Four Tops
The Four Tops in concert at New Rochelle (N. Y. ) High School circa 1967
Background information
Also known as	Four Tops, The Four Aims, The Tops
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genre(s)	R&B/pop/soul
Years active	1954 - present
Label(s)	Red Top Riverside Columbia Motown ABC Casablanca Arista
Members
Abdul "Duke" Fakir Roquel Payton Theo Peoples Ronnie McNeir
Former members
Levi Stubbs (retired) Renaldo "Obie" Benson (has been deceased) Lawrence Payton (has been deceased)

The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, and showtunes. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Riverside Records a United States Record label specializing in Jazz, was the raison d'etre for Bill Grauer Productions Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records the record label of Am-Par Record Corporation (a subsidiary of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres This article is about Casablanca the record label For other uses please see Casablanca (disambiguation. Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the Abdul "Duke" Fakir (born December 26 1935, in Detroit Michigan) is best known as a member of popular Motown act The Four Tops Theo Peoples is an African-American R&B / soul singer The son of a Preacher, he was discovered by Ron Tyson and tapped to replace Ronnie McNeir is an American singer and songwriter born on December 14, 1949 in Camden, Alabama, U Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles) (born June 6, 1936) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the famed Motown R&B Renaldo "Obie" Benson ( June 14, 1937 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American soul and R&B Lawrence Albert Payton ( March 2, 1938 &ndash June 20, 1997) was an American Tenor Singer, Songwriter The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In Music, a quartet (quatuor Quartett quartetto cuarteto is a method of instrumentation (or a medium used to perform a musical composition and consisting of four parts Doo-wop is a style of vocal-based Rhythm and blues music which developed in African-American communities in the 1940s and which achieved mainstream popularity both in the 1950s Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Soul music is a Music genre that combines Rhythm and blues and Gospel music, originating in the United States. Disco is a Genre of dance-oriented music whose origins are hard to define Adult contemporary music, frequently abbreviated AC, refers to styles of popular music that ranges from "lush Sixties pop often vocal -based and rooted in Showtunes is the result of collaboration between Stephin Merritt with Chen Shi-zheng on three pieces of musical theatre Orphan of Zhao Founded in Detroit, Michigan as The Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs (a cousin of Jackie Wilson and brother of The Falcons' Joe Stubbs), and groupmates Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, finally forced to endure a lineup change when Payton died in 1997. Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles) (born June 6, 1936) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the famed Motown R&B Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson Jr ( June 9, 1934 &ndash January 21, 1984) was an American singer The Falcons were an American Rhythm and blues vocal group some of whose members went on to be influential in Soul music. Abdul "Duke" Fakir (born December 26 1935, in Detroit Michigan) is best known as a member of popular Motown act The Four Tops Renaldo "Obie" Benson ( June 14, 1937 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American soul and R&B Lawrence Albert Payton ( March 2, 1938 &ndash June 20, 1997) was an American Tenor Singer, Songwriter Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar At that time, Theo Peoples was added to the lineup; Peoples later replaced Stubbs, who fell ill from a stroke, and Ronnie McNeir assumed Peoples' spot. Theo Peoples is an African-American R&B / soul singer The son of a Preacher, he was discovered by Ron Tyson and tapped to replace Ronnie McNeir is an American singer and songwriter born on December 14, 1949 in Camden, Alabama, U In July 2005, Benson died of lung cancer with Payton's son Roquel replacing him. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. As of 2006, Fakir, McNeir, Payton and Peoples still perform together as the Four Tops. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Among a number of groups who helped define the Motown Sound of the 1960s, including The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Temptations, and The Supremes, the Four Tops were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer; most groups of the time were fronted by a tenor. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 The Miracles (known from 1965 to 1972 as Smokey Robinson & the Miracles) is an American Rhythm and blues group from Detroit Michigan, notable The Marvelettes were an American singing Girl group on the Motown label Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas) were among the most successful groups in the Motown The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful The Supremes were an American female singing group that first formed as a quartet called The Primettes This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice The group was the main male vocal group for the songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted for the group a stream of hit singles, including two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There". A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing " I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch " is a 1965 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown label later re-recorded by American singer " Reach Out I'll Be There " (also formatted as " Reach Out (I'll Be There " is a 1966 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Four Tops were assigned to a number of producers, primarily Frank Wilson. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Frank Wilson is an African American former Songwriter and Record producer for Motown Records. When Motown left Detroit in 1972 to move to Los Angeles, California, the Tops stayed in Detroit and moved over to ABC Records, where they continued to have charting singles into the late-1970s. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records the record label of Am-Par Record Corporation (a subsidiary of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Since the 1980s, the Four Tops have recorded for, at various times, Motown, Casablanca Records and Arista Records. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. This article is about Casablanca the record label For other uses please see Casablanca (disambiguation. Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the Today, save for Indestructible (owned by Sony BMG), Universal Music Group controls the rights to their entire post-1963 catalog (through various mergers and acquisitions). Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group Universal Music Group (UMG is the largest Business group and family of Record labels in the Recording industry.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Early years 1.2 Joining Motown 1.3 Success 1.4 Late Motown period 1.5 ABC Records and Casablanca Records 1.6 Return to Motown 1.7 Later years 2 Discography 2.1 Top Thirty US and UK singles 2.2 Albums 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

