“Papa Was a Rolling Stone” was released on August 14, 1972, and became one of The Temptations’ most famous hits. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Whitfield was known for his innovative production techniques and was a key figure in the development of Motown’s “psychedelic soul” sound. The Album version runs around 12 minutes, the radio edit is over 6 minutes which was long for 1972. The song has been widely covered and sampled, reflecting its influence on various genres beyond soul and R&B. Artists like Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and now Slash, it’s on his Orgy of the Damned album. Here is a live version, it’s not the Temptations but I think they would approve.