R.I.P. Levi Stubbs / Four Tops - Still Waters...

Sad news yet again, Levi Stubbs, former lead singer of the mighty Motown vocal group, The Four Tops has passed away.

Levi, born June 6, 1936 as "Levi Stubbles", began his professional singing career with friends Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton to form the Four Aims in 1954. Two years later, the group changed their name to the Four Tops. The group began as a supper-club act before finally signing to Motown Records in 1963; by the end of the decade, the Four Tops had over a dozen hits to their name. The most popular of the Four Tops hits, all of which featured Stubbs on lead vocals, include "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)", "It's the Same Old Song", "Reach Out I'll Be There", "Standing in the Shadows of Love", "Bernadette", "Still Water (Love)", and "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)".

Although Stubbs was a natural baritone, most of the Four Tops' hits were written in a tenor range to give the lead vocals a sense of urgency.

As an actor, credited as Levi Stubbs, Jr., he provided the voice of the carnivorous plant "Audrey II" in the movie version of the musical Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and the voice of Mother Brain in the animated TV series Captain N: The Game Master (1989). Stubbs has also guest starred in a number of TV shows as himself.

Stubbs and his wife Clineice were married from 1960 until his death, and had five children.

::- Four Tops - Still Waters Run Deep -::

The Four Tops began life in 1953 (some accounts say 1954), when all of the members were attending Detroit-area high schools. Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir went to Pershing, and met Northern students Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton at a friend's birthday party, where the quartet first sang together. Sensing an immediate chemistry, they began rehearsing together and dubbed themselves the Four Aims.

Payton's cousin Roquel Davis, a budding songwriter who sometimes sang with the group during its early days, helped them get an audition with Chess Records in 1956. Although Chess was more interested in Davis, who went on to become Berry Gordy's songwriting partner, they also signed the Four Aims, who became the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers. The Four Tops' lone Chess single, "Kiss Me Baby," was an unequivocal flop, and the group moved on to similarly brief stints at Red Top and Riverside. They signed with Columbia in 1960 and were steered in a more upscale supper-club direction, singing jazz and pop standards. This too failed to break them, although they did tour with Billy Eckstine during this period.

In 1963, the Four Tops signed with longtime friend Berry Gordy's new label, specifically the jazz-oriented Workshop subsidiary. They completed a debut LP, to be called Breaking Through, but Gordy scrapped it and switched their style back to R&B, placing them on Motown with the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team. After a full decade in existence, the Four Tops finally notched their first hit in 1964 with "Baby I Need Your Loving," which just missed the pop Top Ten.

Early 1965 brought the follow-up ballad hit "Ask the Lonely," and from then on there was no stopping them. "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" went all the way to number one that spring, and the follow-up "It's the Same Old Song" reached the Top Five. The hits continued into 1966, with "Something About You" "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)," and "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever" all coming in succession.

The fall of 1966 brought the group's masterpiece in the form of the virtual soul symphony "Reach Out, I'll Be There"; not only did it become their second number one pop hit, it also wound up ranking as the creative peak of the group's career and one of Motown's finest singles ever. During this period, the Tops also earned a reputation as one of Motown's best live acts, having previously honed their performances for years before hitting the big time.

The Four Tops kicked off 1967 with the dramatic Top Ten smash "Standing in the Shadows of Love," which was followed by the high charter; "Bernadette," "7-Rooms of Gloom" & "You Keep Running Away". Toward the end of the year, Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown over a financial dispute, which didn't bode well for the Four Tops' impressive hit streak.

Their next two hits, 1968's "Walk Away Renee" and "If I Were a Carpenter," were both covers of well-known recent songs (by the Left Banke and Tim Hardin, respectively), and while both made the Top 20, they heralded a rough couple of years where top-drawer material was in short supply. The Tops enjoyed a resurgence in 1970 under producer Frank Wilson, who helmed a hit cover of the Tommy Edwards pop standard "It's All in the Game" and a ballad co-written by Smokey Robinson, "Still Water (Love)." The Tops also recorded with the post-Diana Ross Supremes, scoring a duet hit with a cover of "River Deep-Mountain High" in 1971.

