Who wrote Get Ready by the Temptations?
"Get Ready" was written by Smokey Robinson. Robinson also produced the original 1966 Temptations recording, making it the last song he wrote and produced for the group.
Questions about Get Ready (The Temptations song)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What chart position did Get Ready reach for the Temptations in 1966?
The Temptations' original 1966 recording of "Get Ready" reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B singles chart but peaked at only No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. In the UK, the song reached No. 10 in 1969.
Why did Smokey Robinson stop producing the Temptations after Get Ready?
Berry Gordy had made a deal with producer Norman Whitfield that if "Get Ready" did not meet expectations on the pop charts, Whitfield's song "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" would get the next release. When "Get Ready" peaked at only No. 29 on the pop charts, Gordy honored the deal and assigned Whitfield as the Temptations' new main producer.
How long was Rare Earth's version of Get Ready?
Rare Earth recorded a 21-minute version of "Get Ready" after setting up their own recording equipment. The version was later edited down to 2:46 for release as a single, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970.
How did Rare Earth's Get Ready connect to the birth of hip hop?
DJ Kool Herc regularly used Rare Earth's 21-minute recording of "Get Ready" in turntablism performances. Hip hop journalist Steven Hager wrote that the recording was popular in the Bronx because its length gave dancers time to get into the beat and showcase moves during its two-minute drum solo.
What other artists covered Get Ready besides the Temptations and Rare Earth?
Ella Fitzgerald recorded a version that became her last U.S. chart record in 1969, reaching No. 126 on the Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100. Smokey Robinson released a six-minute disco version on his 1979 album Where There's Smoke, and Australian singer Carol Hitchcock released a Stock, Aitken and Waterman-produced version in 1987 that peaked at No. 18 in Australia.