PRODUCER: Norman Whitfield. Versions of both "Two Tribes" and "War" would later appear on the group's 1984 debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome as well as numerous Frankie Goes to Hollywood and ZTT Records compilation albums. Considered among Motown's "second-string" acts, Starr had only one major hit, 1968's No. The Temptations may refer to at least two groups 1. The song was released by the Stop the War Coalition and credited to Ugly Rumours, with the band being fronted by a lookalike of Blair. Hunh! Temptations Of War James just wanted to film the war in Liberia. The thought of war blows my mind. He joined them as a lead singer in 1968 at a time when the group was starting to become more edgier and psychedelic with their music. It reached #3 on the US pop charts and #2 on the US R&B charts. Upon its release in June 1970, Starr's "War" became a runaway hit, and held the No. Absolutely nothin'! A RETROSPECTIVE: IN BRIEF The Temptations’ story is an epic journey of courage, struggle, triumphs, setbacks, and ultimately, international superstardom.The genesis and magnitude of their greatness is one of the most extraordinary stories of the 20 th and 21 st Centuries. Find out more about James Brabazon's story … Absolutely Nothin'. Instead they had the lesser known Starr record his version and it became a massive hit and influential anti-war protest tune. Springsteen released the September 30, 1985 performance as a part of his 1986 box set, Live/1975–85. Whitfield re-created the song to match Starr's James Brown-influenced soul shout: the single version of "War" was dramatic and intense, depicting the general anger and distaste the anti-war movement felt towards the war in Vietnam. Whitfield first produced the song – an obvious anti-Vietnam War statement – with The Temptations as the original vocalists. It appeared on their 1970 album, Psychedelic Shack. The song was included as a track on the March 1970 Psychedelic Shack album, which featured the title track as its only single. This 1968 hit single was also the title track of their 1969 album. Billboard ranked it as the No. It's nothin' but a heartbreaker, War. [3] In 1999, Starr's recording of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. THE TEMPTATIONS. After Motown began receiving repeated requests to release "War" as a single, Whitfield re-recorded the song with Edwin Starras the vocalist, with the label deciding to withhold the Temptations' version from single release so as not to alienate their more conservative fans. War (1970) Edwin Starr’s version of “War” is more well known, but The Temptations recorded it first. The images of human beings desperately struggling to be recused-literally hanging off the evacuation helicopters in Saigon are still bone chilling. It was one of 161 songs on the no-play list issued by Clear Channel following the events of September 11, 2001.[2]. The Temptations during a 1969 performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The release of "War" / "Two Tribes" also coincided with an extensive and iconic T-shirt marketing campaign for the band during the summer of 1984, featuring such slogans as "Frankie Say WAR! The Temptations – War. Hmm-hmm, hmm-mm-mm. Hide Yourself", as pictured on the 12" single cover. But bloody conflicts dirty even the cleanest of hands. Impressionist Chris Barrie voiced the long soliloquy about war and love, while impersonating the American President Ronald Reagan; a role he would later reprise in the hit UK TV Show Spitting Image. The song lyrics explored the challenges of living in poverty. The Temptations, often referred to as American Music Royalty, are world-renowned superstars of entertainment, revered for their phenomenal catalog of music and prolific career.The group will be celebrating their 60 th Anniversary beginning in June 2021 through June 2022. Starr's versi… This time, however, they did. Later in his career, after moving to the United Kingdom, Starr re-recorded several of his hits with British band Utah Saints. This hit single also appeared on the 1970 compilation Greatest Hits II. 1 position on the Billboard Pop Singles chart for three weeks, in August and September 1970. It was re-recorded by Motown soul singer Edwin Starr and released as a single in 1970. Absolutely Nothin'. Listen to War by The Temptations, 4,937 Shazams, featuring on The Temptations Essentials, and Janelle Monáe: Influences Apple Music playlists. Whitfield first produced the song – an obvious anti-Vietnam War statement – with The Temptations as the original vocalists. The Temptations’ dancing was essential to their allure. Williams and Edwards deliver the song's anti-war, pro-peace message over a stripped-down instrumental track, with bass singer Melvin Franklin chanting a repeated recruit training-like "hup, two, three, four" in the background during the verses. Friend only to the undertaker. Here is a list of five of their more political songs. Starr's version of "War" was a No. 3 peak on the U.K. charts for the week ending Saturday, November 14, 1970. The 12-inch double-A-side single was released in standard and picture disc versions, both with the ZTT Records catalog number WARTZ 3. It was released on the Gordy label, and written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong.The song was used to anchor the 1970 Greatest Hits II LP. The lyrics of the music was also starting to become more socially conscious. