Ain't Too Proud to Beg
{{short description|1966 single by the Temptations}}
{{for-multi|the TLC song|Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg|the Broadway musical based on the life and songs of The Temptations|Ain't Too Proud (musical)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Ain't Too Proud to Beg
| cover = Tempts-ain't-too-proud.jpg
| type = single
| artist = the Temptations
| album = Gettin' Ready
| B-side = You'll Lose a Precious Love
| released = {{Start date|1966|05|03}}
| recorded = January 4 and January 11, 1966
| studio = Hitsville USA (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan
| genre =
| length = {{Duration|m=2|s=36}}
| label = Gordy
| writer =
| producer = Norman Whitfield{{cite web|author=|url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/motown-best-songs-of-all-time-1203189858/|title=The 60 Greatest Motown Songs of All Time|publisher=Variety|date=2019-04-21|access-date=2019-12-12}}
| chronology = The Temptations
| prev_title = Get Ready
| prev_year = 1966
| next_title = Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
| next_year = 1966
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|_ObVQPBD0Uw|"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"}}}}
}}
"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is a 1966 song and hit single by the Temptations for Motown Records' Gordy label,{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19781/m1/ |title=Show 26 – The Soul Reformation: Phase two, the Motown story. [Part 5] }} produced by Norman Whitfield and written by Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Chart, and was a number-one hit on the Billboard R&B charts for eight non-consecutive weeks.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=571}} The song's success, in the wake of the relative underperformance of the previous Temptations' single, "Get Ready", resulted in Norman Whitfield replacing Smokey Robinson, producer of "Get Ready", as the Temptations' main producer. In 2004 it finished number 94 in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs poll thanks to its inclusion in The Big Chill soundtrack.
Notable covers have been recorded by the Rolling Stones (1974) and by Rick Astley (1989).
Reception
Cash Box described the song as a "plaintive, slow-shufflin’ blues-soaked ode about a love-sick fella who'll go any lengths to keep his gal at his side."{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |date=May 14, 1966 |page=18 |access-date=2022-01-12 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-05-14.pdf |magazine=Cash Box}}
Production
On Friday mornings at Motown's Hitsville USA offices, the creative team held Quality Control meetings, at which potential single releases were voted for or against release. To Whitfield's disappointment, "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" failed twice to make it through Motown's Friday morning Quality Control meetings, with Berry Gordy commenting that the song was good, but "needed more story". For the third recorded version of "Ain't Too Proud", Whitfield had David Ruffin's lead vocal arranged just above his actual vocal range. As a result, the singer was forced to strain through numerous takes in order to get out all of the song's high notes. By the end of the "Ain't Too Proud" recording session, recalls Temptation Otis Williams, Ruffin was "drowning in sweat and his glasses were all over his face".{{ref|Otis}}
By this point, both the Temptations and Whitfield were confident they had a major hit on their hands. However, both "Ain't Too Proud" and "Get Ready", a Temptations track produced by Smokey Robinson with Eddie Kendricks on lead, turned up at the same Quality Control meeting. Since Robinson was the Temptations' main producer, his song was released and Whitfield's was shelved. Cornelius Grant, the Temptations' road guitarist, band director, and songwriter, recalled that after that decision was made, "it was as if the veins jumped out of Norman's neck." Whitfield was less than pleased at the Quality Control department's decision, and stated plainly that "never again am I gonna lose out on a release like that".{{ref|Corn}}. As a compromise, Gordy promised Whitfield that "Ain't Too Proud" would be the next single if "Get Ready" failed to reach the Top 20 on the Billboard Pop Chart.
