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Four Tops | |
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 Four Tops performing in 1968. From left:Levi Stubbs,Renaldo "Obie" Benson,Abdul "Duke" Fakir, andLawrence Payton | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
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| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Works | Four Tops discography |
| Years active | 1953–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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TheFour Tops are an American vocal group formed inDetroit,Michigan in 1953, as theFour Aims. They were one of the most commercially successful Americanpop music groups of the 1960s and helped propelMotown Records to international fame. The group's repertoire incorporated elements ofjazz,R&B,doo-wop,soul,disco,adult contemporary, andshow tunes. Lead singerLevi Stubbs, along with backing vocalistsAbdul "Duke" Fakir,Renaldo "Obie" Benson andLawrence Payton remained together in the group for more than four decades, performing until 1997 without a change in personnel. Along with fellow Motown groupsthe Miracles,the Marvelettes,Martha and the Vandellas,the Temptations, andthe Supremes, the Four Tops helped to establish the "Motown sound"; pop-friendly soul and R&B with a clean, polished production quality. They were notable for having Stubbs, abaritone, as their lead singer, whereas most other male and mixed vocal groups of the time were fronted bytenors.
The group was the primary male vocal group for the highly successful songwriting andproduction team ofHolland–Dozier–Holland, who wrote numerous hit singles for Motown. These included twoBillboard Hot 100 number-one hits for the Tops: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" in 1965 and "Reach Out I'll Be There" in 1966. The group continued to chart singles into the 1970s, including the million-seller "Ain't No Woman" (1973). The Four Tops were inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, theVocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999, and theNational Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2010,Rolling Stone ranked them number 79 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
On July 20, 2024, the last surviving original member, Fakir, retired.[1] He died two days later.[2]
All four members of the group began their careers together while they were high-school students inDetroit. At the insistence of their friends, Pershing High studentsLevi Stubbs andAbdul "Duke" Fakir performed withRenaldo "Obie" Benson andLawrence Payton from Northern High at a localbirthday party. The quartet decided to remain together and named the group theFour Aims.[3] With the help of Payton's songwriter cousinBilly Davis, the Aims signed toChess Records in 1956, changing their name to theFour Tops to avoid confusion with theAmes Brothers.[3]
Over the next seven years, the Tops had unsuccessful tenures at Chess, Red Top,Riverside Records andColumbia Records.[3] Without any hit records to their name, they toured frequently, developing a polished stage presence and an experiencedsupper club act, as well as supportingBilly Eckstine. In 1963,Berry Gordy, who had worked with Davis as a songwriter in the late 1950s, convinced the Tops to join the roster of his growingMotown record company.[3]
During their early Motown years, the Four Tops recordedjazz standards for the company'sWorkshop Jazz Records label. In addition, they sang backup on Motown singles[4] by theSupremes ("Run, Run, Run", 1964),Martha and the Vandellas (on the 1966 hit "My Baby Loves Me") and others.[citation needed]
In 1964, Motown's main songwriting and production team,Holland–Dozier–Holland, created a complete instrumental track without any idea of what to do with it. 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 instrumental track.[3] On its release in mid-1964, "Baby I Need Your Loving" made it to number 11 on theBillboard Hot 100.[3]
The first follow-up single, "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" (1964), just missed both the pop and R&B Top 40 charts, but "Ask the Lonely" (1965), written and produced by Motown A&R headWilliam "Mickey" Stevenson withIvy Jo Hunter, was a Top 30 pop hit and a Top 10 R&B hit in early 1965.