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 10 hit single "Cloud Nine" in October 1968, pioneered psychedelic soul, and was significant in the evolution of R&B and soul music. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. War. On February 1, 2018 Dennis Edward died at the age of 74. "War" was chosen as the first single from the set, and it was again a big hit, reaching No. For the release "War" was promoted as a double-A-side with the "Carnage" mix of "Two Tribes" on the reverse. Topic. "War" is a counterculture era soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. BACKSTORY: On the day that Edwin Starr’s “War” was released in June 1970, two Detroiters in their twenties were jailed for five years for ransacking a Chicago draft board office and burning its … The Ongoing History of Protest Music - Proudly Powered by WordPress, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), The Historical Development of Protest Music, Daily Dose of Protest: Sing About Love – Chumbawamba, Daily Dose of Protest: Still Here – JB the First Lady. He heard about the conflict surrounding the debate of whether or not to release "War", and volunteered to re-record it. Rather than hindering his career (as it might have done for the Temptations), "War" buoyed Starr's career, and he adopted the image of an outspoken liberal orator for many of his other early-1970s releases, including the similarly themed "Stop the War Now" from 1971. The song wasn’t released as a single or performed live because the group were worried that the message might be too direct, but it was a popular radio request. The music video for the single was a straight concert filming of the same performance. Credit: Bernie Ilson, Inc. / Publicity for Motown Records & The Ed Sullivan Show. "War" was one of the first Motown songs to make a political statement. Starr's new version of "War" in 2003 was his final piece. War has caused unrest within the younger generation. SONGWRITERS: Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield. The Temptations’ original version starts a little milder, the grunts less forceful. Unlike the Temptations' original, Starr's "War" was a full-scale Whitfield production, with prominent electric guitar lines, clavinets, a heavily syncopated rhythm accented by a horn section, and with The Originals and Whitfield's new act The Undisputed Truth on backing vocals. Het nummer verscheen als de zesde track op hun album Psychedelic Shack uit 1970. Submitted by Joann Nagell of Reston, Va. By Helen Kruger, Music Planet Radio 40 years ago this week, The US departed the tragedy of Vietnam for the last time. [20], One of side-A labels of the US vinyl single, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "It's the End of the World as Clear Channel Knows It", "Grammy Award Nominees 1971 - Grammy Award Winners 1971", The Irish Charts – Search Results – Edwin Starr", "flavour of new zealand - search listener", "Edwin Starr Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)", "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada", "Top 100 Hits of 1970/Top 100 Songs of 1970", "British single certifications – Edwin Starr – War", "25 Years On: Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Welcome To The Pleasuredome", Ultratop.be – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – War (Live)", The Irish Charts – Search Results – WAR (WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR)", Dutchcharts.nl – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – War (Live)", Charts.nz – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – War (Live)", Norwegiancharts.com – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – War (Live)", Swedishcharts.com – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – War (Live)", "Bruce Springsteen: Artist Chart History", "Bruce Springsteen the e street band Chart History (Hot 100)", Offiziellecharts.de – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – War (Live)", Edwin Starr interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' 10/92, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09, The Live Series: Songs from Around the World, The Born in the U.S.A. 12" Single Collection, The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=War_(The_Temptations_song)&oldid=1020084590, Song recordings produced by Norman Whitfield, Articles needing additional references from October 2016, All articles needing additional references, Singlechart usages for Billboardrandbhiphop, Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming figures, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming footnote, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2021, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 April 2021, at 02:42. Ook Bruce Springsteen zette een bekende cover op zijn livealbum Live 1975–85 uit 1986. 