What Year Did They Made Papa Play Again

1972 unmarried by the Undisputed Truth

"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
Side-A label of US unmarried of The Undisputed Truth recording
Single by the Undisputed Truth
from the anthology Law of the Land
Released	May 9, 1972
Characterization	Motown
Songwriter(southward)	Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Producer(s)	Norman Whitfield

"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
Side-A label of the Usa unmarried of The Temptations recording
Single by the Temptations
from the album All Directions
B-side	"Papa Was a Rollin' Rock" (instrumental)
Released	September 28, 1972
Recorded	May 15, June 14, June 22 and 28, 1972
Studio	Detroit, Michigan, Hitsville U.s.a. (Studio A)
Genre	Psychedelic soul,[1] [2] funk[3]
Length	6:54 (Unmarried edit) 11:44 (Album mix) 12:05 (approx.) ("total" version) [iv]
Characterization	Gordy Yard 7121
Songwriter(south)	Norman Whitfield Barrett Strong
Producer(s)	Norman Whitfield
The Temptations singles chronology
"Mother Nature" (1972) "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" (1972) "Masterpiece" (1973)
Official sound
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (anthology mix)" on YouTube

"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (Remix 1987)"
Single by the Temptations
Released	1987
Genre	Soul
Characterization	Motown
Songwriter(s)	Norman Whitfield Barrett Stiff

"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" is a vocal originally performed by Motown recording deed The Undisputed Truth in 1972, though it became much better known subsequently a Grammy-award winning cover by The Temptations was issued afterward the same year. This latter version of the song became a number-one hitting on the Billboard Hot 100.

"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was written past Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1971. Whitfield produced the original Undisputed Truth version, which was released every bit a single in May 1972. This version of the song peaked at number 63 on the Pop Charts and number 24 on the R&B Charts. The song was included on the Undisputed Truth'south anthology Law of the Country (1973).

Later in 1972, Whitfield cutting a different version of the song, turning it into a 12-minute track for the Temptations. This version was included on their 1972 album All Directions. The edited 7" unmarried release of this Temptations track was issued in September 1972, and this version was a number-i hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and won three Grammy Awards in 1973. While the original Undisputed Truth version of the song has been largely forgotten, the Temptations' version of the song has been regarded as an enduring and influential soul classic. The total-length album version was ranked number 169 on Rolling Rock 'southward list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, 1 of the group'south three songs on the list. In hindsight, the Temptations' Otis Williams considers "Papa" to exist the last real classic the group recorded (it would be the Temptations' last number ane hitting and would win them their second and final Grammy Honor in a competitive category).

Overview [edit]

Beginning with an extended instrumental introduction (iii:53 in length), each of the song'south three verses is separated past extended musical passages, in which Whitfield brings various instrumental textures in and out of the mix. A solo plucked bass guitar part, backed by hullo-hat cymbals drumming, establishes the musical theme, a unproblematic three-annotation figure; the bass is gradually joined past other instruments, including a blues guitar, wah-wah guitar, electric piano, handclaps, strings and solo trumpet; all are tied together by the ever-present bass guitar line and repeating howdy-hat rhythm.

While the official album version of the song is approximately 11:45, there are certain versions that extend the fade-out further, terminal with several sequential pulsate fills, pushing the length of the song over the 12-minute marking.^[4] This version is featured on The Temptations' Psychedelic Soul compilation.^[5]

Vocal duties are performed in a truthful ensemble fashion: Temptations singers Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Richard Street (who was a frequent fill-in for Paul Williams and his eventual replacement) and Damon Harris (who had replaced Eddie Kendricks as the group'south falsetto singer the previous year) alternate vocal lines, taking the role of siblings questioning their female parent about their at present-dead begetter; their increasingly pointed questions, and the mother'southward repeated response ("Papa was a rollin' stone/wherever he laid his chapeau was his home/and when he died, all he left us was alone") pigment a somber moving picture for the children who have never seen their father and take "never heard nil but bad things virtually him."

Friction arose during the recording of "Papa Was a Rollin' Rock" for a number of reasons. The Temptations did not like the fact that Whitfield's instrumentation had been getting more emphasis than their vocals on their songs at the time, and that they had to press Whitfield to get him to produce ballads for the group. Whitfield forced Edwards to re-record his parts dozens of times until he finally got the angered, bitter grumble he desired out of the usually fiery-toned Edwards.^[half-dozen] Whitfield's treatment of the group eventually led to his dismissal every bit their producer.^[6] Legend has information technology that Edwards was angered by the vocal's starting time verse: "It was the 3rd of September/That twenty-four hour period I'll always think/'cause that was the twenty-four hour period/that my daddy died", as his father was said to accept died on that date. Information technology actually was on the third of October, however.^{[half dozen]}

The solo trumpet function in the introduction was played by Funk Brothers fellow member Maurice Davis; guitar parts were played by fellow fellow member Melvin "Wah-Wah Watson" Ragin^[seven] and a young Paul Warren.^[8] The Temptations' version of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" followed in the extended-length "cinematic soul" tradition of the work of Isaac Hayes and others, and future songs like Donna Summertime's 14-minute "Beloved to Love You Baby" and the instrumentals of MFSB expanded upon the concept in the mid-1970s.

