papa was a rollin' stone

The Temptations laid their hat on the top of the charts with the loose and funky groove of this cinematic psychedelic soul classic.  'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' was the last song composed by the superstar songwriting team of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong.  The song was originally done by the Motown group the Undisputed Truth who took it to number sixty-three on the pop chart and number twenty-four on the R&B chart.  Whitfield brought the song to the Temptations for their album 'All Directions'.   Motown president Berry Gordy said: "He could take one chord, like on 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone,' and play the same chord and do all these different beautiful melodies and stuff that many people could not really imagine this guy doin'. And I would watch him and he did it all by himself as a producer. He would work with five guys in the Temps and he would change leads on each one. He would pick the right lead for the right song, ya know, and he'd utilize all five of those leads in a song that was just incredible. When I listen to 'em today, now that I have time to listen to 'em, I'm saying, 'Wow! This guy was probably the most underrated producer we had'."

The sessions for the album included:  Dennis Edwards, Damon Harris, Richard Street, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams on vocals; and the Funk Brothers on instrumentation.  Bassist Bob Babbitt reveals the origin of the memorable bass line:  "The Undisputed Truth version was yours truly....I had first been told that the Temptations version was Leroy Taylor but then Eddie Watkins name was also mentioned to me...Recently Wah Wah Watkins and I had a discussion about the 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' session and he told me that Jamerson and myself were both on the session but when producer Norman Whitfield asked Jamerson to just keep reapting the bass line that Jamerson got up and walked out of the session...Wah Wah said that Norman and me play the line...I told Wah Wah that I did not remember this but he insisted that is what happened...As a result if several versions were recorded and the credits had three or four bass players on the album but did not list who is playing on each cut then there would be confusion as to who played on what...
Ab Bb  Db Db Ab Bb."

Dennis Edwards was troubled by the opening line of the song because his own father had died on the third of October:  "My father was a minister and my mama was a churchperson. I had a good upbringing...Norman was an eccentric ... he just didn’t know ...  I was in the studio, thinking 'when am I coming in?'  Norman put me out there (listening to the instrumental track from the beginning) and I'm really pissed off because I thought he could have just started me from my part.  By the time my part came up – 'It was the third of September…' I was agitated yet subdued, which is what Norman wanted.  Norman was a genius at getting the best out of you and "Papa" won three Grammies."

The version on 'All Directions' was almost twelve minutes long.  The single version was still seven minutes long.  
Edwards says:   "The thing about 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone' that was so controversial with us is we never thought it would ever get played, because of the length of it. And we took a big chance. Back in the day it was like two minutes, two and a half but the Dells broke that market. They came out with 'Stay In My Corner'. And disc jockeys told them they wouldn't play it but the record was so strong they had to play it They were the pioneers of it. Then we came out with 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone', with that big sixteen bar intro. The jocks had not really got together on whether or not to play long records. What we did to them was, we were the top group in the world and we came out with it and said 'This is our new record.' So we made them play it. After that, a lot of groups came out with longer playing records. It was that driving beat, that haunting beat for that era."

The single hit number five on the R&B chart and was their last song to go to the top of the pop chart. The B-side was the instrumental backing by The Funk Brothers.  'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' won three Grammy awards: Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group; Best R&B Instrumental; and Best R&B Song.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJV2pWFyfn4




It was the third of September.
That day I'll always remember, yes I will.
'Cause that was the day that my daddy died.
I never got a chance to see him.
Never heard nothing but bad things about him.
Mama, I'm depending on you, tell me the truth.

And Mama just hung her head and said,
"Son, Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone."
"Papa was a rolling stone, my son.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone."

Well, well.

Hey Mama, is it true what they say,
that Papa never worked a day in his life?
And Mama, bad talk going around town
saying that Papa had three outside children and another wife.
And that ain't right.
Heard some talk about Papa doing some store front preaching.
Talking about saving souls and all the time leeching.
Dealing in debt and stealing in the name of the Lord.

Mama just hung her head and said,
"Papa was a rolling stone, my son.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone."
"Hey, Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone."

Uh!

Hey Mama, I heard Papa call himself a jack of all trade.
Tell me is that what sent Papa to an early grave?
Folk say Papa would beg, borrow, steal to pay his bill.
Hey Mama, folk say that Papa was never much on thinking.
Spent most of his time chasing women and drinking.
Mama, I'm depending on you to tell me the truth. 
Mama looked up with a tear in her eye and said,
"Son, Papa was a rolling stone. (Well, well, well, well)
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone."
"Papa was a rolling stone.
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone."

"I said, Papa was a rolling stone. 
Wherever he laid his hat was his home.
(And when he died) All he left us was alone."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6c0P5sWCWg




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s3SNHIH0bs





The instrumental version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYEynE6aa7Y