11 ENTERTAINMENT l’
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Thursday, Dec. 15, 1977-THE CHARLOTTE POST-Page IB
Variety snow
To Feature
The Temptations
The Bay City Rollers, Step
hen Bishop, Redd Foxx, Linda
Hopkins, The Mills Brothers,
Jaye P. Morgan, Michelle
Phillips and the Temptations
head a roster of entertainers
on “The Chuck Barris Variety
Show" (“Rah Rah”) hosted
by Barris - the zany emcee of
daytime TV’s comedy hit,
“The Gong Show" - to be
colorcast on Channel Nine
Tuesday, December 20 at 8
p.m.
The show will feature vari
ous acts that made “The Gong
Show” famous such as The
Stepping Stones, The Bandit
Impressionist, Kathy Carlislie
and Dad, The Unknown Co
- mic, Flip Reade, The Kipper
Kids, Matt Idol, The De-An
Dancers and Scarlett and
Rhett.
WBTV To Air
“Tell Me My
Name” Dec. 20
Arthur Hill and Barbara
Barrie star in the 90-minute
“GE Theatre” drama “Tell
Me My Name,” a poignant
story of a mother who is
forced to face the truth about
her life after she is confronted
by her illegitimate 19-year-old
daughter, Tuesday, Dec. 20, at
9:30 p.m. on WBTV, Channel
3.
The cast also includes Bar
nard Hughes, Valerie Mahaf
fey, Glenn Zachar and Doug
las McKeon.
“Tell Me My Name” is a
sensitive study of Emily Mc
Phail, a middle-aged wife and
mother with two young sons,
who is confronted by her
illegitimate daughter, Alex
andra, at a time in her life
when Emily questions who she
is and what her marriage
offers her. Her teen-age
daughter, born out 61 wedlock
and given up for adoption,
returns to her natural mother,
seeking the truth about her
origins.
Emily must come to terms
with her past and examine her
relationship with her husband.
Porter, whom she has never
told about her daughter, bom
before she and Porter met.
Alexandra discovers her
real lineage and forges new
relationships with her adopt
ed parents and her new-found
family.
TEMPTING TEMPTATIONS
.„//«/ musical aggregation
Temptations Was First
Original Soul Shaking Group
By Dianne Simpson
Post Staff Writer
First there was the original
soul shaking group called The
Temptations composed of the
dynamic groups called the
Distants (Otis Williams and
Melvin Franklin) and the Pri
mes (Paul Williams and Eddie
Kendricks) with its sister gro
up, the' Primettes (now the
Supremes) in the early six
ties. They became a unit
containing five lead singers
with an addition of Elbridge
Bryant.
They started recording in
1962, and had their first major
record in 1964, when David
Ruffin joined the group. The
song was a Smokey Robinson
-tune called "The Way You Do
The Things You Do ” That
same year also marked their
first album release, MEET
THE TEMPTATIONS. Oh ves,
the Tempts were indeed on
their way!
“My Girl,” the group's first
gold single for a million selling
album was then followed by a
string of other golden hits of
"Ain't Too Proud To Beg,"
and "Beauty's Only Skin
Deep,” "Get Ready,” "All I
Need" and “Loneliness Made
Me Realize (U’s You That I
Need),” that caused the
Temptations to zoom to the
peak of the charts in the
mid-sixties.
It was after this time that
changes began to take place.
In 1968 Dennis Edwards, a
former member of the group
called The Contours, replaced
David Ruffin who wanted to
pursue a solo career After
Dennis' arrival into the group
they changed their style of
singing They switched from
the melodious tunes once hea
rd in their "You’re My Every
thing” and "I Wish It Would
Rain,” to that of tunes con
taining a very rhythmic, pul
sating beat like that heard in
"Message From A Black
Man,” "Don’t Let The Jones'
Get You Down,” and "Run
away Child Running Wild.” In
early 1970, their release of
"Psychedelic Shack” and an
album cut entitled WAR stres
sed the problems confront inv
so many of us young adults all
over the world.
During the summer of 1971,
Paul Williams retired from
the road and was replaced by
singer Richard Street, who
formerly sang with the Moni
tors. Eddie Kendricks also left
the group at this time and was
replaced with Damon Harris.
Then in 1975 Damon Harris
left the group and was replae
ed by Glenn Leonard In 197fi
Dennis Edwards split and was
replaced by lx>uis Price as
lead singer.
So what exists is a brand
new group comprising Melvin
Franklin, Richard Street,
Glenn Leonard, Otis Williams
and Ix>uis Price who are burst
ing forth with a distinctive
sound and sharp choreogra
phy that make them idols
among many groups across
the nation.
Their singing pattern ex
tends from funky to gospel and
from soul to pop
The Temptations have be
come a part of major history
for their music
•‘Good News** To
Feature Area
Young People
Sixteen college and high
school students from Char
lotte and area schools' will
perform seven religious songs
arranged In John Coates on a
special musical program.
"Good News." to be seen
Sunday. December IHth at
6 Jo p in on WBTV. Channel
3.
A 35-piece orchestral back
ing will accompany the sing
ers as they perlonii old time
favorites like "Bringing itughe
anenves ami Aina/me/ara
ee." and contemporary gospel
songs like "la-t > Just l.’raise
the Lord" and l.i«mis MeGlo
hon's "Teach Me Lord The
performance will include a
special arrangement ol Si
lent Night
The group, which lias been
compared to some ol Amen
ca's outstanding musical elm
ruses, is a hand-picked choral
ensemble chosen Irani among
seventy-live students who au
ditioned earlier in the tall The
unusual settings for this in
studio performance are con
temporary.
Writer and producer ol
"Good News" is Immus Me
Glohon. director is John Itur
chett, and choral director is
Steve Darsay.
WBTV S<*Ls -Wlial
Would You <a\o
For Yeslmlny“
Whal would you pay lm
yesterday? lor a pi;
Dusenberg? $25,000 lor a Ih,i
He of Itothsc hi III vmlagi
wine? $4541 for Shirley l etup
le's teddy bear-' Allen l.udih u ■
hosts a fid-minute television
special, "Whal Would Non
Pay For Yesterday-' winch
focuses on what it costs, and
what it’s worth in nostalgic
value, to own a Ini ol the past
I he show will be seen Sunday
Dec IH at ,r> p in on WI'.T\
Channel :t.
Highlights include visits to
the Isl Annual Celebrity Car
Auction, the 20th Century Fox
Prop Memorabilia Auction
and the unique IKlh and Pith
Century furnishings in the
private collection ol renow noil
lashion designer Mr Ibuck
well
(•uest auctioneers are .inn
Backus. Jack Carter, l.vnda
Day and Christopher Court"
Andy (Griffith. Anson W illiam*
and Jane Withers