Standing On The Top

Album: Reunion (1982)
Charted: 53 66
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Standing On The Top" was written by Rick James, who also sang on the track with The Temptations. James used The Temptations as backup singers on his 1981 hit "Super Freak," and this was his contribution to the Reunion album, which featured both David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks and had songs produced by Motown mainstays Smokey Robinson and Barrett Strong.
  • As Rick James explained in a 1983 interview with Musician magazine, he didn't appreciate the work ethic of the legendary vocal group. Said James: "I worked with the Temps once and I gave them all vocal lines. I went out and sang the vocal parts of 'Standing On The Top' and they took the stuff home (a cassette with Rick singing the vocals) and a couple of them came back the next day and didn't know anything. They hadn't even listened to the tune. And I was very upset. I had to give them a long speech about how this was their careers and I'm already rich and I don't need this aggravation. I get very hurt when people don't give me a hundred percent. They've sold over eighty million records and in their minds they're really big stars; they thought they could just come in the next day and knock it out, but it didn't go that way. I demand what I want, not what they want. They ended up giving me what I wanted."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Timothy B. Schmit

Timothy B. SchmitSongwriter Interviews

The longtime Eagle talks about soaring back to his solo career, and what he learned about songwriting in the group.

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?