- CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
- The Temptations "1990" 1973 (USA)
- For New Year's Eve, we look to the future. One of my favorite tropes in old records, films and TV is the "past vision of a future that never came to be." And since this album is named for the once-futuristic year Nineteen-Ninety -- now nearly 21 years in the past -- let's look at one of the past's great futuristic soundmakers. Norman Whitfield was a songwriter and producer for the Motown record label who took over helming The Temptations' sessions from Smokey Robinson at the end of the 1960's. Whitfield used the group as a vehicle to create some of the most extravagant "progressive soul" records of all time, climaxing in 1973 with Masterpiece (featuring an orchestral 14 minute title track) and this album (featuring a 14 minute song about flying saucers!), which was the last LP Whitfield made with the group.
- The Temps were one of Motown's biggest acts for more than a decade -- first, here's the classic lineup featuring David Ruffin's lead vocals on "I'm Losing You". After Ruffin was fired from the group, Dennis Edwards took over his spot during the psychedelic era -- here's a string of their classic Norman Whitfield era hits: "Cloud Nine" kicked things off, and "Psychedelic Shack" made their new direction obvious, while "Ball of Confusion" was a rare political statement from the group (Whitfield originally wanted them to do the song "War", which became a #1 hit for Edwin Starr instead.) Another far-out soul group produced by Whitfield was the rather strange The Undisputed Truth, who dressed very psychedelic and had a hit with "Smiling Faces".