“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” (The Temptations)

Today’s classic song featured in the movie The Big Chill of the day is “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” by the Temptations. This song was featured in what may be my favorite scene in the whole movie, when the gang is working together to clear the table and clean the kitchen after eating dinner. It’s a fun scene, perfectly choreographed to the Temptations song, that captures the fun and comradery of the old friends gathered together that weekend.

The Big Chill, as most of you know, was about a group of old friends who went to college together in the ’60s, forced to come together to deal with the suicide and funeral of one of their own. Over the course of the weekend, the gang comes to reappraise their post-college lives and come to grips with how things are different in the adult world. Yes, it’s a bunch of Baby Boomer navel gazing, but the cast is terrific, as is the script, and it’s all supported by a stellar soundtrack of some of the best oldies from the ’60s and very early ’70s.

Some say that The Big Chill is a somewhat blatant rip off of John Sayles’ similarly themed but considerably lower budged film, The Return of the Secaucus 7. Sayles’ film, released in 1980, which starred a cast of non-stars, was also about seven old friends getting together for a weekend and the drama and comedy that ensues. Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill, released three years later, in 1983, tells a similar story but with bigger stars and a bigger budget. A large chunk of that budget went into licensing some of the best music from the characters’ college days, including today’s classic song of the day.

“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” is a Motown classic, written by hitmakers Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland (one third of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team). Whitfield produced it and the Temptations recorded it, supported by members of the Funk Brothers. David Ruffin sang lead.

The Temptations’ single was released in May of 1966. It shot to #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 (for eight weeks!) on Billboard’s R&B chart.

In 1974, the Rolling Stones released a cover of “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” The song was included as part of their It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll album. Released as a single, their version peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” got another lease on life when it was included on The Big Chill soundtrack in 1983—which leads us to our daily bonus video of the day. As you might have guessed, it’s the after-dinner clean up scene from the movie, featuring the entire cast grooving out to “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” It makes doing dishes seem like fun!