THE FOUR TOPS LIVE
I have a few things I’d like to talk about this month which I hope you’ll find interesting. So let’s kick off with the Four Tops first. Next month a deluxe reissue of their 1966 concert album “Four Tops Live” is planned, alongside a documentary, musical and other projects connected with the group for whom I ran a fan club during the sixties, and loved from day one. This 60th anniversary release arrives with previously unreleased material and spans four sides of a vinyl album.
According to the blurb, all tracks have been remixed and remastered from the original tapes, with unreleased titles including “I’m Falling For You”, “Something About You” and “Michelle”, plus a bonus track “You Name It” from The Funk Brothers, who backed the group at these shows.
Keith Hagan from Skylark Artist Management told Billboard magazine that it was Duke’s wish for the Tops to continue. “There’s been some new organisation, new restructuring as to how do we honour the legacy of the original Tops but carry forward to what the current group is doing.”
“Four Tops Live!” was recorded during a trio of the group’s performances in 1966 on the Upper Deck of the legendary Roostertail in Detroit. My album is, of course, well-fingered and much-played, as I soaked up the sheer excitement of their live performance, and I went on to enjoy many of them in the future, particularly their London gig at The Royal Albert Hall in 1967. The original “Live” album hit the UK top four and spent three months in the top ten, while across the Atlantic it topped the R&B chart, and went on to figure in Billboard‘s R&B 1967 year end listing at number three.
Harry Weinger, a vice-president of A&R at Universal Music Enterprises. said, “We discovered Motown had recorded two and a half sets, the first on Motown Monday on 22 August, and then they went back and recorded on a Sunday three weeks later on 11 September to fix some of the previous issues….What I hear is incredible excitement. You have these great artists at a real peak…”
The second recording was imperative because “Reach Out I’ll Be There” wasn’t included in the first show; it had only been on release for four days and considered too new for the audience. Hah – it wouldn’t remain ‘new’ for long as the world embraced this new group sound that went on to become a timeless Motown anthem.
Originally presented in late summer and early autumn of 1966, these Motown Mondays were exciting live events for local audiences. By now, the company had, of course, staged Christmas shows and had touring Motown revues under its belt. However, with few television appearances available, these Motown Mondays at The Roostertail were a vital step in legacy building, by presenting A-list acts before a loving hometown crowd.
Decades later, with the passing of all the original members, the Four Tops’ legacy comes full circle as the current incarnation (Theo Peoples – since 1998, Ronnie McNeir – 1999, Lawrence Roquel Payton – 2005, Michael Brock – 2024) are set to return to said Roostertail for a commemorative VIP concert on 27 July, an evening that includes dinner and a pop-up museum of rare Four Tops artifacts.
“I feel like we’re on the verge of taking this legacy to a whole other level,” said Roquel Payton. “The live record is like the opening gun for us. You’re going to be hearing a lot more about the legacy and the future of the Four Tops….There’s a sense of renewal. We’ll always work in the spirit of what the Four Tops were…”
It also seems that a future release could be a new ‘greatest hits’ compilation that will include songs from before and after the Tops’ tenure at Motown, alongside the possibility of including the current incarnation’s own material. Finally, the group is returning to Europe and the UK co-headlining with The Temptations to celebrate their 40th anniversary. I think British dates start on 29 June, with performances in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Lewes (Love Supreme festival) and London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Psst…. If you’d like to learn more about the original Four Tops, I can highly recommend Iain McCartney’s book “The Four Tops” published by Newhaven Publishing. There’s everything you’d like to know about the guys except, I suspect, their inside leg measurement!
Just a thought here. It baffles me that Mary Wilson wasn’t allowed to use the name Supremes, yet the current incarnation of the Four Tops with no original members, can…
SYLVIA MOY
I’ve been meaning to mention this book for a couple of months now but something else always seemed to take precedence. Margena A. Christian’s “It’s No Wonder – The Life And Times of Motown’s Legendary Songwriter Sylvia Moy”. A hugely informative, and easy read, as the author travels with Sylvia from childhood to her carving a name for herself as a writer/producer at Motown – and by all things sacred, Sylvia sure had to claw her way through the barrier erected by men and their misguided comments that women weren’t capable of being songwriters.
