Temptations still making music after five decades

Mention the word “Motown” and it automatically brings back memories of great music: Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye and, of course, The Temptations.

The Temps bring their string of hits — “I Wish It Would Rain,” “My Girl,” “Ain't Too Proud to Beg,” “Papa was a Rolling Stone,” “Ball of Confusion” and more — to Waukegan's Genesee Theatre for an 8 p.m. show Saturday, along with a big band and their signature dance moves.

This year marks the group's 50th anniversary, as its founder and mainstay Otis Williams leads current members Walter Joe Herndon, Terry Weeks, Ron Tyson Presson and Bruce Williamson through their paces and a song catalog embedded deep in the American musical landscape.

“Fifty years? I don't look at it as scary, but rather a wonderful milestone ... we never thought we'd be around this long. We just wanted to sing,” Williams said during a phone interview. “Wow! What a blessing. Good music is timeless, you can hum along, and sing words without any cussing in it, too.

“The Motown phenomena still touches all walks of life, even the soldiers overseas play our music. Vietnam-era veterans have told us that at the end of the day, they would play our music. It's still here, and I'm glad to be part of the energy that keeps it all going.”

The band has come a long way since its initial 1961 incarnation of The Elgins with Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eldridge Bryant, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams. David Ruffins joined them later for their classic period, defined by surging harmonies and those famous unison dance moves. Remember the butterfly catch?

“I give all accolades to Paul (Williams), and hoofer Charles ‘Cholly' Atkins for incorporating choreography into the act,” Williams said chuckling. “They were the ones known for the moves, and that takes me back. Our first record was ‘Oh, Mother of Mine.' Not extraordinary. Later, Smokey Robinson produced ‘When You Do Those Things You Do' ... a hokey title, we laughed. It ran up the charts, though, and that's the greatness of Smokey.

“Now ‘Papa' almost wasn't recorded, we were tired of the whole psychedelic thing, we fought about it, and finally gave in,” he said. “It was a hit ... shows you what we knew.”

The band was even the subject of a television miniseries drama in 1998, which centered on their infighting, drug and alcohol abuse, and personal issues rather than the music. “It's about 95 percent true,” Williams said. “People didn't know we went through that. That miniseries story might even go to Broadway for a show, and I had input.

“This is definitely a labor of love, and love is a tough thing, but that's life ... having internal fortitude, losing four guys that made the Temptations. These are changes that we all go through as people.”

Williams closed the conversation by saying, “Our reputation and music speaks for itself, people know our music and history, so come on out and see what we do at a high level of performance. We always give a great show, and without pyrotechnics, too.”

<b>The Temptations</b>

<b>When:</b> 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5

<b>Where:</b> Genesee Theatre, 204 N. Genesee St., Waukegan

<b>Tickets:</b> $35-$55. Call (847) 263-6300 or see <a href="http://www.geneseetheatre.com" target="_blank">geneseetheatre.com</a>.