When Motown moved its headquarters to Los Angeles in 1972, the Four Tops parted ways with the company, choosing to remain in their hometown of Detroit. They signed with ABC-Dunhill and were teamed with producers/songwriters Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who did their best to re-create the group's trademark Motown sound. The immediate result was Keeper of the Castle, the Four Tops' first Top Ten hit in several years. They followed it in early 1973 with "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)," a gold-selling smash that proved to be their final Top Five pop hit. That year they also recorded the theme song to the film Shaft in Africa, "Are You Man Enough."

Several more R&B chart hits followed over the next few years, with the last being 1976's Catfish; after a final ABC album in 1978, the Tops largely disappeared from sight before resurfacing on Casablanca in 1981. Incredibly, their first single, "When She Was My Girl," went all the way to number one on the R&B charts, just missing the pop Top Ten. The accompanying album, Tonight!, became their last to hit the Top 40.

The Four Tops rejoined Motown in 1983, the year of the company's 25th anniversary, and toured extensively with the Temptations. They also recorded a couple albums of new material that failed to sell well, and wound up leaving Motown amid confusion over proper musical direction. Meanwhile, Levi Stubbs provided the voice for Audrey the man-eating plant in the film version of Little Shop of Horrors. The Four Tops next caught on with Arista, where in 1988 they scored their last Top 40 pop hit, the aptly titled "Indestructible." The Four Tops were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, and continued to tour the oldies circuit. In 1995, Stubbs was diagnosed with cancer, and later, suffered a stroke and stopped touring. In 1997, Lawrence Payton passed away due to cancer of the liver, which proved to be the only thing that could break up the Four Tops. After some consideration, the remaining members hired Theo Peoples to take Payton's place on tour. In 2000, Theo Peoples took Stubbs' place as the lead singer of the Four Tops, with Ronnie McNeir taking the place that Payton originally held. Benson died on July 1, 2005 and Levi Stubbs died in his sleep on October 17, 2008 at his home in Detroit from his ailments. He was 72.

I'm sure y'all know the routine by now, the vinyl LP is, of course, long out of print but you can fetch one here for little to nothing. Don't have a turntable?? No worries!!! If you prefer your Tops in a digital way, you can find Still Waters Run Deep on CD right here.

Featured cut: "It's All In The Game"

Listen to the full album here.

Cliff Nobles & Co. - The Horse

Nobles grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and began singing in high school as a member of a local group, The Delroys. He moved to Philadelphia and recorded three singles for Atlantic Records, none of which charted. While living in a commune in Norristown, Pennsylvania, he formed a group, Cliff Nobles & Co., with bassist Benny Williams, guitarist Bobby Tucker, and drummer Tommy Soul. They recorded demos and, with the help of songwriter/record producer Jesse James, landed a recording contract with the Jamie/Guyden Records subsidiary label, Phil-L.a. of Soul.

Unfortunately, the band's first release bombed but their second single, "Love Is All Right" b/w "The Horse" made the public sit-up and take notice. The platter featured a group of session players that would later go on to develop into MFSB. The flip side, "The Horse", was simply an instrumental version of the A-side, and lead singer Nobles didn't actually appear on the track at all. Nevertheless, it caught fire at radio stations and became a hit, peaking at #2 for three weeks on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968, as well as #2 on the Black Singles chart. It was held out of the #1 spot by Hugh Masekela's "Grazin' in the Grass", on the week of 29 July 1968 - resulting in the extremely rare occurrence of instrumentals occupying both the #1 and #2 slots of the pop charts in the same week. With the song being a hit, Cliff had developed a dance, and traveled around the country making TV appearances on various shows demonstrating how to do the horse.

