Before the Rolling Stones turned a Motown classic into a rock hit, the Temptations begged for the soul track to be released, and it ended up being one of their long-standing hits.
“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” was written by the Temptations’ producer Norman Whitfield alongside Edward Holland Jr. Critics called the track a “blues-soaked” ode about a lovesick man doing everything possible to keep his woman.
The Temptations’ original was ranked by the American Film Institute at No. 94 on its list of the 100 Greatest American Movie Music. This was largely due to the song being included in the 1983 comedy-drama The Big Chill, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams.
Before it became a hit song, it didn’t convince music executives at first, and it took some time for it to be released.
Motown held Quality Control meetings every Friday to decide what singles were ready to be released. To Whitfield’s disappointment, “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” was vetoed twice during these meetings. Berry Gordy commented that the track was good, but didn’t have enough story behind it.
Back in the recording studio, Otis Williams recalled how David Ruffin went through the wringer to record at a vocal range much higher than he was used to. He remembers Ruffin doing take after take to get it right.
“During the process of recording, it was such a chore that his glasses started turning lopsided. He stood singing, trying to push them up so he could read the lyrics. He’s sweating a pound of flesh, and he could go on and on,” explained Williams.
The rest of the group was encouraging him from the control booth, and Ruffin got the take, and was “sweating and his glasses were all over his face”.
Whitfield and the group were sure they had a hit on their hands, until the Quality Control meeting. According to reports, Motown was doing well at the time and had a set hierarchical structure for how they produced tracks. Smokey Robinson was one of the top producers at the label and the producer for the Temptations. He had first rights to what songs would be released, and Motown picked his “Get Ready” instead of “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”
The track ended up being released because the record label promised they would if “Get Ready” failed to reach the Top 20. “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” ended up being released in May 1966 and landed at No.13 on the Billboard Pop Chart, and was a number-one hit on the Billboard R&B charts for eight non-consecutive weeks.
The Temptations released another generational hit, as the Rolling Stones released a popular rock cover in 1974. It was released on their album It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll, which was also their last album with Mick Taylor. Their cover was also a major success and landed at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Related: 1974 Soul Song, Written for Maya Rudolph, Is Still a Powerful No.1 Hit 52 Years Later
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