Saturday Soundtrack: Papa Was a Rolling Stone

The Temptations had a big hit with this song (it won a Grammy in 1973), and theirs is the version most people are familiar with. But they weren't the first group to release it. Another Motown group, the Undisputed truth released the song first.

I first heard the song coming out of my cousin Rick's bedroom when I was about 6 or 7 years old. (I thought he was cool. He wore Hai-Karate.) This song is unusual, not only for its length (anywhere from 8 to 12 minutes) but also for being entirely in one chord, B-flat minor. I can only tinkof one other pop song that can make the same claim, Night of a Thousand Dances, which, I think, only used E-minor.

Anyway, here is my favorite version of Papa Was a Rolling Stone, by by Lee Ritenour on his 2003 album "A Twist of Mowtown". This particular video clip is from the Overtime DVD and features Lee Ritenour (guitar), Melvin Davis (Bass), Oscar Seaton (drums), and Chris Botti (trumpet). Enjoy.