[.ca] Anthology 50th Ann.

Reach For The Top(s):
The Four Tops have been performing for 50 years as of 2004, a feat few if any other groups have accomplished. Their longtime partnership has been cemented by their enduring friendship and their lead singer's resistence to record solo. Even after one of them passed on, they carried on with a new member. Disc 1 begins in 1964. This was the year they signed with Motown and hit it big with "Baby, I Need Your Loving", the first of a string of hits written and produced by Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland. The song went to number 11 and paved the way for a long line of hit singles. Their next single, "Without The One You Love (Life's Not Worthwhile)" floundered on the charts, missing the Top 40. The follow - up, "Ask The Lonely", fared slightly better, but the Tops were in desperate need of anothr big hit. H - D - H gave them "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", an infectious composition that went to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks. The next single was the soundalike "It's The Same Old Song", which went to number 5. "Something About You" and "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" both made the Top 20, while "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" faltered at number 45. It was 1966 that Holland - Dozier - Holland produced the groundbreaking "Reach Out, I'll Be There". With this single, they moved out of the realm of piano - driven dance numbers into serious music. The soundalikes "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" and "Bernadette" both made the Top 10. Then "7 - Rooms Of Gloom" and "You Keep Running Away" failed to duplicate the success of those 3 singles. The Tops scored 2 Top 20 hits "Walk Away Renee" and "If I Were A Carpenter", both of which were covers of previous hits. In 1968, Holland - Dozier - Holland left Motown, leaving The Four Tops without a guiding force. Frank Wilson soon took over the studio reins, and produced two hit singles for them: a cover of Tommy Edwards' number one hit "It's All In The Game" and "Still Water (Love)". They also scored a hit with a cover of "River Deep, Mountain High", a duet with The Supremes. Three singles produced by Frank Wilson and group member Lawrence Payton followed, including an electrifying cover of "MacArthur Park". Disc 2 begins with "A Simple Game". This was a strange collaboration with The Moody Blues that went to number 3 in Britain. The group recorded the album "Natured Planned It" in 1972. It was their last album for Motown. That year, they left the label and signed with Dunhill. Their first single was "Keeper Of The Castle". the song was a huge hit. It was their first Top 10 hit since "Bernadette" 5 years earlier, going all the way to number 10. "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)" followed. A heartfelt ballad, it climbed up the charts to number 4 and was their first single to sell 1, 000, 000 copies. They scored another hit with "Are You Man Enough". But the remaining Dunhill years were not successful and they left the label by 1979. In 1980, they scored a hit with "When She Was My Girl", which went to number 11. It was their last hit. They returned to Motown in 1983, but left after 2 years. In 1987, "Indestructible" became their last top 40 hit. I suggest you buy this album. It's a great introduction to one of the greatest vocal groups ever.

