Andy Howells chats to The Temptations Otis Williams as the band announce a Cardiff date next March alongside The Four Tops

Its nearly 50 years since The Temptations topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their hit My Girl, and although there have been numerous line-up changes they are still as strong and popular as ever.

“its still hectic,” founder member Otis Williams tells me,” we are out for one nighters you do the show go back to the hotel freshen up then go on to the next place but its always good to come home after doing the work I love doing.”

Doing what he loves doing has come natural to Otis since discovering music at the age of 11 when he went to live with his grandmother in Detroit, “At that time rock n roll was getting ready to kick off,” he remembers, “ the greats Chuck Berry Little Richard Elvis Presley and vocal groups started happening. I liked the feeling of how people were enjoying the music and how the race thing was breaking down because of it. I wanted to be part of that not just musically but for having a profound effect of bringing people together.”

The Temptations along with The Supremes and The Four Tops achieved worldwide success via Tamla Motown Records and literally helped change the direction of the American music scene. Were they all friends behind the scenes?

“We always had a friendly rivalry,” says Otis, “Nevertheless everybody had the same thing and we wanted everyone to make it and be successful and bring happiness not only to all our fans but friends and family as well. It would be nothing for The Temptations to be on a Supremes record for handclaps or foot stomps and the same with Martha Reeves, me and some of the other guys were singing on the background to Mickey’s Monkey. It was that kind of feeling.”

The Temptations were indeed in great company, Smokey Robinson wrote several of their hits including My Girl, “Its always great working with Smokey he’s such a consummate producer and songwriter,” says Otis, “ he’d always have his stuff together and have great songs . He’d show us how he wanted the songs performed and then allow us to add our colour licks to the songs. He’s always a champ to work with.”

The Temptations have continued to storm the charts over the decades with a succession of hits including Get Ready, Papa Was a Rolling Stone and Treat her like a Lady. Many of these songs will most certainly get an airing when the band plays alongside The Four Tops, The Platters and Freda Payne in Cardiff next year.

“You’ve got some of the best fans in the world,” Otis says of the UK, “they love us unconditionally. They’ll let you know if you’re not right so they are pure they support you they keep you on the straight and narrow!”

Catch The Temptations, Four Tops, Freda Payne and The platters at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on March 30. Visit livenation.co.uk for details.