On this day September 28, 1972, The Temptations version of “Papa Was a Rollin Stone” was released by Motown Records. The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. It was originally recorded by Undisputed Truth.
Undisputed Truth’s version of “Papa Was a Rollin Stone” was released on May 9, 1972 and hit number 63 on the Billboard Pop Chart.
Four months later, a nearly 12-minute extended version of the song was released by The Temptations and it went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart grabbing the number one spot. The song became a massive hit and won three Grammy Awards.
The Temptations version of “Papa Was a Rollin Stone” quickly overshadowed Undisputed Truth’s version. Still today many do not know the song had multiple versions.
Here are both versions of “Papa Was a Rollin Stone”. Let us know which version you like best in the comments section below.