| Gordy
Producer| Berry Gordy, Rick James, Smokey Robinson, Barrett Strong, Iris Gordy
The Temptations chronology
| The Temptations
(1981)  | Reunion
(1982)  | Surface Thrills
(1983)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide| [2]

Reunion is a 1982 album by The Temptations for Gordy Records. The album was released during the 1982 Temptations Reunion tour, which reunited David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks with the Temptations after a decade-long absence. The album also features then-current Temptations Dennis Edwards, Glenn Leonard, Richard Street, and founding members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin. Reunion featured the single "Standing on the Top", produced by and featuring Motown funk star Rick James, who had previously used the Temptations as the background vocalists for his 1981 hit "Super Freak". It was their first album to reach the top 40 since Wings of Love (1976).

The Reunion tour, which began in March 1982 was only partially successful. Ruffin, by then a full-blown cocaine addict, missed several shows, causing the group to be fined thousands of dollars for each performance he missed, and Eddie Kendricks' falsetto voice had weakened due to constant smoking. Group leader Otis Williams decided that the reunion would not be a permanent thing, and fired Ruffin and Kendricks in November 1982.

## Critical reception

[edit]

Andrew Hamilton of Allmusic, in a 3/5 star review wrote, "Reunion is a very good Temptations album that could have been great...Not a bad album, but the product doesn't equal the sum of the voices and producers."[1]

## Track listing

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Lead vocalist(s)| Length

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1.| "Standing on the Top (arranged by Rick James)"| Rick James| Edwards, Ruffin, Kendricks, Street, Leonard, Franklin, James| 9:48
2.| "You Better Beware (arranged by Rudy Robinson, Curtis Nolen and Raymond Crossley)"| Barrett Strong| Ruffin, Franklin, Leonard| 5:00
3.| "Lock It in the Pocket (arranged by Benjamin Wright, William Bickelhaupt and Kerry Gordy)"| Kerry Gordy, Benny Medina| Edwards, Leonard, Franklin| 4:30

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Lead vocalist(s)| Length

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4.| "I've Never Been to Me (arranged by Daniel Kane, Ken Hirsch and Ron Miller)"| Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch| Edwards| 5:57
5.| "Backstage (arranged by Paul Riser)"| Smokey Robinson| Edwards, Street| 4:31
6.| "More On the Inside (arranged by Paul Riser)"| Robinson| Edwards| 3:49
7.| "Money's Hard to Get (arranged by Benjamin Wright, Kerry Gordy and William Bickelhaupt)"| K. Gordy, Medina| Edwards| 4:44

CD issue bonus tracksNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Lead vocalist(s)| Length

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8.| "Like a Diamond in the Sky"| Robinson| Edwards| 3:06
9.| "Don't Hold it In"| Angelo Bond, Berry Gordy, Jr., Melvin Ragin (arranged by Melvin Ragin)| Ruffin, Edwards, Kendricks| 4:12

## Personnel

[edit]

Performers

* Dennis Edwards – vocals (lead baritenor)
* Melvin Franklin – vocals (bass)
* Eddie Kendricks – vocals (first tenor)
* Glenn Leonard – vocals (first tenor)
* David Ruffin – vocals (baritenor)
* Richard Street – vocals (second tenor)
* Otis Williams – vocals (baritone)
* Rick James – guest vocals, producer
* Mary Jane Girls – background vocals ("Standing on the Top")

Musicians

* Oscar Alston, Freddie Washington, Jervonny Collier, Nathan Watts, Eddie Watkins – bass guitar
* Paulinho da Costa, Gary Coleman, Nathan Hughes – percussion
* Bill Elliott – electric piano, synthesizer
* Kerry Ashby, Rudy Robinson, Erskine Williams, Clarence McDonald – keyboards
* Bobby Nunn, Levi Ruffin – synthesizer
* Ken Hirsch – piano
* Chris Powell – saxophone
* Ken Scott, LaMorris Payne – trumpets
* Benjamin Wright – synthesizer, arranger
* Ndugu Chancler, Ed Greene, Jerry Jones, Lanise Hughes, Quentin Dennard – drums
* Robert Bowles, Bruce Nazarian, Dennis Herring, Louis Russell, Wah Wah Watson, Tom McDermott – guitars

[3]

## Production

[edit]

