TCB (television special)

TCB was a 1968 live television special produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter-Ed Friendly Productions. The special was a musical revue starring Motown's two most popular groups at the time, Diana Ross & the Supremes and The Temptations. Containing a combnation of showtunes, specially prepared numbers, and popular Motown hits, the special was taped before a live studio audience in September 1968 and originally broadcast December 9, 1968 on NBC. The title of the program uses a then-popular acronym, "TCB", which stands for "Taking Care of Business".

Related Topics:
1968 - Television special - Motown Productions - Music - Revue - Diana Ross & the Supremes - The Temptations - Showtune - September - December 9 - NBC - Acronym - TCB

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The special was one of a number of Supremes/Temptations joint projects during the late-1960s. The Supremes had recently replaced Florence Ballard with Cindy Birdsong and The Temptations had just switched David Ruffin with Dennis Edwards, and doing a high-profile television special such as this one helped to familiarize the audience with the new members. In addition, since the Supremes had a primarily white audience and the Temptations a primarily Black audience, the special allowed the audiences of each to cross over to and augment the audiences of the other. Finally, the special was a major showcase for Diana Ross, designed as one of the first steps towards launching her impending solo career, which officially began in January 1970.

Related Topics:
1960s - Florence Ballard - Cindy Birdsong - David Ruffin - Dennis Edwards - White - Black - January - 1970

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Among the program's highlights were Diana Ross' "Afro Vogue" solo spot, Paul Williams' emotionally-charged rendition of "For Once in My Life", and a performance by The Temptations, with Eddie Kendricks on lead, of their 1966 hit "Get Ready".

Related Topics:
Diana Ross - Paul Williams - Eddie Kendricks - 1966 - Get Ready

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A soundtrack album, TCB – The Original Cast Soundtrack was released a week before the special aired on December 10 and reached #1 on the U.S. pop albums chart. A follow-up television special and album, G.I.T. on Broadway, were created the following year.

Related Topics:
December 10 - G.I.T. on Broadway

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