After their first number 1 hit, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" in June 1965, the Four Tops released a long series of successful hit singles.[3] Among the first wave of these hits were the Top 10 "It's the Same Old Song" (1965), "Something About You" (1965), "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" (1966), and "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (1966).[3]
Holland–Dozier–Holland wrote most of Stubbs' vocals in a tenor range, near the top of his range, in order to get a sense of strained urgency in hisgospelpreacher-inspired leads. They also wrote additional background vocals for a female group, theAndantes, on many of the songs, to add a high end to the low-voiced harmony of the Tops.Ivy Jo Hunter's "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" (1966) was one of a few exceptions.[citation needed]
August 1966 brought the release of the Four Tops' all-time biggest hit and one of the most popular Motown songs ever. "Reach Out I'll Be There" reached number 1 on the U.S. pop and R&B charts[4] and the UK chart and soon became the Tops' signature song.[3] It was almost immediately followed by the similar-sounding "Standing in the Shadows of Love"; its depiction of heartbreak reflecting the opposite of the optimism in "Reach Out". It was another Top 10 hit for the Tops.[citation needed] The band recorded the first live album,Four Tops Live! at two dates in mid-1966 and Motown released the recording in November of that year.[5]
The Top 10 U.S. hit "Bernadette" centered around a man's all-consuming obsession with his lover,[4] continued the Four Tops' successful run into April 1967, followed by the Top 20 hits "7-Rooms of Gloom", and "You Keep Running Away".[3] By now, the Tops were the most successful male Motown act in the United Kingdom (in the United States, they were second to theTemptations), and began experimenting with more mainstream pop hits. They scored hits with their versions ofTim Hardin's "If I Were a Carpenter" in late 1967 (mid-1968 in the U.S.) andthe Left Banke's "Walk Away Renée" in early 1968.[3] 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 withBerry Gordy Jr.[3]
Without Holland–Dozier–Holland, the hits became less frequent.[3] The group worked with a wide array of Motown producers during the late 1960s, includingIvy Jo Hunter,Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson,Norman Whitfield andJohnny Bristol, without significant chart success.[citation needed]
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 byFrank Wilson.[3] Wilson and the Tops began working on a number of innovative tracks and albums together, echoing Whitfield'spsychedelic soul work with theTemptations. Their 1970 albumStill Waters Run Deep served as an inspiration forMarvin Gaye's 1971 classic albumWhat's Going On, thetitle track of which was co-written by the Tops' Benson.[3]
In addition to their own albums, the Tops were paired withThe Supremes, who had just replaced lead singerDiana Ross withJean Terrell, for a series of albums billed under the joint titleThe Magnificent 7 in 1970, andThe Return of the Magnificent Seven andDynamite! in 1971.[3] While the albums themselves did not perform really well on the charts,The Magnificent Seven featured a Top 20 version ofIke &Tina Turner's "River Deep – Mountain High", produced byAshford & Simpson.[citation needed]
The 1971 single "A Simple Game" was aMoody Blues cover and featured backing vocals from members of that band.[3] The song did not fare well on the U.S. charts, but reached number three on the UK chart.[citation needed]
Motown as a company began to change during the early 1970s. Older acts such asMartha and the Vandellas andThe Marvelettes were slowly moved aside or dropped to focus on newer acts, such asMichael Jackson andThe Jackson 5,Rare Earth, and the now-soloDiana Ross. In addition, the company moved its operations from Detroit toLos Angeles, California, whereBerry Gordy Jr. planned to break into themotion picture andtelevision industries. In 1972, it was announced that the entire company would move west and that all its artists had to move as well. Many of the older Motown acts, already neglected by the label, opted to stay in Detroit, includingThe Funk Brothers studio backing band,Martha Reeves, and the Four Tops.[3]
The Tops departed Motown forABC-Dunhill, where they were assigned to writer-producersDennis Lambert andBrian Potter and the label's head of A&R,Steve Barri as producer, with The Tops' ownLawrence Payton later also serving as a producer and writer. He also took over lead vocal duties on several tracks.[citation needed]
The group's first release on the label, "Keeper of the Castle" (1972) was their first pop Top 10 hit since "Bernadette" in 1967. Follow-ups included the 1973 million-selling "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)", also a top 10 pop hit and their third R&B number 1, and the Top 20 hit, "Are You Man Enough" (1973), (from the 1973 movieShaft in Africa).[3] "Sweet Understanding Love" (1973); "Midnight Flower (1974); and "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" (1974) all reached the R&B Top 10 between 1972 and 1974. Two ABC/Dunhill singles, 1974's "I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind" and 1975's "Seven Lonely Nights" have become popular tunes in the southeast Beach/Shag Club Dance circuit.[citation needed]
After the release of "Catfish" (a top 10 R&B hit) in 1976, the major hits started to dry up and the Tops left ABC after an album recorded in Philadelphia with theMFSB musicians resulted in only minor chart success in 1978. The group disappeared from the recording scene until the early 1980s.[3] Signing a deal withCasablanca Records, the Tops made a comeback in 1981 with the number 1 R&B hit "When She Was My Girl".[3] Produced byDavid Wolfert, it just missed the Billboard pop Top 10, peaking at number 11. The group also scored a UK Top 10 hit with the song and had another hit there with the follow-up, "Don't Walk Away". In 1982, their song "Back to School Again" appeared in both the movieGrease 2 and itssoundtrack.[citation needed]