Later that year, Cliff's label issued an album entitled The Horse that consisted of mostly instrumentals and dance tunes like "The Mule," "The Camel," and "Judge Baby I'm Back."

Like the title track, there were quite a few other songs on the LP that were actually just instrumental versions of hits by other Jamie/Guyden acts such as The Fantastic Johnny C's "Boogaloo Down Broadway", Barbara Mason's "Yes, I'm Ready", and Brenda & The Tabulations' 1967 smash, "Dry Your Eyes."

[Sidebar: If you listen closely to Cliff's version of "Dry Your Eyes", you can hear Brenda Payton's lead vocals bleeding through.]

One year later, Cliff left the Phil-L.a. of Soul label and signed with Moon Shot Records to release his follow-up album, Pony the Horse.

In 1973, Nobles signed to Roulette Records and recorded his sole single for the label, "Feeling of Loneliness" b/w "We Got Our Thing Together". The track peaked at #42 on the R&B charts in June of that year.

Although Jamie/Guyden Records is still active, they haven't gotten around to reissuing The Horse on CD. The good news is you can still find a copy of the original LP here or here.

Featured cut: "The Horse"

The Lovelites - With Love From The Lovelites

Not to be confused with the Brooklyn girl group of the same name, the Lovelites were a Chicago-based vocal group composed of sisters Patti Hamilton, Rozena Petty and friend, Barbara Peterman. In 1967, the trio recorded for local Chicago label, Bandera Records. In 1968, Peterman left the group and was replaced by Ardell McDaniel.

One year after the change in lineup, the single, "How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad" was released on Lock records. The tune, written by lead vocalist Patti Hamilton & producer Clarence Johnson, boldly addressed the then taboo subject of teen pregnancy and went on to sell 55,000 copies locally and 400,000 nationally, peaking at number 15 on Billboard's Soul chart and landing the group a deal with MCA-owned, Uni Records. By this time, the group had also undergone yet another personnel change, as Joni Berlman stepped in for Rozena Petty.

The girls continued working with Johnson as well as producer Johnny Cameron and went on to release their only full-length LP, With Love From The Lovelites. Unfortunately, the album wasn't nearly as well received as the group's previous single and subsequently flopped. After leaving Uni, Johnson started up Lovelites records and the group released a handful of singles.

By 1972, the girls had signed to Atlantic subsidiary, Cotillion records, where they released 2 singles as "Patti & The Lovelites." By 1973, the group disbanded.

Sadly, as so many of these stories go, due to shady dealings and being too young and unaware of the ins and outs of the recording industry, Patti, the group's leader, holds no portions of the publishing rights for any of the songs she wrote and recorded with the group. Clarence Johnson took advantage of Hamilton's inexperience and claimed all the rights and accompanying royalties for himself. Johnson also copyrighted the Lovelites name without notifying the group or their manager. Today, Patti Hamilton resides in Chicago where, as of 2000, she makes her living as a CTA bus driver while trying to launch a career as a gospel singer.

If you're interested in finding an original copy of With Love From The Lovelites, you wont have too much trouble finding it on ebay but be prepared to dig deep in those pockets cuz this is one of those albums that routinely sell for $120 and up. On the other hand, if hundred dollar vinyl isn't quite your bag you still have some options. Click over to Amazon where you can buy 11 of the 12 tracks from the original LP as digital downloads.
Still not happy? Well if you head over here you can cop the CD version of the same songs offered on Amazon plus get yourself a few bonus tracks from long lost female soul trio The Fuzz to boot.

Featured cut: "Oh My Love"

Listen to the complete LP here.

S4L Showdown II: "The Charmels vs. The Emotions"

For the second chapter of the "S4L Showdown" I'm puttin' Washington's own Charmels up against the ladies from the Windy City; The Emotions. In the spotlight, we have the soulful, "As Long As I've Got You," penned by Stax hitmakers, Issac Hayes & David Porter.