6 hit "Twenty-Five Miles", to his name by this time. Ball of Confusion (That’s What The World Is Today) (1970). What is a good for? Say it again! Songs similar to or like War (The Temptations song) Counterculture era soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969. War! David Ruffin, Melvin Franklin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams and Eddie Kendricks of the Temptations pose for a portrait in 1965. Because of this, many college students wrote to Motown requesting that the song be released as a single. It replaced "Make It With You" by Bread, and was itself taken out of the spot by another Motown single, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" by Diana Ross. was an anti-Vietnam War protest song, written by Norman Whitfield and recorded by Whitfield and the Temptations in 1969. War (What is it good for?) It was also covered by Frankie Goes to Hollywood in 1984 and more recently by the rock band Black Stone Cherry on its 2016 album Kentucky. It peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart in March 2007. Edwin Starr’s version of “War” is more well known, but The Temptations recorded it first. "War" is a counterculture era soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969. WAR! Edwin Starr, who had become a Motown artist in 1968 after his former label, Ric-Tic, was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy, became "War's" new vocalist. The Temptations' version of "War", featuring Paul Williams and Dennis Edwards on lead vocals, was less intense than the Edwin Starr version and begins with marching band drums a la the 20th Century Fox logo. Springsteen brought the song back for six performances on his 2003 Rising Tour before and in the early days of the Iraq War. The album cut resonated with listeners, many of whom wrote letters to Motown Records begging the label to release “War” … TRACK OF THE WEEK. Springsteen taped the words of the song to his arm, prefaced the song with a spoken admonition not to blindly trust the government, leaders or anything else, and then he and the band performed a rock rendition. Hunh! Springsteen continued to perform "War" regularly through his 1988 Tunnel of Love Express and Human Rights Now! Born in Germany, Barrie translated and subversively quoted Adolf Hitler from his failed 1924 putsch trial, in the first new lines added to the song.[19]. Sergio Trujillo makes it more intricate, stylistically varied and narratively sophisticated. Sadly these issues continues to be relevant. Temptations' version and release debate [edit | edit source]. No Comments; 0 Tags; Oh no-there's got to be a better way Say it again There's got to be a better way-yeah What is it good for? The song's power was reasserted when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took their rendition into the U.S. Top 10 in 1986. Whitfield had produced much of the soul group’s early work, and his relationship with the Temptations made them a natural fit for “War.” The Temptations would include their version of the song on Psychedelic Shack, their LP released in March of 1970. … Even though it was never released as a single, the direct anti-war message hit home in light of the Vietnam War. The Temptations [US1] originally did I'll Be in Trouble, Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love, Your Wonderful Love, The … Springsteen and his manager Jon Landau were looking for a way to make these concluding shows, taking place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a little different and special, and Landau suggested playing "War". He died on April 2 of the same year of a heart attack. The label worried about a potentially controversial single being linked with one of their more well-known artists. With the help of freedom fighter Evan Kurst, Wa's former protégée, they start a civil war that spreads across the galaxy. Springsteen hasn't, to date, performed the song since 2003. The label did not want to risk the image of its most popular male group, and the Temptations themselves were also apprehensive about releasing such a potentially controversial song as a single. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970, and is not only the most successful and well-known record of his career, but it is also one of the most popular protest songs ever recorded. "), struck a chord with the American public and resonated with growing public opposition to the war in Vietnam. The label decided not to release "War" as a single, a decision that Whitfield fought until the label came up with a compromise: "War" would be released, but it would have to be re-recorded with a different act. Edwin Starr bracht datzelfde jaar een succesvolle cover uit van het nummer op zijn album War & Peace. A year earlier, he had suggested the same, as a loose protest against Reagan Administration foreign policy in Central America and elsewhere, but