Proto-Prog and Prog-Related Lounge - Norman Whitfield

I've always been a great admirer of Motown producer/composer Norman Whitfield's work between '68 and '74 when he began to absorb progressive ideas into his productions. He found the ideal template for his expression with the Temptations, a versatile vocal unit of stunning range and nuance and his productions for them over this period incorporated experiments with sound effects, orchestral colour and extended arrangements, starting with the startling single Cloud Nine in 1968, which combined wah-wah guitars, orchestral tones and a vocal arrangement that made full use of the Temps' vocal talents.

Lyrics also moved from the usual boy/girl romantic schtick towards more serious issues such as drug abuse and social collapse, Cloud Nine an example of the former and 1970's great Ball Of Confusion single the latter. Ball Of Confusion was a fascinating experiment with incredible dynamics, electronics and dramatic brass, all built on the chassis of a one-chord song. Whitfield moved the group through other adventurous singles like Can't Get Next To You, Psychedelic Shack and the groundbreaking Papa Was A Rolling Stone in 1973, the long version of which was a neat summation of his talent as a composer/arranger with it's brooding atmosphere, orchestral interludes and slowly cooking funky guitar licks. Temptations albums from the early seventies era like Puzzle People and Masterpiece are well worth a listen for those with an open mind and an ear for interesting music and, for me, a Greatest Hits collection is essential, with all those great Whitfield single productions on one album. Priceless!