Wings of Love (The Temptations album)

Wings of Love is a 1976 album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label.

Wings of Love
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 10, 1976
Recorded1975–1976
StudioMotown Recording Studios (Hollywood, CA)
GenreSoul, funk, disco
Length31:13
LabelGordy
GS 971
ProducerJeffrey Bowen
The Temptations chronology
House Party
(1975)
Wings of Love
(1976)
The Temptations Do the Temptations
(1976)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

Background

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Producer Jeffrey Bowen preferred Dennis Edwards to the rest of the group, and wanted to produce an Edwards solo album instead of a group album. As a result, Bowen de-emphasized the rest of the group's vocals and placed them at levels far below Edwards' leads, prompting his dismissal as the Temptations' producer after this album's release. Unsurprisingly, Edwards sings lead on all but one of the songs on the album; "China Doll" has Richard Street taking the lead vocal.

Release

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The album was an unsuccessful release, both commercially and critically. Wings of Love's only single, "Up the Creek (Without a Paddle)" was co-written by Sly Stone, the inspiration for many of the Temptations' late 1960s/early 1970s "psychedelic soul" records; because of tax reasons, he could not take a publishing credit on the song. Stone and other members of the Family Stone appear on "Up the Creek", as well as "Sweet Gypsy Jane" and "China Doll"

Track listing

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All lead vocals by Dennis Edwards except where indicated

Side one

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  1. "Sweet Gypsy Jane" – 4:28
  2. "Sweetness in the Dark" – 3:28
  3. "Up the Creek (Without a Paddle)" – 3:06
  4. "China Doll" – 3:26 (lead singer: Richard Street)

Side two

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  1. "Mary Ann" – 7:41
  2. "Dream World (Wings of Love)" – 5:38
  3. "Paradise" – 3:26

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1976) Peak
position
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[2] 16
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[3] 32
US Billboard 200[4] 29

References

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  1. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r68128
  2. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 263. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  3. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Temptations – Wings of Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Temptations US Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2017.