The Temptations – Ain’t Too Proud To Beg

“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” – single by the Temptations from the album Gettin’ Ready.
Released: May 3, 1966
B-side:”You’ll Lose a Precious Love”
Label: Gordy
Songwriters: Norman Whitfield, Eddie Holland
Producer: Norman Whitfield
Charted No.13 in US and No.21 in UK

“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” is a hit single by the Temptations for Motown Records’ Gordy label, 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. 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.

Whitfield went on to write other Motown classics, including “Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “(I Know) I’m Losing You.” He became the chief songwriter for The Temptations.

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.”