Song Clearance Sheet
4 sources citedAin’t Too Proud to Beg
See all The Temptations in the catalogue →
Soul1960s119BPM
UnconfirmedKey
Tempo/key via Deezer →
The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Norman Whitfield & Eddie Holland), no dispute found — the record that established Whitfield as the Temptations’ main producer; connects to the Temptations hub and “My Girl.”
Quick Facts
Released1966
AlbumGettin’ Ready
GenreSoul, R&B, Motown
LabelGordy / Motown Records
ProducerNorman Whitfield
Recorded atHitsville U.S.A., Detroit
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Norman Whitfield & Eddie Holland
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — Motown/Gordy; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
Much-covered (The Rolling Stones 1974; Rick Astley 1989); connects to the Temptations hub and “My Girl.”
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record and no dispute found.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same group (this batch)
Same group, later Whitfield era (already in this catalogue)
Whitfield’s first-ever produced single (this batch)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Norman Whitfield & Edward “Eddie” Holland Jr.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
“Veins jumped out of Norman’s neck”
Whitfield, determined to unseat Smokey Robinson as the group’s main producer, cut an instrumental he believed in and had Eddie Holland write to it. At Quality Control it lost out to Robinson’s “Get Ready” and was shelved; road guitarist Cornelius Grant recalled Whitfield’s visible frustration — “veins jumped out of Norman’s neck.” Gordy promised release if “Get Ready” missed the pop Top 20; it did (#29), and this became the hit that made Whitfield the group’s new main producer. No lyrics reproduced.
Culture Wikia · read it →
A vocal-strain technique reused later
Whitfield arranged the song slightly above David Ruffin’s natural range to add audible strain and desperation — a technique he later reused on Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”
Songfacts · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
A #1 R&B Temptations hit
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itThe Rolling Stones
Who to Contact
AT
Whitfield & Holland (Motown)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
Find a similar sound that's 100% freeBrowse the catalog →
Was this page helpful?
Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 17/18)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass