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Four Tops Songs and Albums -
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Levi Stubbs. His evocative singing launches the best Four Tops songs heavenward--surely the source of that Olympian voice! Holland-Dozier-Holland's sprawling arrangements and the Funk Brothers' driving performances would have overwhelmed less stalwart artists.
Yet Abdul Fakir, Obie Benson, and Lawrence Payton withstand their friend's gale-force baritone. Their vocals rear up from the deep and swirl right beside him. They're like...a trio of guiding spirits, clearing the way for the romantic hero as he reaches so high...or ready to cushion him should he fall.
I usually cringe when singers sound like they're trying too hard to convey anguish and bliss. When the Four Tops sing, they convince me utterly. Now that's a feat!
Jazzier, mellower Four Tops songs do show the group's versatility, and some of them did earn the artists mainstream exposure. This discography leaves them At the Top, but their '60s R&B/Motown songs definitely represent their peak.
Peruse Four Tops music
The Four Tops (Oct. 1964)
1. Baby I Need Your Loving (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
2. Without the One You Love (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
3. Where Did You Go
4. Ask the Lonely (Hunter/Stevenson)
5. Your Love is Amazing
6. Sad Souvenirs
7. Don't Turn Away
8. Tea House in China Town
9. Left With a Broken Heart
10. Love Has Gone
11. Call on Me
The Four Tops' Second Album (Nov. 1965)
1. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
2. Love Feels Like Fire
3. Is There Anything That I Can Do
4. Something About You
5. It's the Same Old Song (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
6. Helpless
7. Just as Long as You Need Me
8. Darling, I Hum Our Song (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
9. I Like Everything About You
10. Since You've Been Gone
11. Stay in My Lonely Arms (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
12. I'm Grateful
On Top (July 1966)
1. I Got a Feeling (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
2. Brenda (Holland)
3. Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever (Hunter/Wonder)
4. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
5. Until You Love Someone (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
6. There's No Love Left (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
7. Matchmaker, Matchmaker (Bock/Harnick)
8. Michelle (Lennon/McCartney)
9. In the Still of the Night (Porter)
10. Bluesette (Gimbel/Thielemans)
11. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Jobim/Lees)
12. Then (Moore/Robinson/Rogers)
The Four Tops Live! (Nov. 1966)
1. Introduction
2. It's the Same Old Song (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
3. It's Not Unusual
4. Baby I Need Your Loving (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
5. Reach Out, I'll Be There (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
6. I'll Turn to Stone (Dozier/Holland/Holland/Taylor)
7. I Left My Heart in San Francisco
8. You Can't Hurry Love (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
9. Ask the Lonely (Hunter/Stevenson)
10. Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Hammerstein/Rodgers)
11. The Girl From Ipanema
12. If I Had a Hammer (Hays/Seeger)
13. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
14. I Like Everything About You
On Broadway (Mar. 1967)
1. Hello Broadway
2. Maria
3. Climb Ev'ry Mountain (Hammerstein/Rodgers)
4. Mame
5. I Want to Be With You
6. On the Street Where You Live (Lerner/Loewe)
7. The Sound of Music (Hammerstein/Rodgers)
8. What Did I Have That I Don't Have
9. For Once in My Life (Miller/Murden)
10. My Way
11. Make Someone Happy (Comden/Green/Styne)
12. Nice 'n' Easy (Bergman/Bergman/Spence)
Reach Out (July 1967)
1. Reach Out, I'll Be There (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
2. Walk Away Renee (Brown/Callie/Sansone)
3. 7 Rooms of Gloom (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
4. If I Were a Carpenter (Hardin)
5. Last Train to Clarksville (Boyce/Hart)
6. I'll Turn to Stone (Dozier/Holland/Holland/Taylor)
7. I'm a Believer (Diamond)
8. Standing in the Shadows of Love (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
