The Slow Burn of The Temptations "Ain't No Sunshine," Cover

Some songs require us to have patience with the slow build up that accompanies its beginning moments . This song is one of them. While Bill Withers released his classic original rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine" in 1971, The Temptations would release their album "Solid Rock" the following year and include their version of the somber classic. With hundreds of other versions to follow in the coming years (The Jackson 5, Isaac Hayes, and even Tom Jones to name a few), The Temptations version is an underrated masterpiece.

Clocking in at 7 minutes and 20 seconds, the song takes a full 2 minutes and 19 seconds before we hear the main instrumentation come in to play. Even after, it isn't until 3 minutes and 50 seconds into the song that we hear the lyrics begin. This shows you the full display of how they wanted the tone of this song to be as opposed to Bill Withers' barely over 2 minutes original. How about that one, did you realize how short the original version truly is? Sometimes we forget the little bits of info/trivia revolving around songs that have been a part of our lives for years. The Temptations "Solid Rock" may not have had the success of their other albums but it included this cover version, along with the gem "Take A Look Around," "Superstar," (the supposed David Ruffin gone solo diss), and what is said to be the last recorded vocals of the late Paul Williams (on "It's Summer") before he would take his life on August 17, 1973. The Temptations cover of "Ain't No Sunshine" may not be all that well known but it's the type of song that when discovered can produce a feeling of gratitude and appreciation for the 1970s production that came out of the Motown studios.