Get Ready by The Temptations is the Smokey Robinson song that topped the R&B chart in 1966.
Gordy Records released it on February 7, 1966.
Eddie Kendricks sang lead, and it stalled at No. 29 on the Hot 100.
Table of Contents
The Story Behind Get Ready by The Temptations
A Fight Over the First Single of 1966
Motown's Quality Control group chose "Get Ready" as the first Temptations single of 1966.
That meant passing over "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," which Norman Whitfield had produced.
Whitfield was unhappy with the decision.
Berry Gordy agreed that if "Get Ready" was not a major hit, Whitfield's song would come next.
The End of an Era
It was the last song Smokey Robinson wrote and produced for the group.
His earlier hit My Girl had put David Ruffin out front.
This time the spotlight went to Eddie Kendricks and his falsetto.
Recording at Hitsville
The Sessions
According to Wikipedia, the group cut the song in Studio A at Hitsville U.S.A. on December 5, 9 and 29, 1965.
The single runs 2:39.
The B-side is "Fading Away," a Robinson, Pete Moore and Bobby Rogers song that Kendricks also led.
The A-side appears on the album Gettin' Ready.
The Sound
- Kendricks sings the lead in falsetto, over an up-tempo dance groove.
- Benny Benjamin drives the track on drums and switches to double-time in the chorus.
- James Jamerson of the Funk Brothers plays bass, according to Jim Connelly's Certain Songs.
- The group's bass voice echoes the nursery-rhyme lines in the verses.
- The other singers answer Kendricks with call-and-response "ahhh" backing vocals.
How It Charted
In the US
The record went to No. 1 on the Hot R&B Singles chart.
On the Billboard Hot 100 it peaked at No. 29, below what Motown expected.
Cash Box also had it at No. 29.
In Canada it reached No. 32 on the RPM chart.
In the UK
British fans took to it more warmly, and it reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
The BPI later certified it Silver.
What Happened Next
Gordy kept his word and released "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" next.
Ruffin sang lead, and the record reached No. 13 on the pop chart.
Whitfield then replaced Robinson as the group's producer.
| Measure | Detail | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Hot R&B Singles | US R&B peak | No. 1 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | US pop peak | No. 29 |
| Cash Box Top 100 | US peak | No. 29 |
| RPM Top Singles | Canada peak | No. 32 |
| UK Singles Chart | UK peak | No. 10 |
Rare Earth and Other Covers
The Rare Earth Version
The Motown band Rare Earth had first recorded the song for their 1968 album Dreams/Answers.
Their 1970 single came out on February 18 and became the bigger pop hit.
It reached No. 4 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on Cash Box, and the RIAA certified it Gold.
The album version of their Get Ready runs 21:32, while the single runs 2:46.
DJ Kool Herc routinely used that record in his turntable sets.
More Recordings
- The Supremes covered it on The Supremes A' Go-Go in 1966.
- Ella Fitzgerald recorded it in 1969 and sang it on The Carol Burnett Show that November.
- Smokey Robinson cut a disco version for his 1979 album Where There's Smoke....
- The Proclaimers recorded it for the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack in 1994.
Where It Fits
The single belongs to 1966, the year Motown's producers began to change.
The full story of the group is in our Temptations biography.
For the label's wider sound, see the Motown, Soul & R&B hub.
FAQ
Who wrote Get Ready?
Smokey Robinson wrote and produced it.
It was the last song he wrote and produced for The Temptations.
Who sang lead on Get Ready?
Eddie Kendricks sang lead in falsetto.
Benny Benjamin played drums on the track.
When did Get Ready come out?
Gordy Records released it on February 7, 1966.
Its B-side is "Fading Away," and it appears on the album Gettin' Ready.
Did Get Ready hit No. 1?
It reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B Singles chart but only No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It peaked at No. 10 in the UK.
Who covered Get Ready?
Rare Earth took it to No. 4 on the Hot 100 in 1970.
Ella Fitzgerald and The Supremes also recorded it.
A song that lost the pop race still won the dance floor.
Wikipedia's entry on the song covers the charts and covers in more depth.
Press play above and hear why Get Ready by The Temptations still moves.