Check Yourself
"Check Yourself" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by The Temptations | ||||
from the album Meet The Temptations | ||||
B-side | "Your Wonderful Love" | |||
Released | November 7, 1961 | |||
Recorded | Hitsville USA; October 28, 1961 | |||
Genre | Soul, R&B, Doo-wop | |||
Length | 2:45 | |||
Label | Miracle M 12 | |||
Songwriter(s) | Berry Gordy, Jr. Elbridge Bryant David English Otis Williams | |||
Producer(s) | Berry Gordy, Jr. | |||
The Temptations singles chronology | ||||
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"Check Yourself" is a 1961 song that was released as a Miracle label single by Motown singing group The Temptations; and written by Motown president Berry Gordy, and group members Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin and Elbridge Bryant, and produced by Gordy.[1] It was the group's second single, as well as their second and last single for the Miracle label, which was deactivated immediately after this release.[2] Starting with the next single release, the group's future recordings for Motown would be issued under the Gordy label until it was deactivated in 1988.
Recording
This is one of the small handful of pre-psychedelic era songs the group recorded that had more than two members singing lead at one point (the second one recorded but the first released). Tenor Otis Williams leads the intro of the song, while the group's bass singer, Melvin Franklin, has a spoken interlude. Baritone Paul Williams, at the time the group's lead singer, leads the rest of the song as the song's narrator; the narrator talks about how after "breaking hearts" the tables have now turned on him as he’s losing his love and now "memories... are all I have".
According to some sources, including Otis Williams autobiography falsetto Eddie Kendricks (and possibly Elbridge "Al" Bryant) did not record vocal on this single, and that the high notes of the song were done by Brian Holland and/or Eddie Holland. However, this cannot be substantiated by official Motown studio records. As for the label's deactivation, it was said to be due to poor sales (not helped by the slogan "If it’s a hit, it’s a Miracle") and confusion with The Miracles singing group.
Reception
The single was a regional hit around the Detroit area, receiving a lot of airplay on local stations, but it would never chart nationally. The group's next single, "Dream Come True", would be led by Kendricks, and would be their first to chart nationally. When that happened their new label would give Kendricks the lead on the group's A-sides, and regulate Paul Williams to B-sides, until 1963. About two years after this single was released, "The Duke of Earl" Gene Chandler would cover the song on one of his singles.
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Paul Williams (song), Otis Williams (intro) and Melvin Franklin (intro-spoken interlude)
- Background vocals by Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, Al Bryant, Otis Williams, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Notes
- v
- t
- e
- Otis Williams
- Ron Tyson
- Terry Weeks
- Tony Grant
- Jawan Jackson
- Melvin Franklin
- Eddie Kendricks
- Paul Williams
- Elbridge Bryant
- David Ruffin
- Dennis Edwards
- Ricky Owens
- Richard Street
- Damon Harris
- Glenn Leonard
- Louis Price
- Ali-Ollie Woodson
- Theo Peoples
- Harry McGilberry
- Barrington "Bo" Henderson
- Ray Davis
- G. C. Cameron
- Joe Herndon
- Bruce Williamson
- Larry Braggs
- Willie Green
- Mario Corbino
- Meet the Temptations
- The Temptations Sing Smokey
- The Temptin' Temptations
- Gettin' Ready
- The Temptations with a Lot o' Soul
- The Temptations Wish It Would Rain
- Cloud Nine
- Puzzle People
- Psychedelic Shack
- Sky's the Limit
- Solid Rock
- All Directions
- Masterpiece
- 1990
- A Song for You
- House Party
- Wings of Love
- The Temptations Do the Temptations
- Hear to Tempt You
- Bare Back
- Power
- The Temptations
- Reunion
- Surface Thrills
- Back to Basics
- Truly for You
- Touch Me
- To Be Continued...
- Together Again
- Special
- Milestone
- Phoenix Rising
- Ear-Resistible
- Awesome
- Legacy
- Still Here
- Temptations 60
- The Temptations in a Mellow Mood
- For Lovers Only
- Reflections
- Back to Front
- All the Time
- Temptations Live!
- Live at the Copa
- Live at London's Talk of the Town
- The Temptations in Japan
- Diana Ross & the Supremes Join the Temptations
- TCB
- The Temptations Show
- Together
- On Broadway
- The Temptations Christmas Card
- Give Love at Christmas
- Lost and Found: You've Got to Earn It (1962–1968)
- Greatest Hits
- Greatest Hits II
- Anthology
- Emperors of Soul
- The Ultimate Collection
- My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations
- Psychedelic Soul
(US/UK Top 10)
- "My Girl"
- "Get Ready"
- "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
- "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep"
- "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
- "All I Need"
- "You're My Everything"
- "I Wish It Would Rain"
- "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)"
- "Cloud Nine"
- "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
- "Run Away Child, Running Wild"
- "I Can't Get Next to You"
- "Psychedelic Shack"
- "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)"
- "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)"
- "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"
- "Masterpiece"
- "Let Your Hair Down"
- "Happy People"
- "Shakey Ground"
- "Treat Her Like a Lady"
- "The Motown Song"
- "My Girl" (reissue)
- Band members
- The Temptations (miniseries)
- Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations
- Discography
- The Supremes
- The Undisputed Truth
- Smokey Robinson
- Norman Whitfield
- Barrett Strong
- Sly Stone
- George Clinton
- Category