THE TEMPREES - THE BEST OF THE TEMPREES (EXTENDED VERSION)

The three Memphis, TN natives specialized in tearjerking, sentimental ballads led by the airy falsetto leads of Jasper (Jabo) Phillips and complemented by Harold \"Scotty\" Scott and Del \"Deljuan\" Calvin's heavenly harmony blends. \"Love...Can Be So Wonderful \"and \"I'm For You\" are light, sweet romantic excursions. Many believed the Temprees were from Philadelphia, PA., but I never saw the connection. A Temprees recording consisted of vocals and a simplistic rhythm track; horns and strings were used sparingly, unlike Philly sessions, which were elaborate in comparison. On \"Love Maze,\" a three-hearts-in-a-tangle ballad, a gripping falsetto shares the lead with a buttery tenor on the for-lovers-only selection. \"A Thousand Miles Away,\" originally done by the Heartbeats, is competent but doesn't equal or surpass the original -- then again, I've never heard a version that did. The uptempo arrangement of the MOR classic \"At Last\" leaves me cold. They obviously recorded the toe-tappers to break the monotony of the soft stuff. My only beef is that Stax/Fantasy Records left \"Love Between a Boy and Girl\" off this best-of compilation -- and that's an unforgivable, downright shame.