"The Official Web Site" "Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews" "Spotlight: The Four Tops" "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: The Four Tops" |
The Four Tops are the most stable, consistent, and dependable of the successful R&B/pop vocal acts to emerge from Motown Records in the 1960s. Unlike the Temptations, they have had no personnel changes; unlike the Supremes and the Miracles, their lead singer never felt the need to step out on his own. At the same time, the Four Tops personified the musical hybrid Motown sought -- they had the grittiness of gospel and R&B, but they were smooth enough to appeal to pop audiences.
The group was formed in Detroit in 1953 by lead singer Levi Stubbs, Jr., Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Lawrence Payton, and Abdul "Duke" Fakir when they were still in high school. They recorded for several labels before signing to Motown in 1963. "Baby, I Need Your Loving" (July 1964), written and produced by the team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, was their first substantial hit, setting the pattern for a series of songs showcasing Stubbs's emotive wail set against the Benson-Payton-Fakir harmony line. Need and longing would be the hallmarks of Stubbs's singing on such songs as "Ask the Lonely" (January 1965), which launched a string of R&B Top Ten/pop Top 40 hits over the next two years. Its follow-up, "I Can't Help Myself" (April 1965), hit number one and was itself followed by "It's the Same Old Song" (July 1965), "Something About You" (October 1965), "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" (February 1966), "Loving You Is Sweeter than Ever" (May 1966), a second #1, "Reach Out, I'll Be There" (August 1966), "Standing in the Shadows of Love" (November 1966), "Bernadette" (February 1967), "7 Rooms of Gloom" (May 1967), and "You Keep Running Away" (August 1967).
At that point, the Holland-Dozier-Holland team left Motown, depriving the Four Tops of their writing and producing talent. The label at first had some trouble finding material for them, having them cover songs like "Walk Away Renee" and "If I Were a Carpenter." In 1970, however, they rebounded with "It's All in the Game," "Still Water (Love)," a duet with the Supremes on "River Deep -- Mountain High," and "Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)," all of which made the R&B Top Ten and the pop Top 40. They scored one more R&B Top Ten on Motown with "(It's the Way) Nature Planned It" before moving to Dunhill (later acquired by ABC, then by MCA) Records, where they enjoyed another string of hits, including "Keeper of the Castle" (October 1972), the gold-selling "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I Got)" (January 1973), "Are You Man Enough" (June 1973), "Sweet Understanding Love" (September 1973), "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" (April 1974), and "Midnight Flower" (July 1974). They returned to the R&B Top Ten with "Catfish" (August 1976), and moved to Casablanca (since acquired by PolyGram) for the R&B number one "When She Was My Girl" (September 1981).
The Four Tops returned to Motown in 1983, and by 1988 were signed to Arista. Their hit-making days presumably behind them, they remain a solid concert act with a repertoire of favorites and a catalogue that continues to be repackaged successfully. -- William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
Addtional notes:
Lawrence Payton passed away in 1997, Reynaldo "Obie" Benson passed away in 2005, and Levi Stubbs, the voice of the Four Tops, passed away on Friday, October 17th, 2008, leaving only Abdul "Duke" Fakir as an orignal member. Fakir now tours with Theo Peoples (formerly of The Temptations) , who took over Srubbs's role when Levi suffered a stroke in 2000, Ronnie McNeir, and Lawrence Payton's son Roquel as the Four Tops.