History

Early years

All four members of the group began their careers together while they were high school students in Detroit. At the insistence of their friends, Pershing High students Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir performed with Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton from Northern High at a local birthday party. Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles) (born June 6, 1936) is an American singer best known as the lead vocalist of the famed Motown R&B Abdul "Duke" Fakir (born December 26 1935, in Detroit Michigan) is best known as a member of popular Motown act The Four Tops Renaldo "Obie" Benson ( June 14, 1937 – July 1, 2005) was an African-American soul and R&B Lawrence Albert Payton ( March 2, 1938 &ndash June 20, 1997) was an American Tenor Singer, Songwriter A party is a Social gathering for Celebration and Recreation. The quartet decided to remain together, and christened themselves The Four Aims. With the help of Payton's songwriter cousin Roquel Davis, The Aims signed to Chess Records in 1956, changing their name to Four Tops to avoid confusion with The Ames Brothers. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both Roquel Billy Davis ( July 11 1932 - September 2 2004) of Detroit was an American Songwriter, Record Chess Records was an American Record label based in Chicago Illinois. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Ames Brothers were a Singing quartet from Malden, Massachusetts, who were particularly famous in the 1950s for their Traditional pop music Over the next seven years, The Tops endured unsuccessful tenures at Chess, Red Top, Riverside Records and Columbia Records. Riverside Records a United States Record label specializing in Jazz, was the raison d'etre for Bill Grauer Productions Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Without any hit records to their name, The Tops toured frequently, developing a polished stage presence and an experienced supper club act. In 1963, Berry Gordy, Jr., who had worked with Roquel Davis as a songwriter in the late-1950s, convinced The Tops to join the roster of his growing Motown record company. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Berry Gordy Jr (born November 28, 1929, Detroit Michigan) is an American Record producer, and the founder of the Motown The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan.

Joining Motown

During their early Motown years, the Four Tops recorded jazz standards for the company's Workshop label. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States In addition, they filled in time by singing backup on Motown singles such as The Supremes' "Run, Run, Run" and "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes". The Supremes were an American female singing group that first formed as a quartet called The Primettes

In 1964, Motown's main songwriting/production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland created a complete instrumental track without any idea of what to do with it. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. They decided to craft the song as a more mainstream pop song for the Four Tops, and proceeded to create "Baby I Need Your Loving" from the lyric-less instrumental track. Upon its mid-1964 release, "Baby I Need Your Loving" made it to #11 on the United States Billboard pop charts. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the However, the song proved to be much more popular on trend-setting radio stations in key U. S. markets; Baby I Need Your Loving was a strong top 10 hit on both WMCA in New York, and WKNR in Detroit, stations that were watched by other radio people all over the country, because these stations broke new artists and songs. WMCA, 570 AM, is a Radio station in New York City, most known for its "Good Guys" Top 40 era in the 1960s WKNR is an AM all-sports station in Cleveland Ohio, broadcasting at 850 kHz with its transmitter in North Royalton Ohio and After the single's success, The Tops were pulled away from their jazz material and began recording more records in the vein of "Baby I Need Your Loving. "

The first follow-up single, "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)", missed both the pop and R&B Top 40 charts by only three positions. "Ask the Lonely", released early in 1965, was a Top 30 pop hit and a Top Ten R&B hit, and the from there, the Tops' fortunes began to improve. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar.

