For Lovers Only is a 1995 covers/pop standards album by The Temptations for the Motown label, something of a sequel to their 1967 album The Temptations in a Mellow Mood. The album features the final recordings of Melvin Franklin, who fell ill during recording and died before the album's release. Franklin was replaced on the tracks he does not sing on by Parliament-Funkadelic's Ray Davis in his only album appearance with the group. The first single, "Some Enchanted Evening", reached #40 on the Urban Adult Contemporary charts.
The album was also the final Temptations album for Ali-Ollie Woodson, who would be released from the group by Otis Williams in 1996, after having suffered several bouts of throat cancer. For Lovers Only was reissued in 2002 with a bonus track, a remix of "Night & Day" as included on the soundtrack to What Women Want.
Contents
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Andrew Hamilton found that For Lovers Only was "arguably the Temptations' best album since Truly for You dropped in 1984." He added: "Richard Perry outdid himself with this production, he expertly captured the essence of the Temptations, regardless of the members, in these songs."
Track listing
All tracks produced by Richard Perry.
Personnel
The Temptations
Ali-Ollie Woodson – vocals (tenor/baritone)
Theo Peoples – vocals (second tenor/baritone)
Otis Williams – vocals (second tenor/baritone)
Ron Tyson – vocals (first tenor/falsetto)
Melvin Franklin – vocals (bass) (only on "Melvin's Interlude" and "Life Is But A Dream")
Ray Davis – vocals (bass) (all except "Melvin's Interlude" and "Life Is But A Dream")
Musicians
Jimmy Varner – keyboards (1, 5), synthesizers (1, 5), drum programming (1, 7, 8, 12), additional synthesizers (3), synthesizer programming (7, 8), bass (7), acoustic piano (8), additional synthesizer programming (9), additional drum programming (9), additional percussion programming (9), additional keyboards (11), keyboard programming (12)
Stephen "Static" Garrett – additional synthesizers (1, 3), effects (1), drum programming (1), additional synthesizer programming (2, 9), additional drum programming (3, 9), additional percussion programming (9)
Ophir Shur – additional synthesizers (1), effects (1), additional synthesizer programming (2)
Isaias Gamboa – keyboards (2–5, 11), synthesizers (2–5, 11), drum programming (2, 3, 5–11), arrangements (2–5, 7, 8, 11, 12), Detroit Strings arrangements (4), keyboard programming (6, 9, 10), additional keyboards (8), synthesizer programming (9)
Steve Harvey – additional synthesizer programming (2), live drums (5), percussion (5), additional keyboards (11)
Production
Bill Dern – executive producer, additional production (8)
Guy Abrahams – A&R direction
Richard Perry – producer, mixing (7)
Isaias Gamboa – associate producer
Jimmy Varner – additional production (8)
Alejandro Rodriguez – recording engineer
Bob Tucker – recording engineer, mixing (7, 11, 12)
Tony Alvarez – second engineer
Carl Anderson – second engineer
Stephen "Static" Garrett – second engineer
Mark Hermann – second engineer
Rob Chiarelli – mixing (1, 2, 9)
Craig Burbidge – mixing (3–5, 8)
Tom Anderson – mixing (11)
Tony Rambo – second mix engineer (1, 2, 7, 9, 12)
Devin Foutz – second mix engineer (3–5, 8)
Brian Gardner – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering (Hollywood, California)
Ben McCarthy – production assistant
Derek A. McKinney – A&R production coordinator
Jackie Salway – art direction, design