* Executive Producer: Berry Gordy
* Tracks 3, 7 and 9 produced by Berry Gordy; track 9 co-produced by Melvin Ragin. Recording and mix by Barney Perkins, Bob Robitalle, Bobby Brooks, Fred Law, Glen Jordan, Jane Clark, Russ Terrana.
* Track 1 produced by Rick James. Recording and mix by Tom Flye, Ann Fry and Michael Johnson.
* Track 2 produced by Iris Gordy and Barrett Strong. Recording and mix by Warren Woods.
* Track 4 produced by Ron Miller. Recording and mix by Barney Perkins, Bob Robitalle, Russ Terrana, Fred Law, Kevin Sorrells, Michael Johnson.
* Tracks 5, 6 and 8 produced by Smokey Robinson. Recording and mix by Howard Wolen and Louis Russell.

## Charts

[edit]

Year  | Album  | Chart positions[4]

|
|

US | US
R&B
1982  | Reunion | 37  | 2

### Singles

[edit]

Year  | Single  | Chart positions[4]

|
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US | US
R&B | US
AC | UK
1982  | "Standing On the Top – Pt. 1"
(featuring Rick James) | 66  | 6  | —  | 53
"More On the Inside"  | —  | 82  | —  | —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Hamilton, Andrew. "The Temptations - Reunion". Allmusic. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
2. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. ISBN 9780743201698.
3. ^ "The Temptations – Reunion (1982, Vinyl)". Discogs. 1982.
4. ^ a b "The Temptations US albums/singles chart history". allmusic.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.

## External links

[edit]

* Reunion at Discogs

* v
* t
* e

The Temptations

* Otis Williams
* Ron Tyson
* Terry Weeks
* Tony Grant
* Jawan Jackson

* Melvin Franklin
* Eddie Kendricks
* Paul Williams
* David Ruffin
* Dennis Edwards
* Ricky Owens
* Richard Street
* Damon Harris
* Louis Price
* Ali-Ollie Woodson
* Theo Peoples
* Harry McGilberry
* Barrington "Bo" Henderson
* Ray Davis
* G. C. Cameron
* Joe Herndon
* Bruce Williamson

Studio albums|

* Meet the Temptations
* The Temptations Sing Smokey
* The Temptin' Temptations
* Gettin' Ready
* The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul
* The Temptations Wish It Would Rain
* Cloud Nine
* Puzzle People
* Psychedelic Shack
* Sky's the Limit
* Solid Rock
* All Directions
* Masterpiece
* 1990
* A Song for You
* House Party
* Wings of Love
* The Temptations Do the Temptations
* Hear to Tempt You
* Bare Back
* Power
* The Temptations
* Reunion
* Surface Thrills
* Back to Basics
* Truly for You
* Touch Me
* To Be Continued...
* Together Again
* Special
* Milestone
* Phoenix Rising
* Ear-Resistible
* Awesome
* Legacy
* Still Here
* Temptations 60

Cover albums|

* The Temptations in a Mellow Mood
* For Lovers Only
* Reflections
* Back to Front
* All the Time

Live albums|

* Temptations Live!
* Live at the Copa
* Live at London's Talk of the Town
* The Temptations in Japan

Other albums|

* Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations
* TCB
* The Temptations Show
* Together
* On Broadway
* The Temptations Christmas Card
* Give Love at Christmas
* Lost and Found: You've Got to Earn It (1962–1968)

Compilations|

* Greatest Hits
* Greatest Hits II
* Anthology
* Emperors of Soul
* The Ultimate Collection

Singles
(US/UK Top 10)|

* "My Girl"
* "Get Ready"
* "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
* "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep"
* "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
* "All I Need"
* "You're My Everything"
* "I Wish It Would Rain"
* "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)"
* "Cloud Nine"
* "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
* "Run Away Child, Running Wild"
* "I Can't Get Next to You"
* "Psychedelic Shack"
* "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)"
* "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)"
* "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
* "Masterpiece"
* "Let Your Hair Down"
* "Happy People"
* "Shakey Ground"
* "Treat Her Like a Lady"
* "The Motown Song"
* "My Girl" (reissue)

Related|

* Band members
* The Temptations (miniseries)
* Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations
* Discography
* The Supremes
* The Undisputed Truth
* Smokey Robinson
* Norman Whitfield
* Barrett Strong
* Sly Stone
* George Clinton

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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