Success

After scoring their first #1 hit, the often-recorded and revived "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", in April 1965, the Four Tops began a long series of successful hit singles. " I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch " is a 1965 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown label later re-recorded by American singer Among the first wave of these hits were "It's the Same Old Song", "Something About You", "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)", and "Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever". " It's the Same Old Song " is a 1965 hit single recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown label Four Tops records often represented the epitome of the Motown Sound: simple distinctive melodies and rhymes, call-and-response lyrics, and the musical contributions of The Funk Brothers. The Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit Michigan, Session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until 1972 Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote most of Levi Stubbs' vocals in a tenor range, near the top of his range, in order to get a sense of strained urgency in his gospel preacher-inspired leads. This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Preacher is a term the for someone who preaches Sermons or gives homilies In addition, H-D-H used additional background vocals from female background vocalists The Andantes on many of these songs, to add a high end to the low-voiced harmony of The Tops, with "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" being one of the few exceptions. The Andantes were a prolific female session singing group for the Motown record label during the 1960s

August 1966 brought the release of the Four Tops' biggest hit, and one of the most popular Motown songs ever: "Reach Out I'll Be There", which hit #1 on the U. Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. " Reach Out I'll Be There " (also formatted as " Reach Out (I'll Be There " is a 1966 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown S. pop charts and soon became The Tops' signature song. It was almost immediately followed by the similar sounding "Standing in the Shadows of Love"; its depictions of heartbreak reflected the polar opposite of the optimism expressed in "Reach Out". " Standing in the Shadows of Love " is a 1966 hit single recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown label It was another Top 10 hit for the Tops.

The Top 10 U. S. hit "Bernadette" centred around a man's complete obsession with his lover, continued the Four Tops' successful run in February 1967, followed by the Top 20 hits "7-Rooms of Gloom", and "You Keep Running Away". For other uses see " Bernadette." " Bernadette " is a 1967 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. " 7-Rooms of Gloom " is a 1967 hit song recorded by The Four Tops for the Motown label By now, The Tops were the most successful male Motown act in the United Kingdom (in the United States, they were second to The Temptations), and began experimenting with more mainstream pop hits. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Temptations (sometimes abbreviated as The Temps or The Tempts) are a Grammy -winning vocal group that achieved fame as one of the most successful They scored hits with their versions of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter" in late 1967 and the Left Banke's "Walk Away Renée" in early 1968. Timothy James Hardin ( 23 December 1941 – 29 December 1980) was an American folk Musician and Composer Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The Left Banke was an American 1960s pop-music group best remembered for their two hit singles " Walk Away Renee " and " Pretty Ballerina Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. These singles and the original "I'm In a Different World" were their last hits produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, who left Motown in 1967 after disputes with Berry Gordy over royalties and ownership of company shares. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.

Late Motown period

Without H-D-H, the quality of the Four Tops' output, like that of most of Motown, began to decline, and hits became less frequent. The group worked with a wide array of Motown producers during the late-1960s, including Ivy Hunter, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Norman Whitfield, and Johnny Bristol, without significant chart success. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in Norman Jesse Whitfield ( May 12, 1940  &ndash September 16, 2008) was an American Songwriter and producer, best

Their first major hit in a long time came in the form of 1970's "It's All in the Game", a pop Top 30/R&B Top Ten hit produced by Frank Wilson. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. " It's All in the Game " was a 1958 hit for Tommy Edwards. Frank Wilson is an African American former Songwriter and Record producer for Motown Records. Wilson and The Tops began working on a number of innovative tracks and albums together, echoing Whitfield's psychedelic soul work with The Temptations. Psychedelic soul is a concept used to categorize music that features elements of Psychedelic rock and soul / Funk music Their 1970 album Still Waters Run Deep was an early ancestor to the concept album. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" It also served as an inspiration for Marvin Gaye's 1971 classic album What's Going On, the title track of which was co-written by The Tops' Obie Benson. Marvin Pentz Gay Jr, known as Marvin Gaye ( April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Singer-songwriter Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. What's Going On is a Studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971 on the Motown-subsidiary label " What's Going On " is a song written by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marvin Gaye.

