David Ruffin appreciation

GamleOle

I can not remember a thread about him or much mention of him either on this board.As personal favourites I would like to pick out these two albums. Quality stuff from start to end. So essential.

Guzzo

I can not remember a thread about him or much mention of him either on this board.

As personal favourites I would like to pick out these two albums. Quality stuff from start to end. So essential.

I don't think I've seen that LP on the bottom before but it looks like moder soul madness

David Ruffin had one of the greatest voices I've ever heard. "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" only works as well as it does cause ruffins voice carries that desperate emotion so hard that you can feel it in your central nervous system.

heres another David Ruffin LP that everyone should own



the S/T one he did is excellent as well

GamleOle

"Gentleman Ruffin" is from '81 and has top tunes as "I Wanna Be With You"+"Love Supply" but it's pretty good all the way through. Definite co-sign on "Feelin Good". I havent really checked the S/T yet.

Guzzo

I havent really checked the S/T yet.

here are 2 tracks I have saved on my work computer from his Self Titled album. I'd love to hear what you thnk about them

Guzzo

are there only 2 people in the soulstrut galaxy that think David Ruffin deserves some shine?

pickwick33

are there only 2 people in the soulstrut galaxy that think David Ruffin deserves some shine?

I agree that David Ruffin was one testifyin' mammajamma, but I feel like I've already spoken my piece in all the Motown threads that have cropped up from time to time. Other than that, no hate here - I've always fantasized what Ruffin would sound like in front of the Stax, Fame or Muscle Shoals house bands, he'd probably have Johnnie Taylor looking back over his shoulder...

johnshade

my top track from this one is "i'm still in love with you"
always gets the dancefloor in motion

GamleOle

my top track from this one is "i'm still in love with you"
always gets the dancefloor in motion

True...I forgot. That one also needs to be pointed out.

davidwingate

it's true dude deserves crazy shine, but one interesting story about him was told to me by an ole' head that came into A-1 two weeks ago. He said that David and Marvin were messing with Tammie Terrell, and that David was super mad that Marvin was smashin' Tammie too. Accordig to him, he said David is responsible for the death of Tammmie because he killed her by putting a sheet over head and hitting her several times with a hammer. He said that Barry and Smokey covered this all up...now remember the "official" cause of death for Tammie was a brain tumor. He said that David Ruffin was a mean cusp and that he used to beat Tammie's ass all the time. Obviously, there is no way to prove this story...I just thought it was an interesting story about one of my favorite singers.

Amir

grandpa_shig

it's true dude deserves crazy shine, but one interesting story about him was told to me by an ole' head that came into A-1 two weeks ago. He said that David and Marvin were messing with Tammie Terrell, and that David was super mad that Marvin was smashin' Tammie too. Accordig to him, he said David is responsible for the death of Tammmie because he killed her by putting a sheet over head and hitting her several times with a hammer. He said that Barry and Smokey covered this all up...now remember the "official" cause of death for Tammie was a brain tumor. He said that David Ruffin was a mean cusp and that he used to beat Tammie's ass all the time. Obviously, there is no way to prove this story...I just thought it was an interesting story about one of my favorite singers.

Amir

i have heard something like that as well and that always made me sad cuz she was not only one of my favorite motown singers but she also was supersexay.

faux_rillz

it's true dude deserves crazy shine, but one interesting story about him was told to me by an ole' head that came into A-1 two weeks ago. He said that David and Marvin were messing with Tammie Terrell, and that David was super mad that Marvin was smashin' Tammie too. Accordig to him, he said David is responsible for the death of Tammmie because he killed her by putting a sheet over head and hitting her several times with a hammer. He said that Barry and Smokey covered this all up...now remember the "official" cause of death for Tammie was a brain tumor. He said that David Ruffin was a mean cusp and that he used to beat Tammie's ass all the time. Obviously, there is no way to prove this story...I just thought it was an interesting story about one of my favorite singers.

Well, he may have been abusive but I don't think there's any way that the murder-by-hammer story could be true; her illness was pretty public, and she had something like half a dozen operations.

davidwingate

Yeah, she one of my favorite singers too..remember the Temptations movie where there is a scene with David and Tammie? They make it seem that he was beatin' that ass..sad cause she was sooo great! Also david was a punk for beatin' her too. If this story turns out to be true then I will lose alot of respect for David.

grandpa_shig

Jonny_Paycheck

I mean there is plenty to lose respect over with David Ruffin... as that movie definitely shows... but man, what a voice. You can really imagine how hard it must have been to kick him out if you were the Temps.

davidwingate

For real, he was really a scum bag, but you're right that voice was amazing. My older brother used to play the Temps records all the time and he was pretty sad when David left. He just followed David and forgot about the temps. damn!

Guzzo

For real, he was really a scum bag, but you're right that voice was amazing.

