MovieChat Forums > The Temptations (1998) Discussion > Edwards' 'rolling stone' papa

Edwards' 'rolling stone' papa

posted 15 years ago by Sparky48
7 replies | jump to latest

Remember the scene from the movie when the Temps were in the studio to begin recording "Papa Was a Rolling Stone"? Dennis Edwards had a major problem with the opening line of the lyrics, "It was the 3rd of December..the day my daddy died," because, by a most bizarre coincidence, it WAS the actual day that his real-life father died.

Although I could understand why Dennis had a such a problem with it, I couldn't understand why Dennis, the other Tempts, and Norman Whitfield were making such a squabble about this when the resolution was simple: change the date. Why didn't they just simply change the month in the lyric to either November or September? In terms of phonetics, the two months are largely identical to December, and I would imagine that it shouldn't have had a significant effect on the lyric.

[–] pdl69 14 years ago

It was the September but we understand what you mean...
Listen to the song again.

[–] Sparky48 12 years ago

Thanks for the correction, but that just proves my point of how the names of these months sound so much identical.

[–] LadyCynderella 14 years ago

If the scene is accurate, I'd say Norman refused to change it because of his ego and plain stubborness.

The Doctor: I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords.

[–] mscinnamon 14 years ago

I agree! From what I understand, Norman was super talented but quite a control freak. Leaving that date to spite Dennis was probably a thrill for him, another way of making sure he had the upper hand and final say on "his" projects.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (156688) 13 years ago

and probably increasing his anger during the song!

[–] b-touch 13 years ago

This scene is based on urban legend - Edwards' father died on the third of *October*.

[–] jefgg 10 years ago

The other half of the legend - that Norman Whitfield forced Dennis Edwards to rerecord his parts dozens of times until he finally got the angered, bitter grumble he desired out of the usually fiery toned Edwards - was true. Whitfield's treatment of the group would eventually lead to his dismissal as their producer. The Temptations' version of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" followed in the extended length "cinematic soul" tradition of the work of Isaac Hayes and others, and future songs like Donna Summer's fourteen-minute "Love to Love You Baby" and the instrumentals of MFSB expanded upon the concept in the mid-1970s.