Reach For The Top(s)....:
Since 1964, The Four Tops' fresh and vibrant brand of classic R & B remains timeless in its own right. With their shimmering harmony vocals (led by the sparkling lead voice of Levi Stubbs), plus wonderous production work by Holland - Dozier - Holland, and just great songs. Today, they still tour, although they are no longer called The Four Tops (they changed it to simply The Tops after second Lawrence Payton died of liver in 1997). After struggling for 10 years on major record labels like Chess and Atlantic, The Four Tops (originally known as The Four Aims) hit it big when they signed to Motown in 1964. They were paired with the production team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. The trio produced the foursome's first single for the label, "Baby, I Need Your Loving". After years of struggle, the Tops hit it big when the single broke into the top 15 on Billboard's Hot 100. Two more Holland - Dozier - Holland songs, "Without The One You Love (Life's Not Worthwhile) and "Ask The Lonely", failed the match of the success of the first single. The band had yet to have a top 10 hit. The wait ended when Brian, Lamont and Eddie gave them "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "It's The Same Old Song". The wait was finally over: the former song went to number one for 2 weeks while the latter ascended to number five. Two more top 20 hits followed before their writer/producers gave them what are probably their 3 greatest songs. The first in this string was the uplifting "Reach Out, I'll Be There". The song returned them to the top of the charts for two weeks. The next single was as simlar to reach out as "It's The Same Old Song" was to "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)". Nonetheless, "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" soared into the top 10. The next single was yet another soundalike, though with a slightly different lyrical content, "Bernadette", their third consecutive top 10 single. Their next single, "7 Rooms Of Gloom", only went top 20, and they abandoned H - D - H for cover versions of "Walk Away, Renee" and "If I Were A Carpenter", both of which became top 20 hits. In late 1967, Holland, Dozier and Holland left Motown, leaving the Tops without a guiding force. After Johnny Bristol and Norman Whitfield produced two consecutive flops for the group, they teamed with Frank Wilson, who produced two hits for the group, a cover of Tommy Edwards' number one hit "It's All In The Game" and "Still Water (Love)". After that, they had a hit with a duet with The Supremes on a cover of "River Deep, Mountain High". Three singles produced by Wilson an group member Lawrence Payton followed, including a dynamic cover of "MacArthur Park". Disc 2 begins with their final two Motown singles, "A Simple Game" and "(It's The Way) Nature Planned It". Neither helped boost their chart status at home, though the former, a strange collaboration with The Moody Blues, was a top three hit in Britain. In 1972, they finally left Motown. They signed with Dunhill. Their first single for the label was the Dennis Lambert - Brian Potter composition "Keeper Of The Castle". Recording the song turned out to be a wise move; it was their first top 10 hit since "Bernadette", climbing up to number ten. But it was the next single that proved to the world that the Top were back on top. The cool, swaying ballad "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)" featured a great vocal by Levi and sailed to number four. The next single, "Are You Man Enough", made the top 15, but subsequent singles like "Catfish", "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" and "H.E.L.P" failed to match the success of the first three singles. By the end of the 1970s', they were again without a record label. In 1980, they signed with Neil Bogart's Casablanca Records. Their first single for the label was "When She Was My Girl". The record was a monster hit, reaching number 11 on the pop charts, number 1 on the R & B charts, number 9 on the Adult Contemporary Charts, and number 3 in the U.K., an impressive feat for a band many assumed had peaked in 1967. But, alas, the renaissance was short - lived, as subsequent singles on the label flopped. In 1983, they returned to Motown and were reunited with Holland - Dozier - Holland for the single "I Just Can't Walk Away". The single failed and they left the label yet again. In 1987, they released an album on Arista titled "Indestructible". The title track featured an appearance by Smokey Robinson and went into the top 40, their last single. This is a great collection to celebrate the anniversary of The Four Tops. The set is filled with timeless music. Not to mention a great booklet with insightful liner notes and details about the songs. Buy it today.

Original Motown Magic:
Another terrific outcome of the Motown/Universal/Hip o Select partnership. Great recording quality. Disc 2/Cut 17, "I Believe in You and Me" is amazing. Truth is, I would have bought the package for this recording alone. Once you hear it, you'll shun Whitney Houston's version; what to speak of Kelly Clarkson's imitation of an imitation. The Four Tops version with Levi Stubbs at the helm is not only a classic soul performance. This is true singing. This is real music. Get it before it's gone.

It's The Same Old Songs...Only Better!:
In honor of the group's 50th anniversary, Hip - O records has put out this magnificent two - disc retrospective dedicated to the wonderful music of the Four Tops. From the classic Motown hits to the excellent if not well - known 1970s' recordings to a few 1980s' goodies, everything that you could possibly want is here. Disc 1 features every hit they scored on Motown. Whether you enjoy "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'", "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch", "It's The Same Old Song", "Reach Out", "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" or "Bernadette", you'll find all your favorite songs on this disc. Also, there are some rarely heard tracks included here, such "Ask The Lonely", "7 - Rooms Of Gloom", "You Keep Running Away" and their magnificent covers of the hits "Walk Away Rene", "If I Were A Carpenter' (their version easily buries Bobby Darin's), "It's All In The Game", "River Deep, Mountain High" (with post - Diana Ross Supremes) and "MacArthur Park" which closes disc one. Disc 2 is very different from anything on the first disc. While the first disc solely from the Motown era, the bulk of disc 2 is made up by their 1972 - 79 stint at Dunhill. During this time, they scored two top 10 smashes, the funky message song "Keeper Of The Castle" (number 10, not number 4 as the liner notes list) and the mooth, soothing "Ain't No Woman (Like The I've Got)" (number 4), the latter of which is among their most popular songs. The rest of their 1970s' recordings featured here weren't hits (with the exception of the top 20 "Are You Man Enough" from "Shaft In Africa"), but remain just as good, especially "One Chain Don't Make No Prison", "Midnight Flower", "Catfish" and "H.E.L.P.". As for the 1980s' hits, there's the huge 1981 hit "When She Was My Girl", as well as the sensual "Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over" and the gorgeous "I Believe In You And Me", which became a hit for Whitney Houston in 1996. There are two songs they did that were recorded for movies: the "Grease 2" theme "Back To School Again" (as one reviewer already pointed out, this song was the only good thing in the film) and "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space", a Levi Stubbs solo number from "Little Shop Of Horror" (Stubbs did the voice of Audrey in the movie". Also there's the lush "I Just Can't Walk Away" from their short - lived Motown return, and "Indestructible", a duet with an uncredited Smokey Robinson that became their final hit in 1988. This is such a great set. It's not entirely complete, as the singles "Ain't That Love" (from their short - live stint at Columbia Records), "You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart" (another post - Ross Supremes duet) and "Sad Hearts" (a 1983 release) are missing. But they are not among their most popular recordings, and their absence is not notable. This is a set that I hope you will consider buying soon.