True he was not a good man to know, but in some ways that kind of lends something to his mystique. His voice was uncut raw emotion. This was a man with some serious pent up demons. The film touched some of this and really showed what a dysfuctional individual he was.

Still nothing can be taken away from this dudes ability to belt out a chune

DocMcCoy

One of my favourite singers of all time, and underrated by many, I feel.

He has moder soul sort-of-raer-but-possible-dollarbincommon too.



It's a bit of a one/two-tracker, but the single from it, "I Couldn't Believe It", is a great bit of late-80's modern soul, of which I have fond memories. The 7" goes for a few quid over here, the 12" less so.

Phill_Most

are there only 2 people in the soulstrut galaxy that think David Ruffin deserves some shine?

i think i did an appreciation post on dude a year or two ago, back when i was runnin' his solo stuff to death (all of those albums that have been posted in this thread). For me he's one of the top 5 soul singers of all time- i'm sure soulstrut will disagree, but that's how i feels about it. He had something about his style that i don't think has ever been duplicated by any singer since- that raw, raspy, agonizing schitt. Cocaine is a helluva drug

And yeah, David Ruffin did kick Tammi Terrell's azz on the regular. Not only Dave, but James Brown used to go with her as well and also enjoyed putting whuppins on her. Basically, Tammi Terrell was the punching bag of the stars. I never heard the hammer story (and sounds a little far fetched to me, but who knows), but the stuff about Ruffin & JB abusing her can easily be googled up I'm sure.

pickwick33

For real, he was really a scum bag, but you're right that voice was amazing.

Not to keep knocking the dead, but have you ever read Let It Blurt, the bio of rock critic Lester Bangs? There is a bizarre story of how Bangs - who liked to get drunk and obnoxious himself - was once invited to a party at David Ruffin's house in Detroit, and wound up accidentally hitting up on David's girlfriend...later that same night he was seen singing the "blues" while Ron Wood and Bobby Womack jammed on guitar: "I wish my dick wuz bigger/Just like a..."

Considering it was a mostly black party, he's lucky he didn't leave this earth a lot sooner than he did.

ALL TOGETHER NOW:

__________________________________________________________________________________

But just so I don't look like a threadkiller, you should seek out "Actions Speak Louder Than Words," Ruffin's pre-Tempts single on Checkmate (Chess subsidiary)...it's in a Chuck Jackson, New-York-sound vein and David just tears it up.

Fatback

I love Me 'N Rock 'N Roll are Here to Stay and the S/T.

Lazer

ummmmmm dudes,


less we not forget "Chain On The Brain" from 1979's So Soon We Change album.


an awesome moder/echo laden/phased out goodie.

Guzzo

can peoples post up some of the later quality David Ruffin tracks? I've always ignored his albums post "Rock & Roll..." and have probably slept on a lot of goodness. I'd love to hear what I've been missing

SoulOnIce

But just so I don't look like a threadkiller, you should seek out "Actions Speak Louder Than Words," Ruffin's pre-Tempts single on Checkmate (Chess subsidiary)...it's in a Chuck Jackson, New-York-sound vein and David just tears it up.

I'm all about the Lamont Anthony AKA Dozier 45 on
Checkmate, "Just to Be Loved"

Crazed nightclub-flavored early soul ...

Lazer

ummmmmm dudes,


less we not forget "Chain On The Brain" from 1979's So Soon We Change album.


an awesome moder/echo laden/phased out goodie.

for guzzo

davidwingate

someone needs to do a REAL behind the scenes story/movie on Motown cause I have heard alot of crazy shit went down.

bull_ox

ummmmmm dudes,


less we not forget "Chain On The Brain" from 1979's So Soon We Change album.


an awesome moder/echo laden/phased out goodie.

for guzzo

So is that LP a one-tracker?? Cuz I've needle dropped it a couple times and thought it was ehhhh

Found doubles of Feelin Good at a thrift this week!! Very odd, only one other R&B record in the joint (Billy Stewart)

GamleOle

ummmmmm dudes,


less we not forget "Chain On The Brain" from 1979's So Soon We Change album.


an awesome moder/echo laden/phased out goodie.

for guzzo

So is that LP a one-tracker?? Cuz I've needle dropped it a couple times and thought it was ehhhh

Found doubles of Feelin Good at a thrift this week!! Very odd, only one other R&B record in the joint (Billy Stewart)

The stand out track to me as far as I remember is "I Get Excited".

batmon

I like David Ruffin.

Fatback

I like David Ruffin.

One of my favorite openers from one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite albums...

I hit a beat and swing a note as if my name was David Ruffin

kala

peices of a man indeed
but he was the temptaions with ek

that tammi terrel shit is fucked
one of my first 45s ever like 5 years old
was ain't no mountain
another tainted memory

Frequency

This was released a few years ago and is now available on iTunes:

David Ruffin - The Unreleased Album (1971)



It was pressed in a limited run and is now no longer available, but its a great buy on iTunes! Got some serious stuff.