01. I Got a Feeling 02. Brenda 03. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever 04. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) 05. Until You Love Someone 06. There's No Love Left |
07. Matchmaker 08. Michelle 09. In the Still of the Night 10. Bluesette 11. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars 12. Then |
01. Introduction 02. It's the Same Old Song 03. It's Not Unusual 04. Baby I Need Your Loving 05. Reach out (I'll Be There) 06. I'll Turn to Stone 07. I Left My Heart in San Francisco |
08. You Can't Hurry Love 09. Ask the Lonely 10. Climb Ev'ry Mountain 11. Girl from Ipanema 12. If I Had a Hammer 13. I Can't Help Myself 14. I Like Everything About You |
01. Reach out I'll Be There 02. Walk Away Renee 03. 7-Rooms of Gloom 04. If I Were a Carpenter 05. Last Train to Clarksville 06. I'll Turn to Stone |
07. I'm a Believer 08. Standing in the Shadows of Love 09. Bernadette 10. Cherish 11. Wonderful Baby 12. What Else Is There to Do |
01. Look Out Your Window 02. Barbara's Boy 03. Lost In A Pool Of Red 04. Got To Get You Into My Life 05. Stop The World 06. Nothing |
07. This Guy's In Love With You 08. Light My Fire 09. Honey 10. The Look Of Love 11. California Dreamin' |
01. Still Water (Love) 02. Reflections 03. It's All in the Game 04. Everybody's Talking 05. Love Is the Answer |
06. I Wish I Were Your Mirror 07. Elusive Butterfly 08. Bring Me Together 09. L.A. (My Town) 10. Still Water (Peace) |
01. In These Changing Times 02. Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten out My... 03. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head 04. Right Before My Eyes 05. I Almost Had Her (But She Got Away) |
06. Try to Remember 07. Something's Tearing at the Edges of Time 08. Sing a Song of Yesterday 09. Medley: The Long and Winding Road: In.. |
01. Mainstreet People (intro) 02. I Just Can't Get You out of My Mind 03. It Won't Be the First Time 04. Sweet Understanding Love 05. Am I My Brother's Keeper 06. Are You Man Enough |
07. Whenever There's Blue 08. Too Little Too Late 09. Peace of Mind 10. One Woman Man 11. Main Street People |
01. You Can't Even Walk in the Park 02. Are You Man Enough 03. Aleme Finds Shaft 04. Shaft in Africa 05. Headman 06. El Jardia |
07. Are You Man Enough 08. Jazar's Theme 09. Truck Stop 10. Aleme's Theme 11. El Jardia 12. Are You Man Enough |
01. Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got) 02. Are You Man Enough 03. I Am Your Man 04. Keeper of the Castle 05. Love Music-Reach out I'll Be There... |
06. Baby I Need Your Loving 07. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey... 08. Midnight Flower 09. One Chain Don't Make No Prison |
01. Baby I Need Your Loving 02. Without The One You Love 03. Sad Souvenirs 04. Ask The Lonely 05. I Can't Help Myself 06. Helpless 07. Something About You 08. Shake Me, Wake Me (when it's over) 09. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever 10. Then 11. Reach Out I'll Be There 12. Standing In The Shadows Of Love 13. I Got A Feeling 14. Bernadette 15. 7 Rooms Of Gloom 16. I'll Turn To Stone 17. You Keep Running Away 18. Walk Away Renee 19. If I Were A Carpenter |
20. Yesterdays Dreams 21. Mac Arthur Park 22. Climb Every Mountain 23. Everybody's Talking 24. For Once In My Life 25. A Place In The Sun 26. Reflections 27. I'm In A Different World 28. Can't Seem To Get You Out Of My Mind 29. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me 30. It's All In The Game 31. Still Water(love) 32. River Deep-Mountain High 33. Just Seven Numbers 34. In These Changing Times 35. You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart 36. I Can't Quit Your Love 37. (it's the way)Nature Planned It 38. Hey Man/We Got To Get You A Woman |
01. Seven Lonely Nights 02. Mama You're All Right With Me 03. Is This The Price? 04. We All Gotta Stick Together 05. I've Got What You Need |
