Studio Album · No. 12
A Song for You Songwriting Credits by The Temptations
Produced by Jeffrey Bowen, James Anthony Carmichael, Suzee Ikeda, Clayton Ivey, Terry Woodford, Berry Gordy · Engineered by Art Stewart, Cal Harris, Fred Ross, Russ Terrana
Holds writing credit on 1 of 9 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 1 / 9 documented
Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Temptations carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
As a vocal group, the Temptations interpret rather than write, so the credits on A Song for You spread across many pens. The two number-one R&B hits show the split cleanly: 'Happy People' was written by Lionel Richie, Jeffrey Bowen, and Donald Baldwin, and had been intended for the Commodores, while 'Shakey Ground' came from ex-Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel with Alphonso Boyd and Jeffrey Bowen. The title track is a straight cover of Leon Russell, whose legal name is Claude Russell Bridges. 'Glasshouse' is credited to the Motown pen name Charlemagne, a cover for the writing team of James Anthony Carmichael, Ronald Miller, and Kathy Wakefield. Only 'I'm a Bachelor,' written by the five members themselves, carries the group's own authorship. Jeffrey Bowen produced everything through 'Memories,' with James Anthony Carmichael and Suzee Ikeda taking 'I'm a Bachelor' and Clayton Ivey with Terry Woodford handling 'Firefly.'
A Song for You is a 1975 studio album by The Temptations, released on Motown's Gordy label and their first without longtime producer Norman Whitfield at the helm. Jeffrey Bowen took over most of the production, backed by a Muscle Shoals and Los Angeles session crew that included former Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel and bassist Billy 'Billy Bass' Nelson. As an interpreting vocal group, the Temptations drew their material from outside writers: the title track is a cover of Leon Russell's 'A Song for You,' while the funk hit 'Shakey Ground' came from Eddie Hazel, Alphonso Boyd, and Bowen. The record produced two number-one R&B singles in 'Happy People' and 'Shakey Ground,' plus the top-forty 'Glasshouse.' It was the final Temptations album to feature Damon Harris and earned a gold certification along with the American Music Award for Best Soul/R&B Album.
Track Listing & Credits 9 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Happy People
#1
|
Lionel RichieJeffrey BowenDonald Baldwin | Lionel RichieJeffrey BowenDonald Baldwin | Jeffrey Bowen | Dennis Edwards (Lead Vocals)Damon Harris (Backing Vocals)Richard Street (Backing Vocals)Melvin Franklin (Backing Vocals)Otis Williams (Backing Vocals)Eddie Hazel (Guitar)Melvin Ragin (Guitar)William "Billy Bass" Nelson (Bass)Donald Baldwin (Keyboards) |
| 2 |
Glasshouse
#9
|
Charlemagne | James Anthony CarmichaelRonald MillerKathy Wakefield | Jeffrey Bowen | Dennis Edwards (Lead Vocals)Richard Street (Lead Vocals)Melvin Franklin (Lead Vocals)Damon Harris (Lead Vocals)Otis Williams (Backing Vocals)Eddie Hazel (Guitar)Melvin Ragin (Guitar)William "Billy Bass" Nelson (Bass)Donald Baldwin (Keyboards) |
| 3 |
Shakey Ground
#1
|
Eddie HazelAlphonso BoydJeffrey Bowen | Eddie HazelAlphonso BoydJeffrey Bowen | Jeffrey Bowen | Dennis Edwards (Lead Vocals)Damon Harris (Backing Vocals)Richard Street (Backing Vocals)Melvin Franklin (Backing Vocals)Otis Williams (Backing Vocals)Eddie Hazel (Guitar)Melvin Ragin (Guitar)William "Billy Bass" Nelson (Bass)Donald Baldwin (Keyboards) |
| 4 |
The Prophet
|
Jeffrey BowenKathy WakefieldLarry Duncan | Jeffrey BowenKathy WakefieldLarry Duncan | Jeffrey Bowen | Melvin Franklin (Lead Vocals)Damon Harris (Lead Vocals)Richard Street (Lead Vocals)Otis Williams (Lead Vocals)Dennis Edwards (Backing Vocals)Eddie Hazel (Guitar)Melvin Ragin (Guitar)William "Billy Bass" Nelson (Bass)Donald Baldwin (Keyboards) |
| 5 |
Happy People (Instrumental)
|
Lionel RichieJeffrey BowenDonald Baldwin | Lionel RichieJeffrey BowenDonald Baldwin | Jeffrey Bowen | Donald Baldwin (Keyboards)Eddie Hazel (Guitar)Melvin Ragin (Guitar)William "Billy Bass" Nelson (Bass) |
| 6 |
A Song for You
|
Leon Russell | Claude Russell Bridges | Jeffrey Bowen | Dennis Edwards (Lead Vocals)Damon Harris (Backing Vocals)Richard Street (Backing Vocals)Melvin Franklin (Backing Vocals)Otis Williams (Backing Vocals)Donald Baldwin (Keyboards) |
| 7 |
Memories
|
Donald BaldwinKathy WakefieldJeffrey Bowen | Donald BaldwinKathy WakefieldJeffrey Bowen | Jeffrey Bowen | Dennis Edwards (Lead Vocals)Damon Harris (Backing Vocals)Richard Street (Backing Vocals)Melvin Franklin (Backing Vocals)Otis Williams (Backing Vocals)Donald Baldwin (Keyboards) |
| 8 |
I'm a Bachelor
|
Dennis EdwardsOtis WilliamsDamon HarrisRichard StreetMelvin Franklin | Dennis Edwards Jr.Otis Miles Jr.Otis Robert Harris Jr.Richard Allen StreetDavid English | James Anthony CarmichaelSuzee Ikeda | Dennis Edwards (Lead Vocals)Damon Harris (Backing Vocals)Richard Street (Backing Vocals)Melvin Franklin (Backing Vocals)Otis Williams (Backing Vocals) |
| 9 |
Firefly
|
Jesse Boyce | Jesse Boyce | Clayton IveyTerry Woodford | Richard Street (Lead Vocals)Melvin Franklin (Lead Vocals)Dennis Edwards (Backing Vocals)Damon Harris (Backing Vocals)Otis Williams (Backing Vocals) |