By 1983, The Tops had rejoined Motown,[3] where their former ABC-Dunhill producer, Barri was vice-president of A&R. They were featured on the company's 1983television specialMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, taking part in one of the highlights of the show—a battle of the bands between The Tops andThe Temptations, patterned after similar competitionsBerry Gordy Jr. had staged during the 1960s.[3] Stubbs and TemptationOtis Williams decided the Temptations/Tops battle would be a good one to take on the road, and both groups began semi-regular joint tours.[citation needed]
The first of The Tops' albums under their new Motown contract wasBack Where I Belong (1983).[3] A whole side of the album was produced by theHolland–Dozier–Holland production team, including the R&B Top 40 single "I Just Can't Walk Away".[3] Only one more Tops album would be released by Motown,Magic in 1985. The lead single from that album, "Sexy Ways", was almost a Top 20 R&B hit, peaking at number 21 in mid-1985. In July of that year, the group performed at theLive Aid concert, singing five of their hit songs.[citation needed]
The group re-entered the studio in 1986 with producer Wolfert, who had previously produced them in many non-Motown releases.[6] Despite working on the release for several months[7] and issuing the single "Hot Nights" in July,[8] the sessions did not result in a new album and the group signed toArista Records in 1987.[9] The title track of 1988'sIndestructible was the group's final Top 40 hit, reaching number 35.[3] It was also featured in the 1988science-fiction cop filmAlien Nation. Another track, "Loco in Acapulco", written and produced by British pop musicianPhil Collins and former Motown composer-producerLamont Dozier, climbed into the UK Top 10 and made number 7 in early 1989.[3] The Arista contract provided an opportunity to pairLevi Stubbs with fellow Arista artist, another R&B vocalist from Detroit,Aretha Franklin, who was at the height of her own 1980s hit streak. This pairing resulted in the 1988 song "If Ever a Love There Was", which became a popular R&B and Adult Contemporary hit, as well as being featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 motion pictureI'm Gonna Git You Sucka.[citation needed]
After completing their European tour in December 1988, the group was scheduled to return to the U.S. for Christmas on the ill-fatedPan Am Flight 103, which was destroyed overLockerbie, Scotland, after a terrorist bomb was detonated on board.[10][11] The group missed the flight due to a last-minute invite and prolonged filming of their performance at the British television showTop of the Pops; they instead took a laterBritish Airways flight.[12][13]
From the late 1980s, the Four Tops focused on touring and live performances. The group made guest appearances on labelmateAretha Franklin's 1989 releaseThrough the Storm and the 1992Grover Washington Jr. albumNext Exit, but they recorded only one album, returning again to Motown for 1995'sChristmas Here with You. On June 20, 1997, 59-year-oldLawrence Payton died as a result of liver cancer, after singing for 44 years with the Four Tops who, unlike many other Motown groups, never had a single lineup change until then.[14] At first, Stubbs, Benson and Fakir toured as atrio calledThe Tops. In 1998, they recruited former member ofthe TemptationsTheo Peoples to restore the group to a quartet. By the turn of the century, Stubbs had become ill fromcancer;Ronnie McNeir was recruited to fill the Lawrence Payton position and Peoples stepped into Stubbs' shoes as lead singer. Stubbs died on October 17, 2008, at his home in Detroit.[15]
The group was featured in several television specials during this time, includingMotown 45, and several byPBS, including a 50th-anniversary concert dedicated to the group (available on DVD). The concert featured a brief appearance of Stubbs using a wheelchair, and a memorial to Payton announced by Benson. Benson appeared on one morePBS special and died on July 1, 2005 fromlung cancer. He was replaced by Payton's son, Lawrence Jr. The final PBS special, titledMotown: The Early Years, featured a message of Benson's passing following the credits.[citation needed]
The group was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and into theVocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2004,Rolling Stone ranked them number 79 on their list of the100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[16] The Four Tops were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame in 2005.[17]
The Four Tops sang the National Anthem before the start of game 5 for the 2011 baseballAmerican League Championship Series (ALCS) between theTexas Rangers andDetroit Tigers on October 13, 2011, in Detroit, Michigan. When singing the last line of "The Star-Spangled Banner", "... and the home of the brave", they quickly sang the words "Ain't No Country Like the One I Got", before singing the last word, "brave". The Four Tops were honored with an induction into theRhythm & Blues Hall of Fame at the Inaugural ceremony held atCleveland State University's Waetejen Auditorium on Saturday August 17, 2013.[citation needed]
The Four Tops have won many awards, including the following:
| 1953–1997 | 1997–1998 | 1998–2000 |
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| 2000–2005 | 2005–2010 | 2010–2018 |
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| 2018–2024 | 2024–2025 | 2025–present |
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