September 28, 1972: The Temptations Release "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"

Left to right: Eddie Kendricks, Dennis Edwards,

Paul Williams, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin

September 28, 1972: The Temptations release "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone." It was their 4th and last Number 1 hit on the U.S. pop charts.

Norman Whitfield, lyrics, and Barrett Strong, music, had written "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" for Motown Records group The Undisputed Truth in 1971. Their version was a minor hit. They reworked it for The Temptations, backed by the Motown house band, the Funk Brothers, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The Temptations' version was released on September 28, 1972. Despite its length -- 7 minutes for the single, 12 minutes for the album version -- It hit Number 1.

After the long opening -- 2 minutes out of the 7 on the single version, 4 minutes out of the 12 on the album cut -- the opening by lead singer Dennis Edwards is unforgettable:

It was the 3rd of September

The day I'll always remember

Yes, I will

'cause that was the day

that my Daddy died.

The various members of the group -- at this point, consisting of Edwards, founding members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, and newcomers Damon Harris and Richard Street -- took turns acting as the various children of the late father, asking their mother which of the things they've heard about him are true, perhaps hoping none of them are, but they need to know: "Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth."

Legend has it that Edwards was furious with Whitfield, because his father actually did die on a September 3, and was not a "rolling stone," but a minister, with Dennis Jr. becoming his choir director, and eventually being ordained himself.

It wasn't true. The Rev. Dennis Edwards Sr. actually died on an October 3. The real reason why Dennis Jr. was angry with Whitfield wasn't his writing, it was his producing: He didn't like doing take after take on his vocals. He was lucky he wasn't acting in a Stanley Kubrick film.

My own father was anything but a rolling stone. What he thought of this song, or even if he ever heard it, I never asked him. Probably because I didn't want to remind him of his own father. Who was... It's complicated. At any rate, despite being at the early side of the right age group to be an original rock and roll fan, he preferred classical and folk music, but he probably would have appreciated the opening. And he did once express an appreciation for one Motown singing legend: Marvin Gaye.

Former co-lead singers David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks has already left the group, in 1968 and 1971, respectively. Ruffin died in 1991, at age 50, from a cocaine overdose. Kendricks died in 1992, at 52, from another drug: Cigarettes. Another member, Paul Williams, also left in 1971, and had fallen victim to alcoholism. He took his own life in 1973, at 34.

Bass singer Melvin Franklin died in 1995, at 52, from diabetes. Damon Harris and Richard Street, who replaced Kendricks and Williams, died within a few days of each other in 2013, at 62 and 70, respectively. Dennis Edwards died in 2018, at 74. As of the 50th Anniversary of the song, September 28, 2022, Otis Williams, no relation to Paul, the last surviving founding member, is 82. He is also no relation to the Otis Williams who led the Cincinnati-based vocal group The Charms, who had an early rock-and-roll hit in 1954 with "Hearts of Stone."

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September 28, 1972 was a Thursday. This was also the day the hockey "Summit Series" ended in Moscow, with Paul Henderson's last-minute goal securing victory for Canada over the Soviet Union, 6-5. I have a separate entry for that event.

September was chosen for the Summit Series because it was before either country's major league began play for the new season. The NBA and the ABA hadn't yet started their 1972-73 seasons, either. And while it was during the football season, at the time, NFL and college games played on Thursdays other than Thanksgiving were rare. And only 4 Major League Baseball games were played:

* The New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers, 3-2 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Thurman Munson, Roy White and pitcher Lindy McDaniel all hit home runs off the Tigers' Mickey Lolich. Because of the designated hitter, McDaniel remains the last Yankee pitcher to have hit a home run. White's homer won the game in the 12th inning. Mel Stottlemyre started the game, and Sparky Lyle won it in relief of Stottlemyre and McDaniel.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals, 3-1 at Fenway Park in Boston.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Minnesota Twins, 8-7 at the Oakland Coliseum.