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|award=Silver|artist=Temptations|title=Ain't To Proud To beg|relyear=2008|certyear=2024|id=19830-2994-1}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|award=Gold|artist=Temptations|title=Ain't To Proud To beg|relyear=1966|certyear=1999}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}
The Rolling Stones version
{{Infobox song
| name = Ain't Too Proud to Beg
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = The Rolling Stones
| album = It's Only Rock 'n Roll
| A-side = Ain't Too Proud to Beg
| released =
| recorded = 20 February–May 1974{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 3:30
| label = Rolling Stones
| writer = * Norman Whitfield
| producer = The Glimmer Twins
| chronology = The Rolling Stones
| prev_title = It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)
| prev_year = 1974
| year = 1974
| next_title = Dance Little Sister
| next_year = 1974
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official promo video|{{YouTube|Kktm9rwz-dE|"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"}}}}
}}
The Rolling Stones recorded the song for their album It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974).{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-only-rock-n-roll-mw0000195496 |title=It's Only Rock 'n' Roll - The Rolling Stones |via=www.allmusic.com}} They also released it as a single, which reached number 17 in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1974-12-13|title=The Hot 100 Chart|date=December 13, 1974|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2020-04-24}} The official promotional video features the band, in bright clothing, performing the song on a stage.{{YouTube|Kktm9rwz-dE|The Rolling Stones - Ain't Too Proud To Beg - OFFICIAL PROMO}} In 2007 the band performed the song at Isle of Wight Festival with Amy Winehouse.{{Cite web |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/amy-winehouse-the-rolling-stones-isle-of-wight-2007/ |title=Amy Winehouse joined the Rolling Stones to perform "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" |access-date=2020-01-01 |archive-date=2020-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101235850/https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/amy-winehouse-the-rolling-stones-isle-of-wight-2007/ |url-status=dead }}
Record World said that the Stones' "first oldie hit stab in a decade is more than proud
Rick Astley version
{{Infobox song
| name = Ain't Too Proud to Beg
| cover =
| type = single
| artist = Rick Astley
| album = Hold Me in Your Arms
| released = {{start date|1989|08|07}}
| genre =
| length = 4:19
| label = RCA
| writer =
| producer = Stock Aitken Waterman
| prev_title = Giving Up on Love
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = Cry for Help
| next_year = 1991
| misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|rsBXXG-M2TcE|"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"}}}}
}}
English singer-songwriter Rick Astley covered the song for his 1988 album Hold Me in Your Arms. Originally recorded in 1986, the track was re-recorded for his new album due to a fire at the PWL studios destroying the original master.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rickastley.co.uk/html/discography/singles/atptb.htm|title=Rick Astley's official website|website=Rick Astley|access-date=October 21, 2023|archive-date=November 14, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011114004516/http://www.rickastley.co.uk/html/discography/singles/atptb.htm|url-status=bot: unknown}} The song was released as a single in the US and Japan in the summer of 1989. This was Astley's last single with producers Stock Aitken Waterman. On New Year's Eve 2019, Astley performed the song with YolanDa Brown on the BBC's Jools' Annual Hootenanny.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000cs15|title=BBC Two - Jools' Annual Hootenanny, 2019/20|website=BBC}}
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" !scope="col"|Chart (1989) !scope="col"|Peak |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|89|artist=Rick Astley|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2024}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|16|artist=Rick Astley|rowheader=true|access-date=March 19, 2024}} |
Notes
=References=
{{Reflist}}
=Footnotes=
- {{note|Otis}} Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia, Temptations.
- {{note|Corn}} Weinger, Harry, "Sunshine on a Cloudy Day".
=Other sources=
- Posner, Gerald (2002). Motown : Music, Money, Sex, and Power. New York: Random House. {{ISBN|0-375-50062-6}}.
- Weinger, Harry (1994). "Sunshine on a Cloudy Day". The Temptations: Emperors of Soul [CD Box Set]. New York: Motown Record Co., L.P.
- Williams, Otis and Romanowski, Patricia (1988, updated 2002). Temptations. Lanham, MD: Cooper Square. {{ISBN|0-8154-1218-5}}.
{{The Temptations}}
{{The Temptations singles}}
{{The Rolling Stones}}
{{The Rolling Stones singles}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Gordy Records singles
Category:Rolling Stones Records singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Jagger–Richards
Category:Song recordings produced by Norman Whitfield
Category:Songs written by Eddie Holland
Category:Songs written by Norman Whitfield