the band had been unable to come up with an effective arrangement. Tours. Starr earned a Grammy nomination in 1971 for "War" for best R&B Male Vocal. Fans from across the country, many of them college students and other young people, sent letters to Motown requesting the release of "War" as a single. The principal B-side for 12-inch single was a cover version of "War". The percussion gives the song the military vibe, but the guitar is less pronounced than in Starr’s version. After Motown began receiving repeated requests to release "War" as a single, Whitfield re-recorded the song with Edwin Starr as the vocalist, with the label deciding to withhold the Temptations' version from single release so as not to alienate their more conservative fans. The Temptations' version of "War", featuring Paul Williams and Dennis Edwards on lead vocals, was much less intense than the Edwin Starr version. He then retired it for 11 years until a one-off guest spot by Edwin Starr during the Reunion Tour. The track's direct message, summarized by its chorus ("War, what is it good for? What is a good for? Frankie Goes to Hollywood followed their debut 1983 UK number one single Relax with Two Tribes. War (The Temptations song) is similar to these songs: Smiling Faces Sometimes, Hum Along and Dance, I Heard It Through the Grapevine and more. The label had always been focused on making hit songs, but around this time Motown artists like The Temptations and Marvin Gaye started releasing songs with social commentary, many of which were written by Whitfield. Several lines of spoken dialogue were added to the Temptations/Edwin Starr version of the song. The songs addresses issues such as racial tensions, gun violence, drug abuse and other social ills. Military strategists will find BY TEMPTATIONS AND BY WAR an exciting battle oriented work of science fiction. The Temptations are an American Motown singing group whose repertoire has included doo-wop, soul, psychedelia, funk, disco, rnb, and adult contemporary.Formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1960 as The Elgins. The song also makes reference to James Brown 1968 hit, “Say it Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud”. "War" is een nummer van de Amerikaanse band The Temptations. Later in the show, during the Vietnam War era, producer Berry Gordy tells the Temptations that the Vietnam protest song, War, will not go anywhere and … This black empowerment tune was from the 1969 album Puzzle People. Another non-single track from Puzzle People. He was the lead voice on such famous songs as "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg. To build on the chart success of "Two Tribes", "War" became the subject of an accomplished extended remix in its own right (subtitled "Hidden") for the third version of single's UK 12-inch. Billboard ranked the record as the #24 song of 1970. After 1971, Starr's career began to falter, and, citing Motown's reliance on formulas, he departed the label in the mid-1970s. War is an enemy to all mankind. War (The Temptations song) Share. The song examines the broken penal system and the need for prison reforms. In this case, Whitfield and Strong had their creation earmarked for the Temptations. Whitfield first produced the song – an obvious anti-Vietnam War statement – with The Temptations as the original vocalists. Sadly it is still relevant. Photograph: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Starr's version of the song was used as the basis for a cover version by Ugly Rumours, a group formed by Tony Blair while at university. The Temptations [US1] covered Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love, It's Summer, Stop the War Now, The End of Our Road and other songs. David Eli Ruffin (born Davis Eli Ruffin, January 18, 1941 – June 1, 1991) was an American soul singer and musician most famous for his work as one of the lead singers of the Temptations (1964–68) during the group's "Classic Five" period as it was later known. Hmm-hmm, hmm-mm-mm. “War” was originally released in 1970 by The Temptations, on the Psychedelic Shack album they recorded for Motown. "War" is a counterculture era soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969. DAY & DATE: Reaches its No. "War" was performed in concert by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band in 1985, added to the set list for the final few shows of their lengthy Born in the U.S.A. Tour. Even though he had a stint with The Contours and had some solo success, he was most known as member of The Temptations. It and another 1971 single, "Funky Music Sho' 'Nuff Turns Me On", continued Starr's string of Whitfield-produced psychedelic soul hits. 5 song of 1970. Notable as the most successful protest song to become a pop hit, earning compliments from contemporary protester John Lennon, "War" became Edwin Starr's signature song. The Temptations—War. Both the album and song represented a new direction for the group. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" is a 1970 hit single for The Temptations.