Gettin' Ready

Gettin' Ready
Studio album by The Temptations
Released	June 15, 1966
Recorded	1966
Genre	Soul, doo-wop
Length	31:33
Label	Gordy GS 918
Producer	Smokey Robinson Norman Whitfield William "Mickey" Stevenson Ivy Jo Hunter Robert Staunton Robert Walker
The Temptations chronology
The Temptin' Temptations (1965) Gettin' Ready (1966) Greatest Hits (1966)
Singles from Gettin' Ready
"Get Ready" / "Fading Away" Released: February 7, 1966 "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" Released: May 3, 1966

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[2]

Gettin' Ready is the fourth studio album by The Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label released in 1966. It marks the transition of the group from having Smokey Robinson as its main producer, with new producer Norman Whitfield taking over Robinson's position. Two #1 R&B hit singles, one from each producer, are included: "Get Ready" from Robinson with Eddie Kendricks on lead, and "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" from Whitfield with David Ruffin on lead. Also included is the original version of "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby", which would be rerecorded as a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1969. The album was also one of the last albums to contain tracks co-authored by members of the group until the release of "The Temptations Do The Temptations" in 1976. As with previous Temptations albums, several songs are written by members of The Miracles: Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Marv Tarplin.

Track listing

Superscripts denote lead singers for each track: (a) David Ruffin, (b) Eddie Kendricks, (c) Paul Williams, (d) Melvin Franklin

Side one

1. "Say You" (Charles Jones, Robert Dobyne, Robert Staunton) * ^{a, d}
2. "Little Miss Sweetness" (Smokey Robinson) ^a
3. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (Edward Holland, Jr., Norman Whitfield) ^a
4. "Get Ready" (Robinson) ^{b, d}
5. "Lonely, Lonely Man Am I" (Holland, Eddie Kendricks, Whitfield) ^{c, d}
6. "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" (Janie Bradford, Barrett Strong, Whitfield) ^b

Side two

1. "I've Been Good to You" (Robinson) ^{b, d}
2. "It's a Lonely World Without Your Love" (Ivy Jo Hunter, William "Mickey" Stevenson) ^b
3. "Fading Away" (Warren 'Pete" Moore, Robinson, Bobby Rogers) ^b
4. "Who You Gonna Run To" (Robinson) ^c
5. "You're Not an Ordinary Girl" (Moore, Robinson, Rogers, Marv Tarplin, Ronnie White) ^b
6. "Not Now (I'll Tell You Later)" (Robinson, Otis Williams)*** ^{b, d}

1998 CD reissue bonus tracks

1. "Give It Up" ** ^c
2. "The Man Who Don't Believe In Love", ** ^c

(*) in mono (**) bonus tracks for compact disc re-release, unreleased tracks dating from the Elbridge Bryant era of the early 1960s. (***) Recorded in 1963 during the Elbridge Bryant era with The Supremes as background vocals.

Personnel

• David Ruffin: vocals (side one, tracks 1–5 on side two)
• Eddie Kendricks: vocals
• Paul Williams: vocals
• Melvin Franklin: vocals
• Otis Williams: vocals
• Elbridge "Al" Bryant: vocals (track 6 on side two, CD version bonus tracks)
• The Andantes: background vocals ("Get Ready")
• The Supremes: background vocals ("Not Now, I'll Tell You Later")
• The Funk Brothers: instrumentation
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra: instrumentation (some tracks)

Producers

• Smokey Robinson: "Little Miss Sweetness", "Get Ready", "I've Been Good to You", "Fading Away", "Who You Gonna Run Two", "You're Not an Ordinary Girl", "Not Now, I'll Tell You Later", Executive Producer (Album)
• Norman Whitfield: "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Lonely, Lonely Man Am I", "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby", Executive Producer (Album)
• Robert Staunton & Robert Walker, producers: "Say You"
• William "Mickey" Stevenson & Ivy Jo Hunter: "It's A Lonely World Without Your Love"
• Sylvester Potts (of The Contours) : "Give It Up"
• Marv Johnson: "The Man Who Didn't Believe in Love"

Chart and singles history

Title	Information
"Get Ready"	Gordy single 7049, February 7, 1966 B-side: "Fading Away"
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"	Gordy single 7054, May 3, 1966 B-side: "You'll Lose A Precious Love" (recorded 1964; from The Temptations Sing Smokey)
"Beauty Is Only Skin Deep" (from Greatest Hits)	Gordy single 7055, August 4, 1966 B-side: "You're Not an Ordinary Girl"
"I've Been Good to You" (b-side of "You're My Everything")	Gordy single 7063, June 13, 1967

Name	Chart (1966–1967)	Peak position
Gettin’ Ready	U.S. Billboard Pop Albums	12
Gettin’ Ready	U.S. Top R&B Albums	1
"Get Ready"	U.S. Billboard Pop Singles	29
"Get Ready"	U.S. Billboard R&B Singles	1
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"	U.S. Billboard Pop Singles	13
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"	U.S. Billboard R&B Singles	1
"I've Been Good to You"	U.S. Billboard Pop Singles	124

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1966 (U.S.)

References

1. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r19824