Release [edit]

A vii-minute edited version of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was released as a single in September 1972. For this mix, congas were added to eternalize the song's sparse percussion; this version appeared on the 1973 Album triple LP. The Temptations' box set Emperors of Soul has the edited version in stereo, but without the congas. The B-side was the instrumental backing by the Funk Brothers without the Temptations' vocals (though Damon Harris' final chorus is included later a single "Unngh!" at the end of the second verse), this version appears on the Funk Brothers' 2003 compilation 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection.

Reception [edit]

"Papa" rose to number one on the U.S. pop charts and number five on the U.Due south. R&B charts, becoming the Temptations' final pop number-i hit. The song, the anchor of the 1972 Temptations anthology All Directions, won three 1973 Grammys: its A-side won for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group; its B-side won for Best R&B Instrumental (awarded to Whitfield and arranger/conductor Paul Riser); and Whitfield and Barrett Strong won for Best R&B Song as the song'due south composers.

Kelefa Sanneh described the vocal as, "nearly seven glorious minutes long (the album version was twelve) sustained by trivial more than than a perfect bassline and a few artfully placed hand claps".^[ix]

Stereogum called it, "a monolith. A towering monument out of tense hi-hats and pulsating bass and shivering strings and hard-strutting chicken-scratch guitars and panicked trumpet-blasts. And the merciless four-four stomp-handclapping shell predicted non merely disco but house music, as well."^[ten]

Notable covers and remixes [edit]

• "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was sampled in the 1973 break-in record, "Super Fly Meets Shaft" (US No. 31).
• Bill "Wolf" Wolfer created an electronic embrace of the song for his 1983 debut album Wolf.^{[xi] [12]} The single peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1983, too equally number 47 on the R&B Charts.^[13] Michael Jackson provided backing vocals.^[xiv]
• The group Was (Not Was) covered the vocal on their 1990 album Are You Okay?. Their version reached number 12 in the UK.^[fifteen]
• George Michael used the song for his mashup with "Killer" in 1993.^{[16] [17]}
• Rap trio Migos utilized the Temptations version equally their primary sample on the rails "Avalanche" off their 2021 album Culture III.^[18]

Charts [edit]

Certifications [edit]

Personnel [edit]

Undisputed Truth version [edit]

• Lead and background vocals by Joe Harris, Billie Rae Calvin, and Brenda Joyce

Temptations version [edit]

• Lead vocals by Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Richard Street, and Damon Harris
• Background vocals by Dennis Edwards, Melvin Franklin, Richard Street, Damon Harris, and Otis Williams
• Bundled and conducted past Paul Riser
• Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers (specific musicians listed beneath) and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
  • Guitars by Melvin "Wah Wah Watson" Ragin^[7] and Paul Warren^[8]
  • Fender Rhodes Electrical Piano past Earl Van Dyke^[43]
  • Organ by Johnny Griffith^[44]
  • Trumpet past Maurice Davis
  • Bass by Bob Babbitt^{[45] [46]} or Leroy Taylor^[47]
  • Drums by Aaron Smith^[48]

Sample [edit]

References [edit]