06. I Can't Hold On Much Longer 07. (it would almost) Drive Me Out Of My Mind 08. I'm Glad You Walked Into My Life 09. (Dedicated to Stevie) 10. Let Me Know The Truth |
1. The Show Must Go On 2. I Can't Live Without You 3. Save It For A Rainy Day 4. Runnin' From Your Love |
5. See The Real Me 6. Love Is A Joy 7. You'll Never Find A Better Man 8. Candy |
01. Help 02. Bits and Pieces 03. Seclusion 04. Put It on the News |
05. This House 06. Just in Time 07. Inside a Brokenhearted Man 08. When Your Dreams Take Wings and Fly |
01. When She Was My Girl 02. One More Mountain 03. Sad Hearts 04. Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over 05. Nobody's Gonna Love You Like I Do 06. Let Me Set You Free |
07. Don't Walk Away 08. Dream On 09. All I Do 10. I Believe in You and Me 11. I'll Never Ever Leave Again 12. Back to School Again |
01. I Can't Help Myself 02. I Got a Feeling 03. Your Love Is Amazing |
04. Yesterday's Dreams 05. I'm Grateful 06. Little Green Apples |
01. Sad Hearts 02. One More Mountain to Climb 03. Givin' It Up 04. I Believe in You and Me 05. I'm the One |
06. Keep on Lightin' My Fire 07. Nobody's Gonna Love You Like I Do 08. Dream On 09. Whatever It Is |
01. Make Yourself Right at Home 02. I Just Can't Walk Away 03. Sail On 04. Back Where I Belong |
05. What Have We Got to Lose? 06. Masquerade Is Over 07. Body and Soul 08. Hang |
01. Hot Nights 02. Red Hot Love 03. I Believe in You and Me 04. Let's Jam 05. We Got Bus'ness |
01. Hot Nights 02. Red Hot Love 03. I Believe in You and Me 04. Let's Jam 05. We Got Bus'ness |
01. Indestructible 02. Change of Heart 03. If Ever a Love There Was 04. Sun Ain't Gonna Shine 05. Next Time |
06. Loco in Acapulco 07. Are You with Me 08. I'm Only Wounded 09. When You Dance 10. Let's Jam |
01. When She Was My Girl 02. One More Mountain 03. Sad Hearts 04. Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over 05. Nobody's Gonna Love You Like I Do 06. Let Me Set You Free |
07. Don't Walk Away 08. Dream On 09. All I Do 10. I Believe in You and Me 11. I'll Never Ever Leave Again 12. Back to School Again |
01. It's the Same Old Song 02. Darling, I Hum Our Song 03. Then 04. If I Were a Carpenter 05. Ask the Lonely 06. Baby I Need Your Loving |
07. I'll Turn to Stone 08. Helpless 09. Never My Love 10. Stay in My Lonely Arms 11. Cherish |
01. Christmas Here with You 02. White Christmas 03. Christmas Song 04. Away in a Manger 05. This Christmas 06. Silent Night |
07. Little Drummer Boy 08. Christmas Delight 09. Merry Christmas Baby 10. Merry Christmas to You 11. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas 12. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas |
01. Reach Out I'll Be There 02. Standing In The Shadows of Love 03. Bernadette 04. Ask The Lonely 05. Baby I Need Your Loving 06. Without The One You Love 07. It's The Same Old Song 08. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever 09. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) 10. Something About You 11. I Got A Feeling 12. I'm In A Different World 13. Walk Away Renee |
14. What Is A Man 15. A Simple Game 16. Still Water (Love) 17. (It's The Way) Nature Planned It 18. It's All In The Game 19. You Keep Running Away 20. If You Don't Want My Love 21. 7-Rooms Of Gloom 22. I'll Turn To Stone 23. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) 24. Sad Souvenirs 25. Yesterday's Dreams |
01. This Can't Be Love 02. On The Street Where You Live 03. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You 04. Nice 'N' Easy 05. Maybe Today 06. Stranger On The Shore 07. Young And Foolish 08. Discovered 09. I Left My Heart In San Francisco 10. Fascinating Rhythm |
11. End Of A Beautiful Friendship 12. If My Heart Could Sing 13. Can't Get Out Of This Mood 14. When I'm Alone I Cry 15. Until I Met You 16. I'm Falling For You 17. Every Day I Have The Blues/Goin' To Chicago Blues 18. I Could Have Danced All Night 19. I'm Falling For You (Live At The Apollo) |