In addition to their own albums, The Tops were paired with The Supremes, who had just replaced lead singer Diana Ross with Jean Terrell, for a series of albums billed under the joint title "The Magnificent Seven": The Magnificent Seven in 1970, and The Return of the Magnificent Seven and Dynamite! in 1971. Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Jean Terrell (born Velma Jean Terrell November 26 1944, Belzoni, Mississippi) is an American Grammy -nominated Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. While the albums themselves did not do well on their charts, The Magnificent Seven featured a Top 20 version of Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep - Mountain High", produced by Ashford & Simpson. Ike Wister Turner ( November 5 1931 &ndash December 12 2007) was an American Musician, Bandleader, Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an eight time Grammy Award -winning American " River Deep - Mountain High " is a 1966 single by Ike & Tina Turner. Nickolas Ashford (born May 4, 1942, in Fairfield South Carolina) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946 in

The 1971 single "A Simple Game" featured backing vocals from members of The Moody Blues. The Moody Blues are an English psychedelic rock band originally from Erdington in the city of Birmingham. The song did not fare well on the U. S. charts, but reached #3 on the UK charts.

ABC Records and Casablanca Records

The Motown company began to change in a number of ways during the early 1970s. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Older acts such as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and The Marvelettes were being slowly placed aside to focus on newer acts such as Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5, Rare Earth, and the now-solo Diana Ross. Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas) were among the most successful groups in the Motown The Marvelettes were an American singing Girl group on the Motown label Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman The Jackson 5 (also spelled The Jackson Five or The Jackson 5ive, and later known as The Jacksons) was an American popular music Family Rare Earth is an American Rock band affiliated with Motown 's Rare Earth Record label (which was named after the band who were particularly Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire In addition, the company was slowly moving many of its operations from Detroit to Los Angeles, California, where Berry Gordy planned to break into the motion picture and television industries. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic In 1972, it was announced that the entire company would move to Los Angeles, and that all its artists had to move as well. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Many of the older Motown acts, already neglected by the label, opted to stay in Detroit, including The Funk Brothers backing band, Martha Reeves, and the Four Tops. The Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit Michigan, Session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until 1972 Martha Rose Reeves (born July 18, 1941) is an American R&B and soul singer and was the lead singer of the Motown

The Tops departed Motown for ABC-Dunhill, where they were assigned to songwriter-producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, with The Tops' own Lawrence Payton also serving as a producer and arranger. ABC Records started in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records the record label of Am-Par Record Corporation (a subsidiary of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres "Keeper of the Castle" was their first pop Top 10 hit since "Bernadette" in 1967; follow-ups such as "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)",(another top 10 pop hit), "Sweet Understanding Love", "Midnight Flower", and "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" all hit the R&B Top Ten between 1972 and 1974. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. By the release of "Catfish" in 1976, the hits had dried up again, and the group disappeared into obscurity in the late-1970s. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. Scoring a deal with Casablanca Records in 1980, the Four Tops made a comeback in 1981 with the #1 R&B hit "When She Was My Girl". This article is about Casablanca the record label For other uses please see Casablanca (disambiguation. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 "When She Was My Girl" is a 1981 single released by American vocal group The Four Tops.

Return to Motown

By 1983, The Tops had rejoined Motown, and were featured on the company's television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) A television special is a Television program, typically a Short film or Television movie, which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally Motown 25 Yesterday Today Forever was a 1983 Television special produced by Suzanne de Passe for Motown One of the highlights of the show was a battle-of-the-bands between The Tops and The Temptations, patterned after similar competitions Berry Gordy had staged during the 1960s. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Levi Stubbs and Temptation Otis Williams decided the Temptations/Tops battle would be a good one to take on the road, and both groups began a semi-regular joint tour; as of 2007, the two groups continue to play dates together. Otis Williams (born October 30, 1941) is an American second Tenor / Baritone. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

The first of The Tops' albums under their new Motown contract was Back Where I Belong. A whole side of the album was produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, including the R&B Top 40 single "I Just Can't Walk Away". Only two more Tops albums would be released by Motown, 1985's Magic and 1986's Hot Nights, as the group and the label began to quarrel on matters of marketing and musical direction. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) In 1987, the Four Tops decided to leave Motown again, this time for Arista Records, buying back the masters they had recorded for an in-progress album and bringing them with them. Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Arista Records (ˈɛərɪstə is an American Record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the The result was 1988's Indestructible, the title track of which was the group's final Top 40 hit. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) It was also featured in the 1988 Sci-Fi cop film, Alien Nation.

