Owen recently sent me a link to the Soul Music Store - which is The place for all soul cds on the web - which featured a review of the Four Tops at the Royal Albert Hall in November 1971 - and guess what Constant Reader? I was there! Down the years I had forgotten when exactly it was, I just remembered it was fantastic! Especially when they were joined onstage for their final encore by The Supremes - it was all almost too much for my young heart.
The Four Tops were always there on the radio when I was growing up and when I started getting into Motown in the early 1970s they were just getting their second wind chartwise with the wonderful SIMPLE GAME and KEEPER OF THE CASTLE as well as their duets with The Supremes RIVER DEEP MOUNTAIN HIGH and YOU GOT TO HAVE LOVE IN YOUR HEART.
Levi Stubbs, Abdul 'Duke' Fakir, Ronaldo Benson and Lawrence Payton had already been signed to four record labels with little success when they joined Motown, indeed they had already been performing for seven years together originally as The Four Ames. Being teamed with Holland-Dozier-Holland however soon had the hits coming - and what timeless classics they are: BABY I NEED YOUR LOVING - ASK THE LONELY - I CAN'T HELP MYSELF - IT'S THE SAME OLD SONG - REACH OUT, I'LL BE THERE - STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF LOVE - BERNADETTE - SEVEN ROOMS OF GLOOM - WALK AWAY RENEE - I'M IN A DIFFERENT WORLD.
The Tops were hardest hit when Holland-Dozier-Holland left the label but still managed to make great records with WHAT IS A MAN, DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO, STILL WATER (LOVE) and the magnificent ALL IN THE GAME. When Motown moved to Los Angeles they signed to ABC and Casablance before briefly re-joining Motown in the early 1980s. They signed with Arista in the late 1980s where they had two last great chart hits: LOCO IN ACAPULCO and INDESTRUCTIBLE. No matter what label they were signed to, they always toured, frequently in the UK where they had always had a fanatical following.
Their songs are timeless thanks in part to great productions, Lawrence, Renaldo and 'Duke''s impeccable harmonies and above all else, Levi Stubbs' astonishing vocals. Never has heartbreak or joy been so beautifully captured than in Levi's impassioned singing. What also makes these songs memorable is the feeling that they were being sung by four great singers who had a special bond.
Sadly that bond was broken by Lawrence Payton's death in 1997. The remaining trio continued together until Levi suffered a stroke in 2000. Sadly 'Obie' Benson - who also co-wrote WHAT'S GOIN' ON with Marvin Gaye - died in 2005 and Levi died in October of last year. I don't mind admitting I shed a few tears when I heard the news.
'Duke' is still keeping the magic alive, with Lawrence's son Roquel who joined in 2000 as did Ronnie McWeir and former Temp Theo Peoples who joined in 1998.
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