Bare Back

Bare Back, released in 1978, represents the second and final chapter of The Temptations' brief tenure with Atlantic Records. Following a period of creative and commercial friction at Motown, the group sought a fresh start, but this era is often overlooked by historians. The album is notable for featuring Louis Price as a lead vocalist, a short-lived lineup change before the eventual return of Dennis Edwards. Sonically, the record leans heavily into the R&B trends of the late 70s, incorporating disco-adjacent rhythms and lush, orchestral pop-soul arrangements. While critics at the time, including those at AllMusic, dismissed the songwriting as some of the group's weakest, the album remains a fascinating artifact of a legendary group attempting to modernize their sound outside of the Berry Gordy machine. It peaked at 46 on the Billboard Soul LP's chart, marking a commercial low point that would eventually precipitate their return to Motown in 1980.