The Sept. 9 edition of Dean Farrell’s Soul Express presented the full-length album, The Temptations: Live in Japan.
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Recorded in 1973 at Shibuya Kokaido in Tokyo, the line-up includes Damon Harris and Richard Street who had joined the group in 1971 following the exit of founding members Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams.
The LP was initially only released in Japan and England, but not the United States. In 2004, a remaster, limited-edition version was made available to the U.S. and rest of the world, but only 5,000 copies were printed.
Of the 12 tracks on the record, one of the most notable was the performance of “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” which featured a noticeably different arrangement than the single which came out following the release of All Directions in July 1972.
Oddly, the Shibuya Kokaido hosted the Tamla-Motown Festival in 1968, featuring Stevie Wonder and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.