9. Bernadette (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
10. Cherish (Kirkman)
11. Wonderful Baby (Robinson)
12. What Else is There to Do (but Think About You) (Broadnax/Paul/Wonder)
The Four Tops' Greatest Hits (compilation, Aug. 1967)
1. Baby I Need Your Loving (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
2. It's the Same Old Song (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
3. Reach Out, I'll Be There (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
4. Ask the Lonely (Hunter/Stevenson)
5. Standing in the Shadows of Love (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
6. Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever (Hunter/Wonder)
7. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
8. Without the One You Love (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
9. 7 Rooms of Gloom (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
10. Something About You
11. Bernadette (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
12. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
Yesterday's Dreams (Aug. 1968)
1. Yesterday's Dreams
2. Can't Seem to Get You Out of My Mind
3. I'm in a Different World
4. We've Got a Strong Love (on Our Side)
5. By the Time I Get to Phoenix (Webb)
6. Remember When
7. Sunny (Hebb)
8. Never My Love
9. Daydream Believer
10. Once Upon a Time (Ales/Hamilton/Paul/Stevenson)
11. The Sweetheart Tree
12. A Place in the Sun (Miller/Wells)
The Four Tops Now! (May 1969)
1. The Key
2. What is a Man
3. My Past Just Crossed My Future
4. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me (Strong/Whitfield)
5. Eleanor Rigby (Lennon/McCartney)
6. Little Green Apples (Russell)
7. Do What You Gotta Do
8. MacArthur Park
9. Don't Bring Back Memories
10. Wish I Didn't Love You So
11. Opportunity Knocks (for Me)
12. The Fool on the Hill
Soul Spin (Nov. 1969)
1. Look Out Your Window
2. Barbara's Boy
3. Lost in a Pool of Red
4. Got to Get You Into My Life
5. Stop the World
6. Nothing
7. This Guy's in Love With You (Bacharach/David)
8. Light My Fire (Densmore/Krieger/Manzarek/Morrison)
9. Honey
10. The Look of Love (Bacharach/David)
11. California Dreamin'
Still Waters Run Deep (Mar. 1970)
1. Still Water (Love) (Robinson/Wilson)
2. Reflections (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
3. It's All in the Game (Dawes/Sigman)
4. Everybody's Talkin' (Neil)
5. Love is the Answer (Robinson/Wakefield/Wilson)
6. I Wish I Were Your Mirror (Sawyer/Wilson)
7. Elusive Butterfly (Lind)
8. Bring Me Together (Wakefield/Wilson)
9. L.A. (My Town) (Matthews)
10. Still Water (Peace) (Robinson/Wilson)
Changing Times (Sept. 1970)
1. In These Changing Times (Sawyer/Wilson)
2. Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life) (Jones/Sawyer)
3. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (Bacharach/David)
4. Right Before My Eyes
5. I Almost Had Her (but She Got Away)
6. Try to Remember (Dozier/Holland/Jones/Schmidt)
7. Something's Tearing at the Edges of Time
8. Sing a Song of Yesterday
9. Medley: The Long and Winding Road (Lennon/McCartney)/In These Changing Times (Sawyer/Wilson)
The Magnificent 7 (with the Supremes, Sept. 1970)
1. Knock on My Door
2. For Your Love
3. Without the One You Love (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
4. Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) (Ashford/Simpson)
5. Stoned Soul Picnic
6. Baby (You've Got What It Takes) (Otis/Stein)
7. River Deep-Mountain High (Barry/Greenwich/Spector)
8. Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing (Ashford/Simpson)
9. Everyday People
10. It's Got to Be a Miracle (This Thing Called Love) (Bullock/Moy/Stevenson)
11. A Taste of Honey (Marlow/Scott)
12. Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music (Coleman/Dropkin)
The Return of the Magnificent Seven (with the Supremes, June 1971)
1. You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart (Fekaris/Zesses)
2. I Wonder Where We're Going
3. Call Me (Hatch)
4. One More Bridge to Cross (Ashford/Simpson)
5. If You Could See Me Now
6. I'll Try Not to Cry (Fekaris/Zesses)
7. I'm Glad About It (Ashford/Simpson)
8. Let's Make Love Now
9. I Can't Believe You Love Me (Bristol/Fuqua)
10. Where Would I Be Without You Baby
