Dennis Edwards, who joined the top Motown act the Temptations to take lead vocals on some of the group's most memorable latter-day hits such as “Just My Imagination,” died Friday in Chicago of undisclosed causes. He was 74.
Papa was a rolling stone.... "and when he died all he left us was alone" Great intro, lyrics and song, I always thought it was "a loan". He will be missed. Master cut (long)
Very sad indeed. My prayers to his family & friends. I can't tell you how many times during my career in radio that began in 1967 that I've played the songs of the Temptations. As Music Director & Program Director, I used many of their releases as "Pick Hit's" & had them on my Top 40 Survey's. I actually met and spent some time with David Ruffin while I was in Detroit in 1972-1973 working at WDRQ/FM. He had a solo career then, and when I had been at 50,000 Watt KAAY/Little Rock in 1969, I was one of the first MD's to use "My Whole World Ended", his first solo release, as a "Pick Hit". He remembered that when we met in Detroit...and was just great to know at that time. At WDRQ, we played the long version of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". In those days, many of the record companies would send stations Promo copies to play with one side (usually the album version) that was full-length, and the other side called "Radio Edit" for stations that wanted to play "More Music"...and used shorter songs to fit in more songs per hour. I always used the full-length version...the way it was originally recorded, and the ratings at my stations mirrored that as the audience knew we respected them, the artists, and, the music. ("Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "Cloud Nine", and, "Ball of Confusion", sound fantastic in stereo when you're Crusin' in your ride at night with the windows rolled up so the sound echos through your interior & bounces off the gl*** !) Again, so sorry about Dennis' p***ing away...his voice was a key to much of the groups success. Jonnie www.legends.thewwbc.net
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