TCB (TV program)
TCB is a 1968 television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter–Ed Friendly Productions of Laugh-In fame. The special is a musical revue starring Motown's two most popular groups at the time, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Containing a combination of showtunes, specially prepared numbers, and popular Motown hits, the special was taped before a live studio audience in September 1968 and originally broadcast December 9, 1968 on NBC, sponsored by the Timex watch corporation. The title of the program uses a then-popular acronym, "TCB", which stands for "Taking Care of Business".
TCB | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | December 2, 1968 | |||
Recorded | 1968 | |||
Genre | Pop, soul, show tunes | |||
Length | 41:00 | |||
Label | Motown MS 682 | |||
Producer | Motown Productions, Inc. George Schlatter–Ed Friendly Productions | |||
Diana Ross & the Supremes chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Temptations chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Rolling Stone |
Among the program's highlights were Diana Ross' "Afro Vogue" solo spot, Paul Williams' emotionally charged rendition of "For Once in My Life," a cover by both groups of the Aretha Franklin version of Otis Redding's "Respect," and then-new Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards' lead performance on "(I Know) I'm Losing You," a song considered a signature for his predecessor, David Ruffin.
Pre-empting Laugh-In on Monday night, TCB was the first musical TV special of the rock era to air on American broadcast television.[3] It exceeded all performance expectations, winning its timeslot in the ratings and becoming the top-rated variety show of 1968.[3] A soundtrack album, TCB – The Original Cast Soundtrack was released a week before the special aired on December 9 and reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 albums chart. It also became the third #1 album for Diana Ross and The Supremes. The first #1 was "The Supremes A Go Go" in 1966 by The Supremes And the second was Diana Ross and the Supremes Greatest Hits in 1967.
Cast
Songs in TV Special
- "TCB"
- "Stop! In the Name of Love"
- Introduction of Diana Ross & the Supremes
- "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
- Introduction of the Temptations
- "Get Ready"
- "My Girl" Introduction of Diana Ross
- "The Way You Do the Things You Do"
- Medley:
- "Respect"
- Medley:
- "Reflections" (excerpt from album)
- "Afro-Vogue" (dance instrumental)
- "Somewhere"
- "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
- Introduction of the Temptations
- "Hello, Young Lovers"
- "For Once in My Life"
- "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
- "With a Song in My Heart"/"Without a Song"
- Medley:
- "I Hear a Symphony"
- "The Impossible Dream"
Song list for TCB soundtrack album
Lead vocalists on each track are identified by superscripts: (a) Diana Ross, (b) Dennis Edwards, (c) Eddie Kendricks, (d) Paul Williams, (e) Temptations ensemble
Side one
- "TCB" (Bill Angelos, Buz Kohan) – 2:55 a, e
- "Stop! In the Name of Love" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 1:12 a
- Introduction of Diana Ross & the Supremes – 0:55
- "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 1:48 a
- Introduction of the Temptations/"Get Ready" (Smokey Robinson) – 2:34 a, c
- Introduction of Diana Ross/"The Way You Do the Things You Do" (Robinson, Robert Rogers) – 3:23 b, a, c
- Medley – 5:15
- "A Taste of Honey" (Bobby Scot, Ric Marlow) c
- "Eleanor Rigby" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) a
- "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) a
- "Mrs. Robinson" (Paul Simon) a, e
- "Respect" (Otis Redding) – 2:37 d, a
- "Somewhere" (Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim) – 3:07 a
Side two
- "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (Norman Whitfield, Edward Holland, Jr.) – 2:05 b
- Introduction of the Temptations – 0:45
- "Hello, Young Lovers" (Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II) – 2:17 e
- "For Once in My Life" (Ron Miller, Orlando Muller) – 3:43 d
- "(I Know) I'm Losing You" (Whitfield, E. Holland) – 3:07 b
- "With a Song in My Heart/Without a Song" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Vincent Youmans, Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose) – 3:00 a
- Medley (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 2:20 a
- "I Hear a Symphony" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – 2:47 a
- "The Impossible Dream" (Joe Darion, Mitch Leigh) – 3:10 a, d
Charts
Name | Chart (1968–69) | Peak position |
---|---|---|
TCB | U.S. Billboard 200 | 1 |
U.S. Billboard R&B Albums Chart | 1 | |
UK Albums Chart | 11 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[4] | Gold | 500,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
Awards for TV special
The show received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Electronic Production.[5]
Availabilit
.
M
y on home media
As of June 2016, the show has not been officially released on home video.[6] Various clips are available for viewing online by streaming media, including YouTube.[7]
The vinyl LP soundtrack album has been remastered and reissued on CD.[6]
See also
- G.I.T. on Broadway, 1969 follow-up special
References
- https://www.allmusic.com/album/r59767
- Brackett, Nathan (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Page 797: Fireside Books. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.CS1 maint: location (link)
- Ribowsky, Mark (2010). Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.ISBN 978-0-470-26117-0. Pg. 191-198.
- "American single certifications – DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES WITH THE TEMPTATIONS – TCB". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
- TCB (TV program) - Awards at Internet Movie Database
- Search results for material at Amazon.com
- Search results for material by Google search engine