11. What Do You Have to Do (to Stay on the Right Side of Love)
Dynamite (with the Supremes, Dec. 1971)
1. It's Impossible
2. The Bigger You Love (the Harder You Fall)
3. Hello Stranger (Lewis)
4. Love the One You're With (Stills)
5. Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By (Ashford/Simpson)
6. Melody
7. If (Gates)
8. If I Could Build My Whole World Around You (Bristol/Bullock/Fuqua)
9. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream (Franklin/White)
10. Do You Love Me Just a Little Honey (Bristol/Bullock/Fuqua/Knight)
The Four Tops' Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (compilation, Aug. 1971)
1. In These Changing Times (Sawyer/Wilson)
2. Still Water (Love) (Robinson/Wilson)
3. Still Water (Peace) (Robinson/Wilson)
4. Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me (Strong/Whitfield)
5. It's All in the Game (Dawes/Sigman)
6. I'm in a Different World
7. If I Were a Carpenter (Hardin)
8. What is a Man
9. Walk Away Renee (Brown/Callie/Sansone)
10. You Keep Running Away
11. Yesterday's Dreams
12. Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life) (Jones/Sawyer)
Nature Planned It (Apr. 1972; last Motown album of the '70s)
1. I Am Your Man (Ashford/Simpson)
2. (It's the Way) Nature Planned It (Sawyer/Wilson)
3. I'll Never Change (Caston/Wakefield)
4. She's an Understanding Woman (Hutch)
5. I Can't Quit Your Love (Caston/Wakefield)
6. Walk With Me, Talk With Me Darling (Dean/Glover/McMurray)
7. Medley: Hey Man/We Got to Get You a Woman (Benson/Caston/Payton)
8. You Gotta Forget Him, Darling (Bristol/Brown/Jones)
9. If You Let Me (Wilson)
10. Happy (is a Bumpy Road) (Sawyer/Wilson)
11. How Will I Forget You (Benson/Cleveland/Payton)
Keeper of the Castle (Nov. 1972)
1. Keeper of the Castle
2. Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)
3. Put a Little Love Away
4. Turn on the Light of Your Love
5. When Tonight Meets Tomorrow
6. Love Music (Lambert/Potter)
7. Remember What I Told You to Forget
8. (I Think I Must Be) Dreamin'
9. The Good Lord Knows
10. Jubilee With Soul
11. Love Makes You Human
12. Keeper of the Castle (reprise)
Main Street People (Dec. 1973)
1. Main Street People (Intro)
2. I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind (Lambert/Potter)
3. It Won't Be the First Time
4. Sweet Understanding Love (Benson/Hunter)
5. Am I My Brother's Keeper
6. Are You Man Enough
7. Whenever There's Blue
8. Too Little Too Late
9. Peace of Mind
10. One Woman Man
11. Main Street People
Meeting of the Minds (July 1974)
1. One Chain (Don't Make No Prison) (Lambert/Potter)
2. Midnight Flower (Dozier/Jackson)
3. The Well is Dry
4. Love Ain't Easy to Come By
5. No Sad Songs
6. Right on Brother
7. Tell Me You Love Me (Love Sounds)
8. All My Love
9. I Found the Spirit
10. Meeting of the Minds
Live and in Concert (Oct. 1974)
1. Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)
2. Are You Man Enough
3. I Am Your Man (Ashford/Simpson)
4. Keeper of the Castle (Lambert/Potter)
5. Love Music (Lambert/Potter)
6. Baby I Need Your Loving (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
7. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) (Dozier/Holland/Holland)
8. Midnight Flower (Dozier/Jackson)
9. One Chain (Don't Make No Prison) (Lambert/Potter)
Night Lights Harmony (July 1975)
1. Seven Lonely Nights
2. Mama, You're All Right With Me
3. Is This the Price
4. We All Gotta Stick Together
5. I've Got What You Need
6. I Can't Hold Out Much Longer
7. Drive Me Out of My Mind
8. I'm Glad You Walked Into My Life (Barrett/Hawes/Jefferson/Simmons)
9. Let Me Know the Truth
Catfish (Oct. 1976)
1. Catfish
2. Feel Free
3. You Can't Hold Back on Love
4. I Know You Like It
5. Strung Out for Your Love
6. Love Don't Come Easy
7. Disco Daddy
8. Look at My Baby
Mandre (1977)
The Show Must Go On (Nov. 1977)
1. The Show Must Go On
2. Can't Live Without You
3. Save It for a Rainy Day
4. Running From Your Love
5. See the Real Me
6. Love is a Joy
7. You'll Never Find a Better Man
8. Candy
At the Top (Nov. 1978)
1. H.E.L.P.
2. Bits and Pieces (Clark/Smith)
3. Seclusion
4. Put It on the News
5. This House
6. Just in Time
7. Inside a Brokenhearted Man
8. When Your Dreams Take Wings and Fly
Have these Four Tops songs fired you up for more on the group? Click here for my Four Tops biography!