Much is made of her battle – and rightly so – yet these same men choked on their words when Sylvia saved Stevie Wonder from being dumped by Motown. Others had worked with the youngster without success, then along came a woman – yes, a woman – who worked with Stevie (and Hank Crosby) to produce the smash “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”. Thanks to the single’s runaway sales, he was re-signed to Motown until he reached twenty-one years old.
Mickey Stevenson and Hank produced the track and, according to the author, they took the credit for the single’s success: “Sylvia’s role was minimised almost out of existence.” Mickey, in particular, downgraded Sylvia’s work, he believed women didn’t have the strength, stamina or intellect required to be in this leadership position over men, particularly in the studio. I bet Pamela Sawyer, Marilyn McLeod and Valerie Simpson loved him too!
However, the most important recognition Sylvia received was from Stevie himself. He always credited her for his early success: “It was a great marriage, one that really made it possible for me to continue to be in Motown.”
I think Mickey’s attitude contributed to Sylvia doing her work at home and not in the studio. At home she could concentrate, be with her own thoughts and not subjected to diversions. Her talent was unquestionable and once she had fought and won the battle to get recognition for her work, she was eventually held in high esteem.
“It’s No Wonder” offers so much more than this, and I’m really grateful that Sylvia, whose empowerment inspired many, has got the recognition she rightly deserved inside and outside of Motown. Oh, and thank you Margena for the credit. Published by Da Capo Press earlier this year.
MARTHA REEVES
As she’s approaching her 85th birthday next month, Martha Reeves has pulled a rabbit out of the hat by announcing the release on 14th August of a new album called “Searching”, her first in twenty-two years. It’s a celebration of endurance, creativity and gratitude at a time when other artists have long since stepped back from the spotlight. “It’s a spark of life,” Martha told Rolling Stone magazine. At the time of writing this, I haven’t heard the album, so rather than ignore its pending release altogether, thought I’d string some words together to fill in the backstory.
Martha headed to New Orleans to work with trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and her manager Chris Roe. The original intention was centred around jazz standards, Chris said, but evolved once Martha stepped into the studio. “(She) would get into the control booth and just start wailing, and it started to take more of an R&B/blues feel. And that was OK. There’s no reason to force something.”
While the singer herself said “Searching” reflected her hope for the future, an optimism that runs throughout the project as it blends jazz, soul, blues and gospel influences. The highlights include Martha’s interpretations of “Mood Indigo”, a song she fell in love with while appearing in the musical Ain’t Misbehavin’: “That’s got some jazz chords that are not difficult to sing, but they touch a certain place in your heartstrings. You know that you’ve been there (because) you’ve had that mood indigo.”
“Summertime” is another, followed by two versions of Syreeta and Stevie Wonder’s “To Know You Is To Love You”: one version offers a vibrant horn arrangement with funk-driven grooves, while the other is more restrained and laid back. Just noticed a couple more, a new treatment of “I Got It Bad”, a Motown track she recorded with The Vandellas, and her self-penned “Thank You Jesus”. So, more information as and when.
Newsflash – Just as I was about to forward this to David Nathan at SoulMusic.com, I received an email from Ryan at TalkshopLive saying that Martha’s album is only [currently] being shipped within the States.
TONY BLACKBURN
I don’t know if anyone else paid a few pounds to see Tony Blackburn’s “Sounds Of The 60’s Show Live”, but it was a spur-of-the-moment thing for me to join the sold-out audience in Eastbourne, East Sussex. However, I’m really glad I went because I’ve always respected the guy, and while I didn’t know what to expect – perhaps him sitting in an armchair playing singles and talking in between spins would be on offer? – so was pleasantly surprised to see a five/six piece band and two singers – male and female – walk on stage.
Once they’d set the musical scene, on walked the 83-year-old Mr Blackburn OBE. It turned out to be a massive nostalgia trip through the best decade ever (a slogan I use on my Radio Illumini show Ready Steady Sixties), interrupted by Tony’s many anecdotes from his career, his ultra-cheesy jokes, and his dancing and singing – not too much of the latter!
