After eleven long years as part of The Temptations, Vocalist Eddie Kendricks departed in 1971. A big change for the group, it was three years earlier that David Ruffin was dismissed, and a few months before Kendricks, Paul Williams had stepped away as well. With this, The Temptations brought in Damon Harris and Richard Street as replacements, as Kendricks and Williams pursued other endeavors.
Both important parts of The Temptations, Kendricks was a huge part of their success as a leading vocalist on major hits like 1964’s “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” 1966’s “Get Ready,” and 1971’s “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me).” The last featured on the expectational 1971 Temptations’ album Sky’s the Limit, many wondered what would become of the group and Kendricks himself.
Well, before even looking into Kedricks’ solo career, you have to first look at what prompted him to leave The Temptations in the first place. A bundle of issues had come to a head, but one of the most glaring was perhaps Kendricks’s apprehension with The Temptations’ change in musical directions. As it goes, times were changing, and with that, The Temptations shifted to a more psychedelic sound for their 1970 album Psychedelic Shack. Something Kendricks was reportedly not entirely comfortable with, this could be seen as a turning point in his decision to leave.
With the writing on the wall, Kendricks was already exploring his solo work while recording the aforementioned “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” with The Temptations. In fact, Kendricks had enough of his own music recorded to put out his debut solo album All by Myself in April of 1971… the same month The Temptations’ Sky’s the Limit arrived. Interestingly from a historical perspective, Kendricks had already left The Temptations by this time and was well on his way to artistic freedom.
With Kendricks’ debut album doing moderately well (reaching number six on the R&B charts), true R&B and Soul fans were eager to hear more from the talented vocalist. Having that opportunity a little more than a year later, May of 1972 saw the release of his sophomore record People… Hold On. This time reaching past the more Pop stylings, People… Hold On has proven to be an exceptional moment in Kendricks’ musical journey.
Embracing a rawer sound, you can feel the mix of R&B, and Soul, but also Rock-n-Roll. Draped with rich instrumentation at the hands of backing band The Young Senators, along with distinctive Mog Synthesizers from Cal Harris, bringing it all together was a fantastic production from Frank Wilson (who previously worked on The Temptations’ 1967 album The Temptations in a Mellow Mood), Leonard Caston Jr. (who co-wrote or co-produced Mitty Collier’s 1964 “I Had A Talk With My Man” and The Supremes’ 1971’s hit “Nathan), and Bobby Miller (who co-wrote several hits for The Dells and Little Milton).
All these factors create a very live feel where the drums, guitar, bass, brass, and keys stand out in each track, those who have heard it would tell you People… Hold On certainly marked a new direction for Kendricks. Featuring the popular dance single “Girl You Need a Change of Mind,” beyond this, it is truly an album that is captivating from start to finish.
Which leads you to wonder – why People… Hold On was not more commercially successful? Respectfully hitting number 13 on Billboard’s Soul LPs chart and reaching number 131 on the Top LPs & Tape (today’s Billboard 200), you could argue that these rankings do not do the album true justice. Extremely diverse, you have funky Dance numbers like “Girl You Need a Change of Mind” and “Let Me Run Into Your Lonely Heart,” but also absolutely stunning songs like “Day by Day,” “Just Memories,” and “Date With The Rain.” However, no one can overlook the powerful spiritual message behind “Someday We’ll Have a Better World” and the title-track.
Overall, Eddie Kendricks was an unpretentious, unique individual who blossomed as a creative force with People… Hold On. Unquestionably an album anyone who considers themselves a fan of R&B and Soul must listen to, now in 2024 there is a chance to own it as a reissued vinyl.
Released by Elemental Music as part of their year-long schedule of Motown Record reissues, Kendricks’ People… Hold On arrived as this new limited-edition vinyl on November 15, 2024. Featuring the original classic front and back cover captured by Musician/Photographer Weldon Arthur McDougal III, the presentation is classic and eye-catching in everywhere possible. Furthermore, People… Hold On is pressed to a 140-gram high-quality vinyl that is nothing less than ear-tingling.
Perfect for a long-time fan, or someone discovering its brilliance for the first time, Cryptic Rock gives this new vinyl reissue of Eddie Kendricks’ People… Hold On 5 out of 5 stars.
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