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A Song for You is a 1975 album by The Temptations. It features two R&B #1 hits: "Happy People" (originally intended for recording by its authors, The Commodores), and "Shakey Ground", one of the group's final R&B #1 songs.

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A Song for You
Studio album by The Temptations
Released	January 16, 1975
Recorded	1974
Genre	Soul, funk
Length	35:53
Label	Gordy G6 969 S1
Producer	Berry Gordy, Jeffrey Bowen, James Anthony Carmichael, Suzee Wendy Ikeda, Clayton Ivey, Terry Woodford
The Temptations chronology
1990 (1973) A Song for You (1975) House Party (1975)
Singles from A Song for You
"Happy People" Released: 1974 "Glasshouse" Released: 1974 "Shakey Ground" Released: 1974

Music and lyrics

The album features then-lead singer Dennis Edwards on the title track written by Leon Russell. Also featured are Richard Street and Melvin Franklin on the track "Firefly".

A Song for You features a familiar device of the time used to exhibit the versatility of 1970s soul groups: one side features up-tempo cuts and the other side focuses on ballads. Several songs on side one such as "Glass House" and "Shakey Ground" featured P-Funk-backed dance grooves and even a writing credit for former Funkadelic guitarist Eddie Hazel, while side two had tracks such as "I'm a Bachelor" and "Memories", which showcased a more subdued style of soul.

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	C[2]

This album, while it was initially panned by the Rolling Stone Record Guide, proved its worth, going gold (selling over 500,000 copies) and winning the 1976 American Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Album. This was also the final album by Eddie Kendricks's replacement Damon Harris, who was let go after this album. He would rejoin his Young Tempts (aka "The Young Vandals") bandmates as Impact.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Happy People" – 3:38 (Lionel Richie, Jeffrey Bowen, Donald Baldwin) (lead singer: Dennis Edwards)
2. "Glasshouse" – 3:54 (Charlemagne) (lead singers: Dennis Edwards, Damon Harris, Richard Street, Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin)
3. "Shakey Ground" – 4:03 (Eddie Hazel, Alphonso Boyd, Bowen) (lead singer: Dennis Edwards)
4. "The Prophet" – 4:28 (Bowen, Kathy Wakefield, Larry Duncan) (lead singer: Melvin Franklin)
5. "Happy People" (Instrumental) – 2:57 (Richie, Bowen, Baldwin)

Side two

1. "A Song for You" – 4:40 (Leon Russell) (lead singer: Dennis Edwards)
2. "Memories" – 6:01 (Baldwin, Wakefield, Bowen) (lead singer: Dennis Edwards)
3. "I'm a Bachelor" (Dennis Edwards, Otis Williams, Damon Harris, Richard Street, Melvin Franklin) – 4:21 (lead singer: Dennis Edwards)
4. "Firefly" – 4:02 (Jesse Boyce) (lead singers: Richard Street, Melvin Franklin)

Personnel

• Dennis Edwards - vocals
• Damon Harris - vocals
• Richard Street - vocals
• Melvin Franklin - vocals
• Otis Williams - vocals
• Berry Gordy - producer
• Jeffrey Bowen - producer
• Donald Charles Baldwin - co-songwriter: ("Happy People", "Memories"), piano, clavinet, Moog, soprano saxophone solo on "Shakey Ground"
• The Commodores - tape loop on "Happy People"
• Lionel Richie - co-songwriter: ("Happy People")
• Eddie Hazel - co-songwriter: ("Shakey Ground"), guitar
• Melvin "Wah-Wah" Ragin - guitar
• Ollie Brown, James Gadson, Zachary Frazier - drums
• William "Billy Bass" Nelson - bass guitar

Charts

Chart (1975)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[3]	77
Canadian Albums (RPM)[4]	14
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[5]	9
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6]	62
US Billboard 200[7]	13

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1975 (U.S.)

References

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