# Special (The Temptations album)

Special is a 1989 studio album from American soul group The Temptations. The album marks the return of Ali-Ollie Woodson as the group’s lead singer following Dennis Edwards’ third and final departure.

## Reception

Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this album three out of five stars, with reviewer Jason Elias characterizing it as "business-as-usual, mid- to late-'80s Temptations release" but writing that this is not a bad thing.

## Track listing

* "Friends" (Keith Andes, Larry Hatcher, and Chris Jones) – 4:52
* "Special" (Stan Sheppard and Jimmy Varner) – 4:30
* "All I Want from You" (Stan Sheppard and Aaron Smith) – 5:33
* "She's Better Than Money" (Andes and Hatcher) – 4:28
* "One Step at a Time" (Ron Tyson and Dennis Williams) – 5:11
* "Fill Me Up" (Andes and Hatcher) – 4:18
* "Go Ahead" (Andes, Hatcher, C. Jones, and Glenn Jones) – 6:36
* "Loveline" (Brian O'Doherty) – 3:38
* "Soul to Soul" (O'Doherty) – 5:17
Bonus track on CD edition
* "O.A.O. Lover" (Otis Williams and Ali-Ollie Woodson) – 4:59

## Personnel

The Temptations
* Melvin Franklin – bass vocals
* Richard Street – tenor vocals
* Ron Tyson – tenor/falsetto vocals
* Otis Williams – baritone vocals
* Ali-Ollie Woodson – lead vocals, arrangement, programming
Additional musicians
* Gerald Albright – saxophone on "Special" and "All I Want from You"
* Keith Andes – drums on "Friends" and "Go Ahead"; bass guitar on "Go Ahead"; keyboards on "Friends", ; instrumentation on "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"; rhythm arrangement on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"; vocal arrangement on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"; production on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"
* Michael "Dino" Campbell – guitar on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"
* Dave Crawford – flute on "One Step at a Time"
* Kenneth Crouch – keyboards on "All I Want from You"
* Paulinho Da Costa – percussion on "Special", "All I Want from You", and "One Step at a Time"
* Johnny Davis – keyboards on "Friends"
* Charles J. Fearing – guitar on "Special", "All I Want from You", and "One Step at a Time"
* Larry Hatcher – drums on "Friends", ; bass guitar on "She's Better Than Money"; keyboards on "Friends"; instrumentation on "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"; rhythm arrangement on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"; vocal arrangement on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"; production on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"
* Paul Jackson, Jr. – guitar on "All I Want from You"
* Maceo Parker – saxophone on "Go Ahead"
* Stan Sheppard – keyboards on "One Step at a Time", drum programming on "One Step at a Time", rhythm arrangement on "All I Want from You" and "One Step at a Time", vocal arrangement on "All I Want from You" and "One Step at a Time", production on "Special", "All I Want from You", and "One Step at a Time"
* Aaron Smith – keyboards on "All I Want from You", rhythm arrangement on "All I Want from You", vocal arrangement on "All I Want from You", production on "Special", drum programming on "All I Want from You", synthesizer programming on "All I Want from You"
* Jimmy Varner – keyboards on "Special" and "One Step at a Time", drum programming on "Special" and "One Step at a Time", rhythm arrangement on "Special" and "One Step at a Time", vocal arrangement on "Special" and "One Step at a Time", production on "Special" and "One Step at a Time"
* "Ready" Freddie Washington – bass guitar on "Special" and "One Step at a Time"
Technical personnel
* Jeff Adamoff – art direction
* Bacon / O'Brien – design
* Chris Bellman – mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering
* Hilary Bercovici – mixing on "Soul to Soul"
* Eric Camp – recording on "Friends"
* Gary Dobbins – mixing on "Friends", "All I Want from You", "She's Better Than Money", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"; recording on "Friends", "Special", "All I Want from You", "She's Better Than Money", "One Step at a Time", "Fill Me Up", and "Go Ahead"
* Todd Gray – photography
* Tony Jackson – recording on "Fill Me Up" and "Go Ahead"
* Chris Jones – vocal arrangement on "Fill Me Up"
* Pat Karamian – recording on "Friends" and "Fill Me Up"
* Frank La Rosa – arrangement on "Soul to Soul" and "O.A.O. Lover"; rhythm arrangement on "Soul to Soul"; programming on "Soul to Soul" and "O.A.O. Lover"; recording on "Loveline", "Soul to Soul", and "O.A.O. Lover"; mixing on "Loveline", "Soul to Soul", and "O.A.O. Lover"
* Randy Long – recording on "Friends" and "Fill Me Up"
* Jim Michewicz – recording on "Friends", "She's Better Than Money", and "Fill Me Up"
* Brian O'Doherty – programming on "Loveline" and "Soul to Soul", arrangement on "Loveline" and "Soul to Soul", rhythm arrangement on "Soul to Soul", vocal arrangement on "Soul to Soul"
* Barney Perkins – mixing on "Special" and "One Step at a Time"
* Bud Rizzo – recording on "Loveline", "Soul to Soul", and "O.A.O. Lover"; mixing on "Loveline", "Soul to Soul", and "O.A.O. Lover"
* Dick Rudolph – production on "Loveline", "Soul to Soul", and "O.A.O. Lover"
* Debbie Sandridge – executive production
* Joey Schwartz – assistant engineering on "Soul to Soul" and "O.A.O. Lover"
* Michael Sembello – arrangement on "Loveline", programming on "Loveline", production on "Loveline", "Soul to Soul", and "O.A.O. Lover"
* Gayle Woodard – production coordination
* Ali Woodson – arrangement on "O.A.O. Lover", programming on "O.A.O. Lover"

## Chart performance

Special spent 44 weeks on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, reaching up to 25 on October 28, 1989.