1. ^ Dimery, Robert (2011). Hachette UK (ed.). 1001 Songs: You Must Hear Before You Dice. "this seven-minute single (a U.S. No. 1) and its near-twelve-minute album version remain the apex of the psychedelic soul era."
2. ^ Clifford, Tyler. "Local legendary Motown Audio trumpeter Maurice Davis dies at the historic period of 71". Wxyz.com. The E.W. Scripps Co. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2013. Maurice Davis was involved in producer Norman Whitfield'south transition of the Motown Sound into a psychedelic soul label. Whitfield placed much emphasize [sic] on instrumentation over vocals, which allowed Davis and the Funk Brothers to shine. The Temptations were a major element in this endeavor, including the product of "Papa Was a Rollin' Rock.
3. ^ "100 Greatest Funk Songs". Digital Dream Door. Baronial 7, 2008. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
4. ^ ^{a b} The Temptations - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (Vinyl) (total version) @YouTube.com Retrieved June 19, 2020.
5. ^ Psychedelic Soul - The Temptations @AllMusic.com Retrieved June 19, 2020.
6. ^ ^{a b c} Ribowsky, Marking (2010). Own't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Indelible Soul of the Temptations. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-470-26117-0. p. 232
7. ^ ^{a b} "A brief history of Wah Wah Watson". Wah Wah Watson Music. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
8. ^ ^{a b} "Nigh". The Paul Warren Project. Retrieved October vii, 2016.
9. ^ Kelefa Sanneh (2021). Major Labels. Canongate. p. 98. ISBN9781838855932.
10. ^ Tom Breihan. "The Number Ones: The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rollin' Rock"". Stereogum.
11. ^ "Bill Wolfer | Credits". AllMusic.
12. ^ "Wolf - Bill Wolfer | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
13. ^ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. January 15, 1983. Retrieved October seven, 2016.
14. ^ Halstead, Craig; Chris Cadman (2003). Michael Jackson: The Solo Years. Authors OnLine. ISBN075520091-8.
15. ^ ^{a b} "1990 Elevation twoscore Official Britain Singles Archive - 9th June 1990". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
16. ^ "George Michael - Killer/Papa Was A Rolling Stone (Official Video)". Archived from the original on December 13, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
17. ^ "George Michael – Killer / Papa Was A Rollin' Stone (1993, CD)" – via world wide web.discogs.com.
18. ^ "Migos Sample The Temptations' "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" For "Barrage"". Genius . Retrieved October 20, 2021.
19. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Nautical chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, Northward.S.W.: Australian Chart Volume. ISBN0-646-11917-6.
20. ^ "The Temptations – Papa Was A Rollin' Rock" (in Dutch). Ultratop fifty.
21. ^ "Pinnacle RPM Singles: Effect 4234." RPM. Library and Athenaeum Canada. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
22. ^ "Papa was a rollin' stone in French Chart". Dominic DURAND / InfoDisc. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013. Retrieved June sixteen, 2013. You have to use the index at the acme of the page and search "Temptations"
23. ^ "The Temptations – Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON The Temptations"
24. ^ "Nederlandse Top twoscore – The Temptations" (in Dutch). Dutch Elevation 40.
25. ^ "The Temptations – Papa Was A Rollin' Stone" (in Dutch). Single Peak 100.
26. ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 12 February 1973
27. ^ Samson, John. "Papa was a rollin' rock in South African Chart". Retrieved June half dozen, 2013.
28. ^ ^{a b} "Temptations: Artist Nautical chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved sixteen June 2013.
29. ^ "The Temptations Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
30. ^ "The Temptations Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
31. ^ "50 Dorsum Catalogue Singles – 7 Feb 2009". Ultratop 50. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
32. ^ "Was (Non Was) – Papa Was A Rolling Stone" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top twoscore.
33. ^ "Was (Not Was) – Papa Was A Rolling Stone" (in Dutch). Ultratop fifty.
34. ^ "Papa was a rolling stone in Canadian Top Singles Nautical chart" (PDF). Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
35. ^ "Papa was a rolling stone in Irish Nautical chart". IRMA. Retrieved June 16, 2013. Only one outcome when searching "Papa was a rolling stone"
36. ^ "Nederlandse Elevation 40 – Was Non Was" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
37. ^ "Was (Non Was) – Papa Was A Rolling Stone" (in Dutch). Single Height 100.
38. ^ "Was (Not Was) – Papa Was A Rolling Rock". Top 40 Singles.
39. ^ "Was (Not Was) – Papa Was A Rolling Stone". Swiss Singles Chart.
40. ^ ^{a b c} "Are You lot Okay? awards on AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
41. ^ "British single certifications – Temptations – Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August xx, 2021.
42. ^ "American single certifications – The Temptations – Papa Was a Rollin' Stone". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August xx, 2021.
43. ^ Myers, Marc (2018). "Hopelessness and Promise in 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone'." Wall Street Journal, 18 Oct 2018.
44. ^ Johnny Griffith on Tidal Retrieved Dec 12, 2021.
45. ^ "Papa was a rollin' rock - Who plays the bassline?" (response from Bob Babbitt himself) 28 August 2008 @bobbabbitt.com Bob Babbitt: "Hey Guys.....The Undisputed Truth version was yours truly....I had first been told that the Temptations version was Leroy Taylor but then Eddie Watkins name was also mentioned to me.. Recently Wah Wah Watkins (sic) and I had a give-and-take almost the Papa Was a Rolling Rock session and he told me that Jamerson and myself were both on the session only when producer Norman Whitfield asked Jamerson to just keep reapting (sic) the Bass line that Jamerson got upwards and walked out of the session...Wah Wah said that Norman ahd (sic) me play the line..." Retrieved December 12, 2021.
46. ^ Song of the Day: The Temptations - Papa Was a Rollin' Stone @theneedlefish.com (28 Baronial 2021). Retrieved December 12, 2021.
47. ^ The Music Legacy of Leroy R. Taylor, Jr. The Roanoke Tribune, 13 Feb 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
48. ^ "01/09/17 Aaron "A-Train" Smith, Drummer with The Temptations", Jackie's Groove (Apple Podcast), 09 January 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2021.

External links [edit]

• The Temptations Papa Was A Rolling Stone 1972 Single Version on YouTube
• List of cover versions of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" at SecondHandSongs.com

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papa_Was_a_Rollin%27_Stone

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