In addition to their own recordings, the Four Tops also worked in the fields of television and motion pictures. Alien Nation is a 1988 Science fiction film written by Rockne S Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The group as a whole performed a song for the 1982 film Grease 2, and Levi Stubbs performed the vocals for the man-eating plant Audrey II in the 1986 musical film Little Shop of Horrors; and the voice of the evil Mother Brain on the Nintendo-based NBC Saturday morning cartoon Captain N: The Game Master from 1989 to 1991. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Grease 2 is the 1982 Sequel to the 1978 smash hit Grease. The movie was strongly criticized by many as derivative Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters (including those in feature films television series animated shorts and Video games) and Little Shop of Horrors is a Rock musical by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a nerdy florist shop worker who raises Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The musical film is a Film genre in which several Songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative Little Shop of Horrors is the 1986 musical Film adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical comedy of the same name is a series of Science fiction adventure Video games conceived by designer Gunpei Yokoi and produced by Nintendo. The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming which was typically scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American Captain N The Game Master is an Animated television series that aired on U Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.

Later years

Since the late-1980s, the Four Tops have focused on touring and live performances, only recording one album, 1995's Christmas Here With You, released on Motown. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 On June 20, 1997, 59-year-old Lawrence Payton died as a result of liver cancer, after singing for forty-four years with the Four Tops, who, unlike many Motown groups, never had a single lineup change until then. Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar At first, Levi Stubbs, Obie Benson, and Duke Fakir toured as a trio called The Tops. Trio is generally used in any of the following ways Three Musicians playing the same or different Musical instrument. In 1998 they recruited former Temptation Theo Peoples to join the act to restore the group to a quartet. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Theo Peoples is an African-American R&B / soul singer The son of a Preacher, he was discovered by Ron Tyson and tapped to replace By the turn of the century, Stubbs had become ill from cancer; Ronnie McNair was recruited to fill in the Lawrence Payton position, and Peoples stepped into Stubbs' shoes as lead singer. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled

The group was featured in several television specials during this time, including Motown 45, and several by PBS, including a 50th anniversary concert dedicated to the group. The Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS) is a Non-profit Public broadcasting Television service with 354 member TV stations in the The concert turned out to be bittersweet; it featured a brief appearance of the wheelchair-bound Levi Stubbs, and a memorial to Lawrence Payton, announced by Obie Benson. Benson appeared on one more PBS special, and died on July 1, 2005, from lung cancer. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. The final PBS special, titled Motown: The Early Years, featured a message of Benson's passing following the credits. Lawrence Payton's son Roquel (real name Lawrence Payton, Jr. ) replaced Benson as new bass (Roquel could be seen in the pledge break interviews of Motown: The Early Years). The group has performed as part of the Eat to the Beat concert series at Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Florida in October. Epcot is a Theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort. The park is dedicated to international Culture and technological Innovation. Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. October events and holidays Children's Book Week ( England) - First Week of October National Day ( China People's Republic At Epcot, The Four Tops set list featured "Baby I Need Your Loving," "When She Was My Girl," "Ask the Lonely," "Walk Away Renee," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Bernadette," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," and "(Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) I Can't Help Myself. "

The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor what they term "the Greatest Vocal Groups in the World" Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked them #79 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[1]

Discography

For a detailed listing of albums and singles, see Four Tops discography. This is a listing of all the singles and albums released by legendary Motown singing group the Four Tops.

Top Thirty US and UK singles

The following singles reached the top thirty of the singles charts.

