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No thanks in small part to the extremely high quality control, Berry Gordy and his creative directors exercised a finite but massive backlog of recordings that never saw the light of day at Motown, forever locked away and archived in some warehouse. An unfortunate situation, as Motown engineers and artists on their worst day far excelled other labels on their best. Thankfully, a movement has been afoot to unearth many of these treasures. Excellent anthologies such as the Cellarful of Motown series and individual artist anthologies (largely, and sadly, available in the U.K. only) have helped to shed further light on the talents of minor Motown players, artists that could have been top-tier elsewhere. Then there were the juggernauts of Motown, with names like Smokey, Stevie, and Diana, and groups like the Temptations and the Vandellas who were synonymous with the label's early success. With this, Motown has had the good sense to start the Lost and Found series. Alternate takes, mixes, and lost cuts that were never issued on vinyl are all cleaned up and digitally remastered with beautiful liner notes and breathtaking packaging. In this volume, 1963-1970, the Four Tops are presented in a two-disc, 41-tune marathon concentrating on the Detroit years of their success. More important than their status as previously unreleased, this is a quiet barometer of their evolution that isn't plastered in hit after hit. Their blues- and jazz-tinged early singles show a group raw with promise, not yet by the Motown hitmaking artist machine that would turn them into the consummate soul showmen. Midway through disc one, however, that transformation becomes highly evident. Not only in the production and songwriting, but in the highly polished quality of their vocal delivery. Make no mistake, this record isn't for the casual listener to use as a starting point to the group's rich history. But for die-hard fans, Northern soul fanatics, and Motown enthusiasts, this stuff is essential. It's like falling in love with the same group all over again.
© Rob Theakston /TiVo
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Marvin Gaye, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jimmy McHugh, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Gaskill, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Lamont Dozier, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Clarence Paul, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Morris Ervin, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., Producer - Renaldo Benson, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2003 Universal Motown Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ivy Jo Hunter, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ivy Joe Hunter, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Frank Wilson, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Marcus Gordon, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Stevie Wonder, ComposerLyricist - Ivy Joe Hunter, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., ComposerLyricist - Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Warren Moore, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Lamont Dozier, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ivy Joe Hunter, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - De Mell, ComposerLyricist - Goga, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ivy Joe Hunter, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Jack Goga, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Dennis Lussier, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Debbie Dean, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Dennis Lussier, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jimmy Payne, ComposerLyricist - Jim Glaser, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
DISC 2
Allen Story, ComposerLyricist - Anna Gaye, ComposerLyricist - L. Brown, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Horgay Gordy, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Raynard Miner, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Raynard Miner, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Ron Miller, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
William Robinson, Jr., ComposerLyricist - Warren Moore, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Pam Sawyer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Jack Goga, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Raynard Miner, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Pam Sawyer, ComposerLyricist - Vernon Bullock, ComposerLyricist - Johnny Bristol, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Jack Goga, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Four Tops, MainArtist - Robert Walker, Author - Robert Staunton, Author
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Deke Richards, ComposerLyricist - Frank Wilson, ComposerLyricist - Beatrice Verdi, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Wade Marcus, ComposerLyricist - Scott Regen, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
NICKOLAS ASHFORD, ComposerLyricist - Valerie Simpson, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Pam Sawyer, ComposerLyricist - Joe Hinton, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Pam Sawyer, ComposerLyricist - Joe Hinton, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Raynard Miner, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Janie Finney, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Johnny Bristol, ComposerLyricist - Beatrice Verdi, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - D McNeil, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
AL CLEVELAND, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Four Tops, MainArtist - Al Hamilton, ComposerLyricist - Ronnie Savoy, ComposerLyricist - Herman Weems, ComposerLyricist - James Barner, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Terry Johnson, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Four Tops, MainArtist - Duke Browner, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
No thanks in small part to the extremely high quality control, Berry Gordy and his creative directors exercised a finite but massive backlog of recordings that never saw the light of day at Motown, forever locked away and archived in some warehouse. An unfortunate situation, as Motown engineers and artists on their worst day far excelled other labels on their best. Thankfully, a movement has been afoot to unearth many of these treasures. Excellent anthologies such as the Cellarful of Motown series and individual artist anthologies (largely, and sadly, available in the U.K. only) have helped to shed further light on the talents of minor Motown players, artists that could have been top-tier elsewhere. Then there were the juggernauts of Motown, with names like Smokey, Stevie, and Diana, and groups like the Temptations and the Vandellas who were synonymous with the label's early success. With this, Motown has had the good sense to start the Lost and Found series. Alternate takes, mixes, and lost cuts that were never issued on vinyl are all cleaned up and digitally remastered with beautiful liner notes and breathtaking packaging. In this volume, 1963-1970, the Four Tops are presented in a two-disc, 41-tune marathon concentrating on the Detroit years of their success. More important than their status as previously unreleased, this is a quiet barometer of their evolution that isn't plastered in hit after hit. Their blues- and jazz-tinged early singles show a group raw with promise, not yet by the Motown hitmaking artist machine that would turn them into the consummate soul showmen. Midway through disc one, however, that transformation becomes highly evident. Not only in the production and songwriting, but in the highly polished quality of their vocal delivery. Make no mistake, this record isn't for the casual listener to use as a starting point to the group's rich history. But for die-hard fans, Northern soul fanatics, and Motown enthusiasts, this stuff is essential. It's like falling in love with the same group all over again.
© Rob Theakston /TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 41 track(s)
- Total length: 01:58:44
- Main artists: Four Tops
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Hip-O Select
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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