So many of the decade’s artists were included, either with full-length versions of their songs, or bundled into a medley. Motown, of course, played a large part in the evening’s entertainment, although someone should have told the singers there was more to the company than The Supremes! Happy to report though, “Dancing In The Street” formed part of the finale. All in all, a satisfying evening out, preceded by a light meal that included a huge chocolate ice cream at a nearby restaurant.
SMOKEY ROBINSON SONGBOOK, BLACK AMERICA SINGS STEVIE WONDER
Ace Records can always be relied upon to release some highly desirable compilations and a couple arrived in the post recently – “Shop Around The Smokey Robinson Songbook” and “Black America Sings Stevie Wonder”. As June is ‘Black Music Month’ these releases are rather fitting. So, let’s talk Smokey first whose songbook would doubtless stretch from one end of the world to the other (OK I exaggerate) which probably meant selecting titles for this 24-track CD was an uphill climb.
Motown acts are naturally featured: The Contours’ “First I Look At The Purse”, The Temptations’ “I Want A Love I Can See”, Marvin Gaye’s “One More Heartache”, Smokey and The Miracles’ “More, More, More Of Your Love” and Kiki Dee’s “I’ll Try Something New”. Yes, Kiki is included as a Motown-er thanks to the release of her solitary album in 1970. A second album was in the works, although never finished, and I suspect that is where this included track came from. And it’s rather nice.
This CD was also a learning curve for me as I didn’t realise just how many other acts had recorded Smokey’s work, and I’m sure these are just scratching the surface. Whatever, I sang along with The Beat’s “The Tears Of A Clown” (well, I would wouldn’t I!), then Elvis Costello and The Attractions’ take on Chris Clark’s “From Head To Toe” and Helen Shapiro’s “My Guy”. Actually, Helen does an extremely credible job.
Originally sung as a duet by Smokey and Bobby Rogers and covered by The Beatles, it was Sonny & Cher’s version of “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” that’s included here, taken from their 1965 million selling debut album “Look At Us”. This is a superb Ace collection because how can you fail with A-liners like Ella Fitzgerald, Little Richard and Bettye Swann, with “Get Ready”, “The Way You Do The Things You Do”, and “Don’t Look Back” respectively. First rate informative notes in the CD booklet by Tony Rounce, who also compiled the release.
Now let’s spend time with “Black America Sings Stevie Wonder.” compiled by Mick Patrick Alongside his Motown friends – Jermaine Jackson with “Let’s Get Serious”, The Supremes’ “Bad Weather”, Marvin Gaye’s “You’re The One For Me” and the Four Tops’ “What Else Is There To Do (But Think About You),” all fabulous songs from artists who contributed to Motown’s very heartbeat.
Then we have mighty sounds from Chaka Khan and Rufus with “Tell Me Something Good”, Margie Joseph’s magnificent “To Know You Is To Love You” and Nancy Wilson’s “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”. From mighty, we have a masterpiece from Aretha Franklin with “Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)” – never tire of her version. And from the Queen of Soul, we have the Queen of Disco, Sylvester and his take on “Living For The City”. Magic! Rounding off this super delicious collection you’ll be hearing tracks from the likes of Lou Rawls, The Main Ingredient, LaBelle and Quincy Jones. Once again, perfect insights into the music from Jamie Atkins’ pen.
THELMA HOUSTON
Before I close up the music shop this month, the wonderful Thelma Houston has a new single out titled “Love Is The Power” available on all streaming platforms. As always, she’s in great form, her voice is brilliant as she weaves her way through this rather hypnotic dance track. Wishing her well with this.
Also, Louvain Demps with her autobiography “One Step Away,” although not sure of the publication date.
As always, my thanks for being with me and very much look forward to your company again next month when we’ll talk more Motown.
Sharon Davis
THE FOUR TOPS! LIVE – THE COMPLETE PERFORMANCE (VINYL) – US LINK
SMOKEY ROBINSON SONGBOOK CD – US LINK / UK LINK
BLACK AMERICA SINGS STEVIE WONDER CD – US LINK / UK LINK
THELMA HOUSTON: LOVE IS THE POWER (DIGITAL)
IT’S NO WONDER – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOTOWN’S LEGENDARY SONGWRITER SYLVIA MOY (BOOK) – US LINK / UK LINK
THE FOUR TOPS (BOOK) – US LINK UK LINK
