The Four Tops - Pandora Internet Radio

Create a Station

Bookmark This Artist

"The Four Tops" has been added to your list of bookmarked artists

Go to your profile

People Listening to
This Artist

The Four Tops

Biography

The Four Tops' story is one of longevity and togetherness: these Motown legends teamed up in high school and spent over four decades without a single personnel change. In between, they became one of the top-tier acts on a label with no shortage of talent, ranking with the Temptations and the Supremes as Motown's most consistent hitmakers. Where many other R&B vocal groups spotlighted a tenor-range lead singer, the Four Tops were fronted by deep-voiced Levi Stubbs, who never cut a solo record outside of the group. Stubbs had all the grit of a pleading, wailing, gospel-trained soul belter, but at the same time, the Tops' creamy harmonies were smooth enough for Motown's radio-friendly pop-soul productions. From 1964-1967, the Four Tops recorded some of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team's greatest compositions, including "Reach Out, I'll Be There," "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," "Bernadette," and "Baby I Need Your Loving." The group's fortunes took a downturn when their chief source of material left the label, but they enjoyed a renaissance in the early '70s, which saw them switching to the ABC-Dunhill imprint. Regardless of commercial fortunes, they kept on performing and touring, scoring the occasional comeback hit.

The Four Tops began life in 1953 (some accounts say 1954), when all of the members were attending Detroit-area high schools. Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir went to Pershing, and met Northern students Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton at a friend's birthday party, where the quartet first sang together. Sensing an immediate chemistry, they began rehearsing together and dubbed themselves the Four Aims. Payton's cousin Roquel Davis, a budding songwriter who sometimes sang with the group during its early days, helped them get an audition with Chess Records in 1956. Although Chess was more interested in Davis, who went on to become Berry Gordy's songwriting partner, they also signed the Four Aims, who became the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers. The Four Tops' lone Chess single, "Kiss Me Baby," was an unequivocal flop, and the group moved on to similarly brief stints at Red Top and Riverside. They signed with Columbia in 1960 and were steered in a more upscale supper-club direction, singing jazz and pop standards. This too failed to break them, although they did tour with Billy Eckstine during this period.

In 1963, the Four Tops signed with longtime friend Berry Gordy's new label, specifically the jazz-oriented Workshop subsidiary. They completed a debut LP, to be called Breaking Through, but Gordy scrapped it and switched their style back to R&B, placing them on Motown with the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team. After a full decade in existence, the Four Tops finally notched their first hit in 1964 with "Baby I Need Your Loving," which just missed the pop Top Ten. Early 1965 brought the follow-up ballad hit "Ask the Lonely," and from then on there was no stopping them. "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" went all the way to number one that spring, and the follow-up "It's the Same Old Song" reached the Top Five. The hits continued into 1966, with "Something About You" "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)," and "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" all coming in succession. The fall of 1966 brought the group's masterpiece in the form of the virtual soul symphony "Reach Out, I'll Be There"; not only did it become their second number one pop hit, it also wound up ranking as the creative peak of the group's career and one of Motown's finest singles ever. During this period, the Tops also earned a reputation as one of Motown's best live acts, having previously honed their performances for years before hitting the big time.

The Four Tops kicked off 1967 with the dramatic Top Ten smash "Standing in the Shadows of Love," which was followed by the Top Five "Bernadette." "7-Rooms of Gloom" and "You Keep Running Away" reached the Top 20, but toward the end of the year, Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown over a financial dispute, which didn't bode well for the Four Tops' impressive hit streak. Their next two hits, 1968's "Walk Away Renee" and "If I Were a Carpenter," were both covers of well-known recent songs (by the Left Banke and Tim Hardin, respectively), and while both made the Top 20, they heralded a rough couple of years where top-drawer material was in short supply. They enjoyed a resurgence in 1970 under producer Frank Wilson, who helmed a hit cover of the Tommy Edwards pop standard "It's All in the Game" and a ballad co-written by Smokey Robinson, "Still Water (Love)." The Tops also recorded with the post-Diana Ross Supremes, scoring a duet hit with a cover of "River Deep-Mountain High" in 1971.

When Motown moved its headquarters to Los Angeles in 1972, the Four Tops parted ways with the company, choosing to remain in their hometown of Detroit. They signed with ABC-Dunhill and were teamed with producers/songwriters Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who did their best to re-create the group's trademark Motown sound. The immediate result was "Keeper of the Castle," the Four Tops' first Top Ten hit in several years. They followed it in early 1973 with "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," a gold-selling smash that proved to be their final Top Five pop hit. That year they also recorded the theme song to the film Shaft in Africa, "Are You Man Enough." Several more R&B chart hits followed over the next few years, with the last being 1976's "Catfish"; after a final ABC album in 1978, the Tops largely disappeared from sight before resurfacing on Casablanca in 1981. Incredibly, their first single, "When She Was My Girl," went all the way to number one on the R&B charts, just missing the pop Top Ten. The accompanying album, Tonight!, became their last to hit the Top 40.

