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Solid and steady hitmakers for Motown in the late 1960s, the Four Tops, led by the deep, soulful voice of Levi Stubbs and blessed with A-line songs from the Holland-Dozier-Holland writing team, were one of the finest singing groups the label ever produced. Singles like "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," "Bernadette," "I Can't Help Myself," and the wise-beyond-its-era "It's the Same Old Song" were radio staples in their time, and actually still continue to be staples on 21st century oldies stations. That's staying power, and it's no accident. The songs, at least the singles, were good and the Tops' sound was a hair rougher and edgier than a lot of Motown's issues at the time. It was a winning combination. This set has all of the above songs, each of which is essential, and plenty of other stuff that isn't quite so essential (the Four Tops were really a singles act -- their LPs tended to have a fair amount of filler). It also doesn't have anything the group recorded after they left Motown, but the Four Tops' peak years were at Motown anyway, so for most listeners, this set will be just fine.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
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Renaldo Benson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - The Funk Brothers, Unknown, Other - Lawrence Payton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Louvain Demps, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Jackie Hicks, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Marlene Barrow, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Louvain Demps, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs Jr., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jackie Hicks, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Marlene Barrow, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Louvain Demps, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs Jr., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jackie Hicks, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Marlene Barrow, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Ivy Joe Hunter, Producer, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - The Andantes, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Payton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs Jr., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1964 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Stevie Wonder, ComposerLyricist - Ivy Joe Hunter, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1966 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Vocals, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - The Andantes, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Payton, Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1965 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1967 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lamont Dozier, Producer - Brian Holland, Producer - Michael Brown, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Tony Sansome, ComposerLyricist - Bob Calilli, ComposerLyricist - The Andantes, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Payton, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs Jr., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jerry Long, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Roach, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Frank Wilson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1970 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Melvin Ragin, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Leonard Caston, Keyboards, AssociatedPerformer - Renaldo Benson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Pam Sawyer, ComposerLyricist - Jerry Long, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Jack Ashford, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Cal Harris, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Andrew Smith, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Eddie Willis, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Frank Wilson, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Brown, Bongos, Conga, AssociatedPerformer - Four Tops, MainArtist - Dennis Coffey, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - James Jamerson, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - David Van dePitte, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Rick Allen, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Lawrence Payton, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs Jr., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1972 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Jerry Long, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Jimmy Roach, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Carl Sigman, ComposerLyricist - Charles Gates Dawes, ComposerLyricist - Frank Wilson, Producer - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1970 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist
℗ 1971 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Louvain Demps, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs Jr., Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Jackie Hicks, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Marlene Barrow, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1967 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Renaldo Benson, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Lamont Dozier, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, Producer, ComposerLyricist - Four Tops, MainArtist - Lawrence Payton, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Levi Stubbs, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Abdul Fakir, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1966 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Solid and steady hitmakers for Motown in the late 1960s, the Four Tops, led by the deep, soulful voice of Levi Stubbs and blessed with A-line songs from the Holland-Dozier-Holland writing team, were one of the finest singing groups the label ever produced. Singles like "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," "Bernadette," "I Can't Help Myself," and the wise-beyond-its-era "It's the Same Old Song" were radio staples in their time, and actually still continue to be staples on 21st century oldies stations. That's staying power, and it's no accident. The songs, at least the singles, were good and the Tops' sound was a hair rougher and edgier than a lot of Motown's issues at the time. It was a winning combination. This set has all of the above songs, each of which is essential, and plenty of other stuff that isn't quite so essential (the Four Tops were really a singles act -- their LPs tended to have a fair amount of filler). It also doesn't have anything the group recorded after they left Motown, but the Four Tops' peak years were at Motown anyway, so for most listeners, this set will be just fine.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 18 track(s)
- Total length: 00:51:03
- Main artists: Four Tops
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Motown
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B R&B
© 2008 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. This Compilation ℗ 2008 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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