1975 The Temptations – A Song For You
A Song For You is a 1975 album by The Temptations. It features two R&B #1 hits: “Happy People” (originally intended for recording by its authors, The Commodores), and “Shakey Ground”, one of the group’s final R&B #1 songs.
The album features then-lead singer Dennis Edwards on the title track written by Leon Russell. Also featured are Richard Street and Melvin Franklin on the track “Firefly”.
A Song for You features a familiar device of the time used to exhibit the versatility of 1970s soul groups: one side features up-tempo cuts and the other side focuses on ballads. Several songs on side one such as “Glass House” and “Shakey Ground” featured P-Funk-backed dance grooves and even a writing credit for former Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel, while side two had tracks such as “I’m a Bachelor” and “Memories”, which showcased a more subdued style of soul.
Tracks
1 Happy People (Donald Baldwin; Jeffrey Bowen; Lionel Richie) 03:38
2 Glasshouse (Charlemagne) 03:54
3 Shakey Ground (Alphonso Boyd; Eddie Hazel; Jeffrey Bowen) 04:03
4 The Prophet (Jeffrey Bowen; Kathy Wakefield; Larry Duncan) 04:28
5 Happy People (Instrumental) (Donald Baldwin; Jeffrey Bowen; Lionel Richie) 02:57
6 A Song For You (Leon Russell) 04:40
7 Memories (Donald Baldwin; Jeffrey Bowen; Kathy Wakefield) 06:01
8 I’m A Bachelor (Damon Harris; David English; Dennis Edwards; Otis Williams; Richard Street) 04:21
9 Firefly (Jesse Boyce) 04:02
Biography
Musicians
| Bass | William Nelson |
| Drums | James Gadson |
| Drums | Ollie E. Brown |
| Drums | Zachary Frazier |
| Guitar | Eddie Hazel |
| Guitar | Wah Wah Watson |
| Clavinet | Donald Baldwin |
| Piano | Donald Baldwin |
| Clarinet | Donald Baldwin |
| Sax | Donald Baldwin |
| Vocals | Dennis Edwards |
| Vocals | Damon Harris |
| Vocals | Richard Street |
| Vocals | Melvin Franklin |
| Vocals | Otis Williams |
Liner Notes
Producer – Jeffrey Bowen (Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
Producer – James Anthony Carmichael, Suzee Ideka (Track 8)
Producer – Clayton Ivey, Terry Woodford (Track 9)
Producer (Executive) – Berry Gordy
Arranged By – James Anthony Carmichael (Track 8)
Arranged By – Harrison Calloway, Ted Stovall (Track 9)
Arranged By (Horns) – James Anthony Carmichael (Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6)
Arranged By (Strings) – James Anthony Carmichael (Tracks 4, 6, 7)
Arranged By (Vocals) – The Temptations (Track 8)
Engineer – Art Stewart, Cal Harris, Fred Ross, Russ Terrana
Art Direction – Katarina Pettersson
Design – John Le Provost
Mixed At Motown Recording Studios
Recorded At Motown Recording Studios
Phonographic Copyright Motown Record Corporation
Copyright Motown Record Corporation