From My Girl to Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Formed in 1960 from two rival Detroit vocal groups, Otis Williams, Elbridge “Al” Bryant, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams came together to create what would become The Temptations.
They quickly evolved into one of the most successful vocal groups of all time, selling millions of records, primarily through the Motown label during the 1960s and ’70s. And remarkably, the story didn’t end there.
Since their formation, The Temptations have had another 19 members, with the group continuing to tour and record for decades. Their most recent album was released in 2018, giving them a remarkable legacy spanning of almost six decades.
The Motown Machine
Being part of the Motown machine meant The Temptations had access to some of the greatest songwriters and producers in popular music.
They worked closely with Smokey Robinson, the legendary songwriting team Holland–Dozier–Holland, Barrett Strong and producer Norman Whitfield.
Together, they produced a remarkable catalogue of hits, including My Girl, Papa Was a Rolling Stone, Get Ready and Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.
For anyone building a Motown or soul repertoire, that’s quite a list to work with.
My Girl
My Girl represents the classic early Temptations sound.
Released in the 60s and written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, it has everything you’d expect from the Motown era: an instantly recognisable bass line (Jamerson!), a memorable guitar hook, tight vocal harmonies and a chorus that seems to have been designed for an audience to sing along with.
It’s also a brilliant reminder that Motown wasn’t just about the singers.
Behind the vocal groups was an extraordinary collection of musicians, arrangers, songwriters and producers, all working together to create records that sounded simple while being incredibly carefully constructed.
For a guitarist, My Girl is therefore much more than an easy three-chord song. It’s a lesson in arrangement, rhythm and playing exactly what the song needs.
Papa Was a Rolling Stone
The really interesting thing about The Temptations is how dramatically their sound changed. By the 1970s, the group had moved away from the straightforward romantic Soul tunes and embraced a much darker, more psychedelic style.
The perfect example is Papa Was a Rolling Stone.
Written by Barrett Strong + Norman Whitfield and produced by Whitfield, the song is almost the opposite of classic Motown.
Instead of a compact pop song, Papa Was a Rolling Stone builds a long, atmospheric groove. The arrangement leaves space, tension and repetition to do the work, creating a hypnotic sound that feels very different from the group’s earlier hits.
This is where The Temptations become especially interesting for musicians. The group didn’t simply repeat the formula that had made them successful. They evolved.
How The Temptations Created Their Success
That willingness to evolve was one of the secrets of The Temptations’ longevity. The constantly changing lineup helped keep the group fresh, while Otis Williams—the only remaining original member—continued to lead the group and retain the rights to the name.
The two distinct eras are particularly useful when looking at their music.
My Girl represents the classic early-’60s Motown sound, shaped by Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson and the musicians and producers surrounding the Motown machine.
Papa Was a Rolling Stone, meanwhile, represents the group’s later psychedelic soul period, with Norman Whitfield pushing the arrangements into much darker and more experimental territory.
It’s almost like two different bands—and yet both are unmistakably The Temptations.
Essential Soul Repertoire
For a guitarist, that’s what makes The Temptations such a useful group to study.
My Girl is a masterclass in classic Motown arrangement and groove. Get Ready and Ain’t Too Proud to Beg belong naturally in a Soul/Motown set, while Papa Was a Rolling Stone shows how far you can take a groove when you give the arrangement room to breathe.
Learning these tunes isn’t just about adding famous tunes to your repertoire.
It’s about learning different approaches to rhythm guitar, bass-and-guitar interaction, dynamics and arrangement—and understanding how a great band can completely reinvent itself without losing its identity.
In 2013, The Temptations were honoured with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. After everything they’ve contributed to Soul, Motown and popular music, it’s hard to argue with that.
The Temptations Tunes | Related Pages
Get Ready | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Get Ready by The Temptations using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, a backing track, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| F5 | Bb | G5 | C |
And I’m bringing you a love that’s true so get ready, so get ready…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Get Ready – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
My Girl | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play My Girl by The Temptations using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, TAB, and backing tracks.
| C | F | C | F |
I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day…
The Temptations on the web
