The Temptations
The Temptations, often referred to as American Music Royalty, are world-renowned superstars of entertainment, revered for their phenomenal catalog of music and prolific career. The group are celebrating their 60th Anniversary through 2022. To mark this milestone, The Temptations released a brand-new album, Temptations 60, with nearly all-original songs in January of 2022 and, are touring in the U.S, as well as abroad to the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, fall of 2022. Dr. Otis Williams, the sole surviving, original member of The Temptations, turned 80 on October 30th of 2021.
Ranked #1 in Billboard magazine’s most recent list of the “Greatest R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of All Time,” The Temptations also appear in the magazine’s 125th Anniversary list of the “125 Greatest of All Time Artists.” In addition, Rolling Stone magazine named the group among the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” In September of 2020, the editors of Rolling Stone magazine commented that The Temptations are “Indisputably the greatest black vocal group of the Modern Era…,” and listed the group’s Anthology album among the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” The Anthology album has appeared in all three of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums’ lists.
The Temptations’ heritage, influence and contributions to, not only American culture and African American communities but also to the global music landscape are monumental. The influence that The Temptations had on mainstream and global artists, such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and others, is undeniable.
The group’s popularity is ever-increasing and they are one of the most iconic, bestselling brands in the entertainment world today. While the group has evolved over the years, Dr. Otis Williams has continued to lead the group and carry the torch forward for the next generation of Temptations’ fans.
The Spinners
Timeless in a way that few other acts are, The Spinners are one of the most iconic and enduring groups in R&B history. With a towering legacy spanning over six decades, The Spinners have never lost their universal appeal. In 2021, they returned with their first all-new original album, the aptly-titled, “Round the Block and Back Again.”
The group created and came to define the smooth sound of Philadelphia Soul, channeling the highs and lows of romance and heartbreak into a catalog of classic hits, beloved across generations. Throughout the years the Spinners remained perched atop the Pop, R&B, and Adult Contemporary Charts, with smash singles like, “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” “Then Came You,” “The Rubberband Man” and many more – earning six Grammy nominations, 18 Platinum and Gold Albums, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and selling millions of records worldwide in the process. Their legendary repertoire has earned a permanent place in the American songbook.
Though The Spinners popularized, and came to epitomize, the lush sound of Philly Soul in the 1970s, they got their start in Detroit at Motown in 1961. The Spinners signed with Atlantic Records in 1972, teaming up with producer Thom Bell in Philadelphia where the group blossomed under his production aegis.
The Spinners had another classic hit single, “Working My Way Back To You,” topping the Pop and R&B charts, earning the group its twelfth gold record. The “The Love Trippin” album (1980) also included “Cupid,” one of the fastest-selling records in The Spinners’ illustrious career. The follow-up LP, “Labor of Love,” featured such stand-out tunes as “Yesterday Once More,” and “Long Live Soul Music.”
Four decades later The Spinners have not skipped a single beat as “Round the Block and Back Again” makes wonderfully clear. Melding intricate harmonies with breathtaking vocal acrobatics, the album, released in August 2021, showcases The Spinners at their soulful, multi-octave best.
A perennial fan favorite, the Spinners continue to perform to sold out crowds at home and abroad while maintaining a loyal coterie of die-hard aficionados. The Spinners have left an indelible impact in the annals of music history, and perhaps most importantly, on the hearts of millions of fans throughout the world.