Year	Song title	US Top	US RnB	US AC	UK Top
1964:	"Baby I Need Your Loving"	11	11	-	-
1965:	"Ask the Lonely"	24	9	-	-
1965:	"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)"	1	1	-	10
1965:	"It's the Same Old Song"	5	2	-	34
1965:	"Something About You"	19	9	-	-
1966:	"Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"	18	5	-	-
1966:	"Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"	45	12	-	21
1966:	"Reach Out I'll Be There"	1	1	-	1
1966:	"Standing in the Shadows of Love"	6	2	-	6
1967:	"Bernadette"	4	3	-	8
1967:	"7-Rooms of Gloom"	14	10	-	12
1967:	"You Keep Running Away"	19	7	-	26
1967:	"If I Were a Carpenter"	20	17	-	7
1968:	"Walk Away Renée"	14	15	-	3
1968:	"Yesterday's Dreams"	49	31	-	23
1968:	"I'm In a Different World"	51	23	-	27
1969:	"What is a Man"	53	-	-	16
1969:	"Do What You Gotta Do"	-	-	-	11
1969:	"Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me"	45	25	-	-
1970:	"Still Water (Love)"	11	4	-	10
1970:	"It's All In The Game"	24	6	39	5
1971:	"River Deep - Mountain High" (The Supremes & the Four Tops)	14	7	-	6
1971:	"Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)"	40	9	-	36
1971:	"You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart" (The Supremes & the Four Tops)	55	41	-	25
1971:	"In These Changing Times"	70	28	-	-
1971:	"MacArthur Park (part 2)"	38	27	-	-
1972:	"A Simple Game"	90	34	-	3
1972:	"It's the Way Nature Planned It"	53	8	-	-
1972:	"Keeper of the Castle"	10	7	-	18
1973:	"Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"	4	2	14	-
1973:	"Are You Man Enough"	15	2	-	-
1973:	"Sweet Understanding Love"	33	10	41	29
1974:	"I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind"	62	18	-	-
1974:	"One Chain Don't Make No Prison"	41	3	-	-
1974:	"Midnight Flower"	55	5	-	-
1975:	"Seven Lonely Nights"	71	13	-	-
1975:	"We Gotta All Stick Together"	97	17	-	-
1976:	"Catfish"	71	7	-	-
1977:	"Feel Free"	-	29	-	-
1981:	"When She Was My Girl"	11	1	9	3
1981:	"Don't Walk Away"	-	-	-	16
1983:	"I Just Can't Walk Away"	71	36	18	-
1985:	"Sexy Ways"	-	21	-	-
1988:	"Loco In Acapulco"	-	-	-	7
1988:	"Indestructable"	35	57	20	30
1988:	"If Ever a Love There Was" (Aretha Franklin & the Four Tops)	-	31	26	-

Albums

Motown releases

• 1964: The Four Tops (UK #2)
• 1965: The Four Tops' Second Album (US #20)
• 1966: Four Tops Live! (US #17; UK #4)
• 1966: Four Tops On Top (UK #9)
• 1967: Four Tops' Hits (UK #1)
• 1967: Reach Out (US #14; UK #6)
• 1968: Yesterday's Dreams
• 1968: Four Tops' Greatest Hits (UK #1)
• 1969: The Four Tops Now
• 1969: Soul Spin
• 1970: Still Waters Run Deep (US #21)
• 1970: Changing Times
• 1970: The Magnificent 7 (with The Supremes)
• 1971: The Return of the Magnificent 7 (with The Supremes)
• 1971: Dynamite! (with the Supremes)
• 1971: Mac Arthur Park
• 1972: Nature Planned It

ABC releases

• 1972: Keeper of the Castle (US #33)
• 1973: Main Street People
• 1974: Meeting the Minds
• 1974: Live & in Concert
• 1975: Night Lights Harmony
• 1976: Catfish
• 1977: The Show Must Go On
• 1978: At The Top

Casablanca releases

• 1981: Tonight! (US #37)
• 1982: One More Mountain

Motown releases

• 1983: Back where I belong
• 1985: Magic
• 1986: Hot nights
• 1999: Lost & Found: Breaking Through

Arista releases

• 1988: Indestructible

See also

• List of best-selling music artists

References

External links

• Vocal Group Hall of Fame page on the Four Tops
• History of Rock article
• The Four Tops at MySpace
• The Four Tops discography at MusicBrainz

MySpace is a popular social networking Website offering an interactive user-submitted network of friends personal profiles blogs groups photos music and MusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an Open content Music database

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