Papa Was a Rollin' Stone: Whitfield vs. the Temptations in Studio A

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Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote Papa Was a Rollin' Stone in 1971, and Whitfield first cut it with the Undisputed Truth. Released in May 1972, that version peaked at number 63 pop and number 24 R&B before fading. Whitfield then took the song to the Temptations, who wanted ballads and resented a track that kept them waiting nearly three minutes before the first vocal. The episode follows the summer 1972 sessions, where Whitfield made Dennis Edwards redo his vocal dozens of times to get an angry, worn-out delivery, and examines the legend that Edwards's own father had died on the third of September; the episode says his father actually died on the third of October.

The album version ran about 12 minutes, built from the Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Maurice Davis on the opening trumpet, Melvin Ragin and Paul Warren on wah-wah guitar, Earl Van Dyke on electric piano. Accounts say James Jamerson walked out rather than repeat a simple three-note bass phrase, leaving Bob Babbitt to play it. The edited single went to number one on the Hot 100 and won three Grammys in 1973, including Best R&B Instrumental for the B-side backing track alone. Whitfield was later dismissed as the group's producer, and Otis Williams called it the group's last true classic.

The Undisputed Truth released the song first, two months before the Temptations' version.
The single edit still ran about seven minutes, long for radio in 1972.
It was the Temptations' final pop number one and last competitive Grammy win.
Bill Wolfer's 1983 synth cover featured Michael Jackson on backing vocals.
Covers by Was (Not Was), George Michael and a 2024 version by Slash with Demi Lovato followed.

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