Psychedelic Shack (song) - Definition and Overview

"Psychedelic Shack", released December 28, 1969, is the name of a 1970 hit single for the Motown label performed by The Temptations and produced by Norman Whitfield.

This single represents the Temptations and Whitfield's full-blown submergence into psychedelia, with hard rock guitars, synthesizer sound effects, multitracked drums, and stereo-shifting vocals giving the record a sound unlike that of even the earlier Temptations "psychedelic soul" recordings.

The song is a dedication of sorts to psychedelic shacks, describing the activities and atmosphere within. The record begins with the sounds of a person entering a psychedelic shack and droppingthe needle on a record, which is, interestingly enough, the Tempts' last big hit, "I Can't Get Next to You". The use of the re-recording of "I Can't Get Next to You" from its 45 RPM single makes "Psychedelic Shack" one of the first songs to use sampling, a technique that would become a stable of hip hop music in the coming decade.

"Psychedelic Shack" was the title track from the Psychedelic Shack album, released in March 1970. The song reached #7 on the US pop charts and #2 on the US R&B charts.

Credits

• Lead and Background Vocals by Dennis Edwards, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams

• Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
• Produced by Norman Whitfield
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers.