THE TEMPTATIONS: LEGENDARY MOTWON GROUP TO PERFORM AT HOUCK STADIUM SATURDAY

If there has been one constant in the nearly 40-year history of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recording group the Temptations, it is the inevitability of change.

And yet, even in the midst of many of the changes that have taken place within the group since they were formed in the early 1960s, there has been a consistent and unfailing commitment to music and entertainment.

That commitment will be showcased in Cape Girardeau Saturday when the Temptations perform at Houck Stadium as a part of Southeast Missouri State University's Family Weekend. The concert will follow the 6 p.m. football game with the University of Tennessee-Martin.

The Temptations commitment to music has led to the group's producing 43 Top 10 Rhythm and Blues singles, 14 of which reached No. 1 on the R & B charts, and 15 Top 10 pop singles of which four climbed to No. 1. They have also received four Grammy awards for their music.

In 1989, the Temptations were honored for their music with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Among their hits have been the 1964 classic "The Way You Do the Things You Do," 1966's "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," two hits from 1968, "(I Know I'm) Losing You" and "Cloud Nine," 1969's "I Can't Get Next to You," 1971's "Just My Imagination" and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" from 1972.

But it was their 1965 hit "My Girl," which reached No. 1 on both the R & B and pop charts, that clearly established the Temptations as one of the top recording groups of the decade.

Still, the Temptations have never limited their music to the recording studio. Performing on stage -- where the quintet combines their vocal harmonies with stop-on-a-dime choreography -- has been a part of the life of the Temptations since they started out with Motown performing as part The Motor Town Revues, a bus tour.

The group -- which was really a merger of two Detroit-based groups, the Distants and the Primes -- signed with Motown in 1961. The five charter members were Elbridge Bryant, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams and Otis Williams. Only baritone Otis Williams from the original five remains.

The first years were sparse, with the group releasing seven singles that received little attention from the public.

But in 1964, two changes within the group marked the beginnings of the group's rise to stardom and to a place in music history.

Motown enlisted legendary singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson to write and produce songs for the Temptations. Robinson's initial song for the group, "The Way You Do the Things You Do," put the quintet on the charts for the first time.

Robinson would follow up on that success the next year when he penned and produced "My Girl" for the Temptations.

Also in 1964, Motown replaced Elbridge Bryant with David Ruffin. Ruffin, a tenor with a coarse, emotive style, began to share the lead vocal duties with Eddie Kendricks, whose high tenor voice was almost falsetto.

Ruffin's tenure with the group was not long. He left the group in 1967 to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Dennis Edwards.

Another significant change for the group took place the year before Ruffin left. In 1966, Norman Whitfield began to take over some of the writing and producing duties for the ensemble. With Whitfield's arrival, the music began to show some changes.

More psychedelic and funk sounds began to be introduced into the music. And, reflecting the turbulence and tumult of the times, the lyrics began to reflect a greater social consciousness. "Cloud Nine" and 1969's "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)" showed that newly-displayed consciousness.

More changes in personnel took place in the early 1970s. In 1973, Kendricks left, like Ruffin, to pursue a solo career. That same year, Paul Williams left because of health problems. Kendricks was replaced by a succession of tenors. Richard Street took Paul Williams' place.

Only two of the original five members, Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin, remained. Franklin continued with the group until his death in 1995 from a brain seizure.

Otis Williams now tours with a new generation of Temptations, with members Ron Tyson, Theo Peoples, Harry McGilberry and Terry Weeks.

On their current tour, they have performed at the grand opening of the Motown Cafe, the after-party for the MTV Video Music Awards, "The Today Show," the Davis Cup Media Party at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, "Regis and Kathie Lee" and a special ABC-TV President's Gala for President Bill Clinton.

Price of admission for Saturday's concert, which includes admission to the preceding football game, is $15 for general admission and $17 for reserved seating.

Tickets are available at the Houck Stadium ticket office or by calling (573) 651-2113.