Both groups recorded for the Stax subsidiary, Volt and both versions were produced by Hayes & Porter but only The Charmels 1967 recording ever saw a commercial release. Two years later, during their very first session for Stax, The Emotions began recording their cover. Unfortunately, the one-take song was scrapped and the tapes wound up locked away in the Stax vaults as an unfinished demo.

The bad news is The Charmels 45 is hard as hell to find and even more so if you're not willing to fork over at least $100-$200. The good news is, over the years, the song has popped up on quite a few compilations. You can find it here on Stax/Volt: The Complete Singles, Vol. 9 or here on the 2004 comp, Stax Breaks.

The Emotions version can be found on the 2004 collection of rare and unreleased material; Songs of Innocence & Experience, available here.

Listen (password req'd)

Betty Everett - There'll Come A Time

Most folks remember Betty Everett primarily for one huge pop hit in the 60's, but she was also a phenomenal soul singer who, like so many others, has amassed a huge catalog of excellent sides that have been ignored by the general public.

Betty, born in Greenwood, Mississippi in 1939, started playing the piano and singing in church at the age of nine. She continued singing in gospel choirs as she grew up, finally moving to Chicago in 1957.

She recorded songs on some of the local Chicago labels such as C.J., Cobra and OneDerful in the late 50s and early 60s, scoring local hits such as "I'll Be There" and "I've Got A Claim On You." In the early sixties she signed with Vee-Jay records. One of her first releases for the label was "You're No Good," a midtempo number that stalled just short of the Top 50 late in 1963.

[Sidebar: In 1974, cover queen Linda Ronstadt's rendition of "You're No Good" skyrocketed to number one in the United States.]

Everett finally hit pay dirt when she recorded the Top 10 smash, "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" in the Spring of 1964.

[Sidebar: "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" was covered by Linda Lewis and made it to the Top 10 in the UK. Cher took a turn at covering "The Shoop Shoop Song" in 1990 and reached #33 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in the U.S., #3 in Germany and France, #5 in Australia and #1 in the UK making it her most successful single to date, selling more than six million copies worldwide.]

Her follow-up Vee-Jay releases,including "I Can't Hear You" and "Getting Mighty Crowded" didn't fare as well, however.

Later in 1964, Betty performed a duet with another prominent Chicago-area singer, Jerry Butler, that landed her her second Top 10 hit. Other Everett/Butler singles followed, as well an entire album of duets entitled Delicious Together.

After Vee Jay folded in 1966, Betty signed to ABC records but found no commercial success. Finally, in 1969, Everett signed with Uni records, where she released her 1969 LP, There'll Come A Time. The title track would wind up being both her last top forty hit as well as her first entry in the soul charts, climbing to the number two spot.

In the following years, Betty continued recording and managed to place five more records onto the soul charts among her releases for Uni, Fantasy, and Sound Stage 7 labels between 1970 and 1977.

From the 1980s until her death, Everett resided in Beloit, Wisconsin, where she was involved in the Rhythm & Blues Foundation and the churches of the Fountain of Life and New Covenant. In 2000, she made her last public appearance on the PBS special Doo Wop 51.

Everett died in her home in Beloit on August 19, 2001; she was 61 years old.

For this week's post, I've pulled out Betty Everett's 1969 Uni LP, "There'll Come a Time". AllMusic.com reviewer Richie Unterberger gives his $.02 about the album. [There'll Come a Time] ...has much more of a sweet soul flavor than her Vee-Jay sides, at times blending the trademarks of her brassy native Chicago scene with a Philadelphia influence. It's far from too sweet, though, with strong material, punchy arrangements, and Everett's always dependably energetic and warm vocals. It also contains the R&B hit "I Can't Say No to You."

