Studio Album · No. 3
Gettin' Ready Songwriting Credits by The Temptations
Produced by Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter, Robert Staunton, Robert Walker
Holds writing credit on 2 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 2 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Temptations carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The Temptations do not write this album; they interpret songs from Motown's staff writers. The two hits split the credits cleanly. 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg' was written by Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland (Edward Holland Jr.) and produced by Whitfield, with David Ruffin on lead. 'Get Ready' was written and produced by Smokey Robinson (William Robinson) with Eddie Kendricks on lead. Robinson's own catalog dominates the writing credits across the rest of the record, joined by his Miracles partners and other Motown names, while Whitfield's arrival signals the harder-edged sound to come. The composer column reflects the writers' legal names where they differ from the stage names in the lyricist credits.
Gettin' Ready is the fourth studio album by the Temptations, released June 15, 1966 on Motown's Gordy label. It captures the group at a hinge point, as Smokey Robinson handed lead production duties to Norman Whitfield. Robinson's 'Get Ready,' sung by Eddie Kendricks, and Whitfield's 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg,' fronted by David Ruffin, both topped the R&B chart and framed the two directions the group would follow. The Temptations were interpreters here rather than writers, singing songs built by the Motown staff and backed by the Funk Brothers at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit. The record also holds the original version of 'Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,' later a hit for Marvin Gaye, and it marks the last full album of the group's classic five-man lineup before Whitfield's psychedelic-soul era took hold.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Say You
|
Charles JonesRobert DobyneRobert Staunton | Charles JonesRobert DobyneRobert Staunton | Robert StauntonRobert Walker | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 2 |
Little Miss Sweetness
|
Smokey Robinson | William Robinson | Smokey Robinson | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 3 |
Ain't Too Proud to Beg
#13
|
Eddie HollandNorman Whitfield | Edward Holland Jr.Norman Jesse Whitfield | Norman Whitfield | David Ruffin (Lead Vocals)The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 4 |
Get Ready
#29
|
Smokey Robinson | William Robinson | Smokey Robinson | Eddie Kendricks (Lead Vocals)The Temptations (Vocals)The Andantes (Background Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 5 |
Lonely, Lonely Man Am I
|
Eddie HollandEddie KendricksNorman Whitfield | Edward Holland Jr.Edward KendrickNorman Jesse Whitfield | Norman Whitfield | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 6 |
Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
|
Janie BradfordBarrett StrongNorman Whitfield | Janie BradfordBarrett StrongNorman Jesse Whitfield | Norman Whitfield | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 7 |
I've Been Good to You
|
Smokey Robinson | William Robinson | Smokey Robinson | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 8 |
It's a Lonely World Without Your Love
|
Ivy Jo HunterWilliam "Mickey" Stevenson | Ivy Jo HunterWilliam Stevenson | William "Mickey" StevensonIvy Jo Hunter | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 9 |
Fading Away
|
Pete MooreSmokey RobinsonBobby Rogers | Warren MooreWilliam RobinsonRobert Rogers | Smokey Robinson | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 10 |
Who You Gonna Run To
|
Smokey Robinson | William Robinson | Smokey Robinson | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 11 |
You're Not an Ordinary Girl
|
Pete MooreSmokey RobinsonBobby RogersMarv TarplinRonnie White | Warren MooreWilliam RobinsonRobert RogersMarvin TarplinRonald White | Smokey Robinson | The Temptations (Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |
| 12 |
Not Now (I'll Tell You Later)
|
Smokey RobinsonOtis Williams | William RobinsonOtis Miles Jr. | Smokey Robinson | The Temptations (Vocals)The Supremes (Background Vocals)The Funk Brothers (Instrumentation) |