The Four Tops rejoined Motown in 1983, the year of the company's 25th anniversary, and toured extensively with the Temptations. They also recorded a couple albums of new material that failed to sell well, and wound up leaving Motown amid confusion over proper musical direction. Meanwhile, Levi Stubbs provided the voice for Audrey the man-eating plant in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors. The Four Tops next caught on with Arista, where in 1988 they scored their last Top 40 pop hit, the aptly titled "Indestructible." The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and continued to tour the oldies circuit. In 1997, Lawrence Payton passed away due to cancer of the liver, which proved to be the only thing that could break up the Four Tops. After some consideration, the remaining members hired Theo Peoples to take Payton's place on tour. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

Continued…

Selected Discography

Fourever
2001

Essential Collection
2000

Their Greatest Love Songs
1999

The Ultimate Collection
1997

The Four Tops Greatest Hits

dalay says:

07-05-2008

LEVI WAS TRUE TO THE GAME

lampleylinda says:

06-26-2008

PANDORA - since I discovered this website, don't listen to anything else. I just want to say - when this song came up - yes, everything else is the ultimate - but when you played this - you just showed out.

Scoobie says:

06-20-2008

I'm 37 and I just recently found Pandora (love it) love that I can add groups and songs, the four tops bring back such wonderfull childhood memories ...THANX

iceduchess10 1 says:

06-07-2008

love them..all i gotta say..love them

elvis'_angel says:

06-05-2008

Classic. Legends of their time, and their music spans generations with it's timeless sound

rockyusc says:

05-31-2008

what an a person say except the fourtopsare one of th gratest groups ever.

mike.miller7 says:

edited on 05-09-2008

another great music group from the motown era FOUR TOPS!!!

winbush_tamm y says:

05-08-2008

TB.this music has nothing to do with being old its all about love.

Truly says:

04-23-2008

This "Babay I Need Your Lovin" does not sound like the Four Tops. That signature "Motown" thump sound is missing. Interesting.

front-row says:

04-22-2008

AWESOME..... . . . . . . . . . .

2lucky34667 says:

04-08-2008

My dad was a great lover of Motown and I remember many a Sat/Sun afternoon or night spent laying in the middle of our livingroom floor(this was before surround sound) "feeling" the music rumble the floor with him. The Four Tops and Temptations were his favorites and he passed on his love of music to me, I will always remember that time when I hear The Tops, thanks for the music.

mr_terry_l says:

04-03-2008

One of the greatest groups that Motown created. Muisc to dance and just listen to. They can touch your heart and soul so easy. Never be music like this again.

elviaalvarez 6 6 says:

03-31-2008

Great artist, love of their songs, reminds me of my youth. Simply put, they just don't make songs like they used to!

George Morris Koonce ,Jr. says:

03-28-2008

THE MOST CREATIVE,ENJ O Y A B L E ,SPONTANEOUS , S O U L F U L ,PRACTICAL MUSIC EVER...DISCU S S E S THE JOY AND PAIN OF LIFE IN THE CONTEXT OF "LIVING"

dr3vgn says:

03-24-2008

another motown super group with so many hit songs

luv2garden2 says:

edited on 03-03-2008

02/29/08 I just saw the Four Tops in Newport News, VA at the Ferguson Center for the Arts. They were as awesome as ever...until one of the new gentlemen sang a solo song and mind you he blew us away with his vocals. After the song (second to the last), he proceeded to leave the stage without so much as a handshake, wave, etc. while the other members left graciously, he walked off stage. That was quite unprofession a l . He was the youngest member. Does he not know what make the Four Tops legendary

cgord_82 says:

edited on 02-18-2008

I LOVE GROUP THAT DO NOT CHANGE AND THE FOUR TOPS ARE ONE 2-18-08

gordondownie 2 0 0 2 says:

02-11-2008

Great group, have been on the go for a long long time, and you never tire of listening to them, their Still Waters Run Deep is a great track !!!!

Bill Shofner says:

02-05-2008

I saw them twice in the 60's at the University of Virginia. They were by far the most popular group we had there during that time. it was always an infectious live show that had the old University Hall vibrating.

jec2040 says:

01-07-2008

I've been A Four Top since I first heard "Baby I Need Tour Loving"in 1964. Levi's voice has always delighted my hearing. Their hit songs are legendary. However,the true beauty of their sound can be heard when they sing show tunes and jazz standards.Ge t your hands on their very first album "Breaking Through." In my opiion it's a masterpiece. Obie, Duke, Lawrence and Levi will always be Tops in my world. I too love them dearly.

bchilton9 says:

12-26-2007

I had the pleasure of seeing these guys at the old Parker Field in Richmond Va back in "84. The guys sang there hearts out.

Ora Owens says:

edited on 12-10-2007

Incredible Group! They will always have a place in my heart. Levi Stubbs suffers ill health, but I am amazed that he made a public appearance and sang, "I believe," with Aretha Franklin. Not only was the audience teary eyed, so was I as I so admired Mr. Stubbs' courageous performance. I love them dearly!