If you can find it, the now out of print 1995 Varese Sarabande CD reissue includes three hard-to-find singles released between 1969 and 1970 that were previously unavailable on any album, including the Top 20 R&B hit "It's Been a Long Time," penned by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Jerry Butler with arrangements handled masterfully by Donny Hathaway.

If you're looking for the CD reissue, the last time I checked there was a pricey copy still up for grabs on Amazon.com but you can always try your luck here instead.

You could also try to snag an original vinyl copy on the 'bay or maybe even GEMM.

Featured cut: "1900 Yesterday"


Listen to the full album here

S4L Showdown I: "Dee Dee Sharp vs. The Ambassadors"

First of a new series I'm puttin' together for the site. The "S4L Showdown" will feature two versions of the same song by different acts.

For this showdown I thought I'd start with a Philly soul nugget written by Jimmy Bishop & Kenny Gamble. With production handled by Gamble alongside partner Leon Huff, "I Really Love You" was first recorded in 1965 by Dee Dee Sharp for Cameo Records as one of her last for the label. Three years later, the team of Gamble & Huff found themselves re-cutting the record with the Philadelphia soul group, The Ambassadors. The cover version was released as a 45 and earned the group a minor R&B hit. The song was also used to lead off their full-length Arctic records LP, Soul Summit.

Neither of these records are very hard to find nowadays. With a bit of patience, each 45 can be yours via eBay for a decent price. Both are available on CD as well. The Dee Dee Sharp version can be found here on the 2005 Abkco records collection, The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966 and the 1997 reissue of The Ambassadors' Soul Summit album is available here.

Listen (password req'd)

Quickie: Joyce Hopson - This Time

Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the voice behind this quickie post. I only know that I grew up with this 45 as part of my Pop's collection and I always dug it. I'm guessing it was a one-off single circa 1968 recorded for Revue (a division of MCA) as I haven't come across any other records by her so far. I ripped it for my SOUL4Life.com 60s page about 5 years ago and the 45 is now far out of reach, else I would've ripped the flipside, "I Surrender To You" too. If anyone has any info about Joyce Hopson, drop a line.

While this single is a kinda on the rare side, you can still track down your own copy here or if you're lucky, here.

Patti Drew

For my first audio post, I’m gonna showcase some tracks from Patti Drew, one of Soul music’s most overlooked artists.
Patti began her singing career as the lead singer of the Drew-vels, which included her sisters Lorraine and Erma and bass vocalist Carlton Black.

Their debut single, "Tell Him" was a huge local hit around the Chicago area and charted number 90 R&B in early 1964.
The Drew-vels broke up later that year, and in 1967, Drew signed a solo deal with Capitol records after a small stint on Peter Wright's Quill label. Her first Capitol single, a re-recording of "Tell Him," hit number 22 on the R&B charts in fall 1967. An LP, Tell Him, was also issued. One year later, her recording of the Neil Sedaka/Roger Atkins song "Workin' on a Groovy Thing" made it to number 34 R&B. A Workin' on a Groovy Thing LP was issued along with two more Capitol LPs, I've Been Here All the Time (1969) and Wild Is Love (January 1970). In 1971, she left the music business but resurfaced in 1975 with a release on Carl Davis and E. Rodney Jones' Innovation Records. During the '80s, she reunited with Carlton Black in the group Front Line and performed around the Evanston area.

Patti’s 1st album, Tell Him, has been reissued by Collectables along with the original Drew-vels rendition of the title song. You can pick it up here

In 2007, Capitol EMI released a decent comp of Patti’s material dubbed, "Workin' on a Groovy Thing: The Best of Patti Drew".

For more info, check here...

If you’re searching for original pressings of Patti’s albums, you can always try your luck here

Tell Him (from the album, “Tell Him” (Capitol, 1967)
	Hard To Handle (Patti puts her own spin on the Otis Redding classic, highly recommended!!) & The Love That A Woman Should Give To A Man (both from album, “I’ve Been Here All The Time” (Capitol, 1969)