All The Hits and a Few Wonderful Surprises:
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Four Tops' formation in 1954, this Anthology compiles all of their significant chart hits over the years, with a couple of nice surprises thrown in. Motown of course is where they recorded the bulk of their hits and that tenure is represented on the first 30 (of 48) recordings. The leadoff track - 1964's "Baby I Need your Loving" - was the Tops' first collaboration with the songwriting-production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. It established a winning formula: lyrics that entail Levi yearning for or proclaiming his love for a girl he has lost or can't have; pulsating music cut in a (high) key out of Stubbs' regular vocal range, the subsequent strain causing his pleas to sound even more dramatic; background vocals with a full, almost Spectorian resonance, thanks to the addition of Motown's resident session singers, the Andantes. After a mediocre "Baby I Need Your Loving" soundalike "Without The One You Love" stiffed, the Tops rebounded in 1965 with the majestic ballad "Ask The Lonely," their first number one smash "I Can't Help Myself" and "It's The Same Old Song" (and truly the latter was, a melodic retread of "I Can't Help Myself"). The Tops reached their commercial peak in late 1966 to early 1967 with some of the most exciting recordings they ever cut: "Reach Out ("I'll Be There)," "Standing In The Shadows Of Love," "Bernadette," and "Seven Rooms Of Gloom." In late 1967, however, Holland-Dozier-Holland abruptly left Motown in a dispute over financial compensation. This prompted the label to release year-old remakes of "Walk Away Renee" and "If I Were A Carpenter" as follow-up Tops' singles. They are proof that the Tops could make a hit out of practically anything. In 1968 and 1969, other Motown writer-producers like Ivy Jo Hunter, Johnny Bristol, and Norman Whitfield attempted to fill the void left by Holland-Dozier-Holland's exit. None of their work with the Tops, however, penetrated the pop or r & b top 20 (although the ponderous "What Is A Man" ranks with their best recordings). In 1970, Frank Wilson took over as the Tops' producer for the landmark Still Waters concept album. Wilson ditched the Andantes from the background and put more emphasis on the Tops harmonies. As evidenced by the hits "It's All In the Game" and "Still Water (Love)," the Tops had risen to new melodic heights. They were followed by more of Frank Wilson's well-crafted singles like "In These Changing Times" and "(It's The Way) Nature Planned It" as well as the stunning "A Simple Game," a one-off collaboration with the Moody Blues. Unfortunately these 1971-1972 singles received little promotional support from Motown and struggled on the charts. Frustrated, the Tops left the label in late 1972 and signed with ABC subsidiary Dunhill Records. At Dunhill, they immediately hit with the urban message song "Keeper Of The Castle," the Shaft in Africa theme "Are You Man Enough," and the multi-format symphonic smash "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I've Got)." With the countrified "Sweet Understand Love" and their funkiest recording ever "One Chain Don't Make No Prison," the Tops maintained the high quality through 1974, but their 1975-1976 r & b hits (including the disco "Catfish," the reggae in molasses "Midnight Flower") were duds. This period concludes with the Tops' dance smash "H.E.L.P." which is finally making its cd debut (pleasant surprise number one). In 1981 the Tops signed with Casablanca, where they released two of their strongest albums ever. They are represented here by the retro smash "When She Was My Girl," its amorous follow-up "Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over," the wedding staple "I Believe In You And Me" (Levi's performance buries Whitney Houston's hit version), and the Grease II theme "Back To School Again" (the only redeeming component of that film). Bringing this retrospective to a close are "I Just Can't Walk Away" a stirring ballad from their shortlived return to Motown in 1983, and "Indestructible," their final top 40 entry from their lone 1988 Arista album, plus Levi Stubbs' wondrous contribution to the Little Shop Of Horrors film, "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space" (pleasant surprise number two). The Tops also recorded many great album tracks over the years (most of which can be found on their box set FOUREVER). But if you only want the hits - all of them - this double-disc collection is the set to get.

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