Tag Archives: The Four Tops

The Supremes & The Four Tops: Dynamite

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In December 1971, “Motown” label released “Dynamite”, the third and last album between Supremes (The) and Four Tops (The). It was recorded in 1971, and was produced by Johnny Bristol, Joe Hinton, Bobby Taylor and Frank Wilson.

Personnel:

  • The Supremes – Jean Terrell, Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong – vocals 
  • The Four Tops – Levi Stubbs, Duke Fakir, Obie Benson, Lawrence Payton – vocals
  • The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
  • David Van DePitte, Gene Page, H.B. Barnum, Robert White – arrangements
  • Curtis McNair – art direction
  • Warren Linn – illustration
  • Tom Schlesinger – graphics

Track listing:

  1. It’s Impossible – Armando Manzanero, Sid Wayne
  2. The Bigger You Love (The Harder You Fall) – Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson
  3. Hello Stranger – Barbara Lewis
  4. Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
  5. Good Lovin’ Ain’t Easy to Come By – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
  6. Melodie – Deke Richards, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson
  7. If – David Gates
  8. If I Could Build My Whole World Around You – Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock
  9. Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream – Aretha Franklin, Ted White
  10. Do You Love Me Just a Little, Honey – Gladys Knight, Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock

The Supremes: Where Did Our Love Go

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On August 31, 1964, “Motown” label released “Where Did Our Love Go”, the second Supremes (The) studio album. It was recorded December 1962 – Augudt 1964, at “Hitsville U.S.A.” in Detroit, and was produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield and Robert Gordy.

Personnel:

  • Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson – lead and backing vocals
  • The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
  • Robert White – guitar
  • Eddie Willis – guitar
  • Joe Messina – guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke – piano
  • James Jamerson – bass
  • Richard “Pistol” Allen – drums
  • Uriel Jones – drums
  • Jack Ashford – vibraphone
  • Andrew “Mike” Terry – baritone saxophone
  • Hank Cosby – tenor saxophone
  • Mike Valvano – footstomps
  • The Four Tops, and Holland–Dozier–Holland – backing vocals
  • The Love-Tones – backing vocals
  • Bernard Yeszin, Wallace Mead – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Holland–Dozier–Holland, except as noted.

  1. Where Did Our Love Go
  2. Run, Run, Run
  3. Baby Love
  4. When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
  5. Come See About Me
  6. Long Gone Lover – Smokey Robinson
  7. I’m Giving You Your Freedom
  8. A Breathtaking Guy – Smokey Robinson
  9. He Means the World to Me – Norman Whitfield
  10. Standing at the Crossroads of Love
  11. Your Kiss of Fire – Robert Gordy, Harvey Fuqua
  12. Ask Any Girl

The Four Tops: Meeting of the Minds

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In April 1974, “ABC / Dunhill Records” label released “Meeting of the Minds”, the 21st Four Tops (The) album. It was recorded in 1973 – 1974, at “ABC Recording Studios, Inc. Studio A”, and was produced by Steve Barri, Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter.

Personnel:

  • Abdul “Duke” Fakir – vocal
  • Levi Stubbs – vocal
  • Renaldo “Obie” Benson – vocal
  • Lawrence Payton – vocal
  • Sylvia Smith – vocal
  • Ben Benaym Dean Parks, Ray Parker, Larry Carlton – guitar
  • Dennis Lambert – keyboards, arrangements
  • Michael Omartian – keyboards, arrangements
  • Scott Edwards, Wilton Felder – bass
  • Paul Humphrey, Ed Greene – drums
  • Brian Potter, Steve Barri, Gary Coleman, King Errisson – percussion
  • Don Hockett – arrangements
  • Gil Askey – arrangements
  • Jimmie Haskell – arrangements
  • McKinley Jackson – arrangements
  • Sid Sharp – concertmaster
  • Barney Perkins, Howard Gale, Phil Kaye – engineer
  • Vic Zaslav – mastering
  • Peter Palombi – illustration
  • Ron Slenzak – photography

Track listing:

  1. One Chain Don’t Make No Prison – Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter
  2. Midnight Flower – McKinley Jackson, Reginald Dozier
  3. The Well Is Dry – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert
  4. Love Ain’t Easy to Come By – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert
  5. No Sad Songs – Glenn Leonard, Len Perry, Rachel Foster
  6. Right on Brother – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert
  7. Tell Me You Love Me – Al Cleveland, Lawrence Payton
  8. All My Love – Renaldo Benson, Val Benson
  9. I Found the Spirit – Renaldo Benson, Val Benson
  10. Meeting of the Minds – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert

Melvin Ragin

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On October 24, 2018, Melvin M. Ragin aka Wah Wah Watson died aged 67. He was musician (guitar), famous for his unique skills with wah-wah pedal. He was member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for “Motown Records”, recorded and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, John Lee Hooker, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Thelma Houston, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Bobbi Humphrey, Janet Jackson, Yung Berg, Blondie, Norman Whitfield, The Undisputed Truth, Donald Byrd, Labelle, Love Unlimited, Cher, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gloria Gaynor, The Temptations (his guitar work on “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”), Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Rose Royce, Bob Scaggs and Herbie Hancock. As leader, Wah Wah Watson released one solo album (Elementary, 1976).

Reginald Lucas

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On May 19, 2018, Reginald Grant Lucas died aged 65. He was musician (guitar), songwriter and producer, started his career performing and recording with Billy Paul and Miles Davis. As producer, composer and sideman he worked with Madonna, Models, The Four Tops, Randy Crawford, Rebbie Jackson, Bunny DeBarge, John Adams, Elisa Fiorillo, The Weather Girls, Nick Scott, Stephanie Mills, Gary Bartz, The Spinners, Lou Rawls, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, James Mtume, Carlos Garnett, Norman Connors, Babatunde Olatunji, Flora Purim, Lonnie Liston Smith, Zbigniew Seifert, Masabumi Kikuchi and Shunzo Ohno. As leader Lucas released two albums.

David Williams

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On March 6, 2009, David Williams died aged 58. He was musician (guitar, bass guitar), vocalist, song writer and music producer, known as a prominent and most in demand session guitarist. He worked with The Dells, The Temptations, Madonna, Michael Jackson,  Chanson, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Allen, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Julio Iglesias, George Benson, The Manhattan Transfer, Michael McDonald, Melissa Manchester, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Shalamar, Go West, ABC, Boz Scaggs, Karen Carpenter, Mariah Carey, Julian Lennon, Bryan Ferry, Paul McCartney, Johnny Mathis, Del Shannon, Chaka Khan, Paul Hardcastle, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Lionel Richie, Jessica Simpson, Diana Ross, the Crusaders, Andraé Crouch, Eddie Murphy, Herbie Hancock, Peter Cetera, Whitney Houston and Monkey Business. As leader he released two albums.

Mike Terry

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On October 30, 2004, Andrew Alexander “Mike” Terry died aged 68. He was songwriter, musician (baritone saxophone), producer, and musical director. He was member of the bands Popcorn and the Mohawks, Joe Hunter Band, and The Funk Brothers. From 1960 – 1967, with The Funk Brothers he performed on thousands of “Motown” recordings. Terry worked with Martha and the Vandellas, Jackie Wilson, Mary Wells, The Four Tops, The Supremes, Kim Weston, The Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, J. J. Barnes, Rose Batiste, The Capitols, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Robinson, Sandra Phillips, The Little Foxes, Junior Walker & the All Stars, Clarence Carter, The Dells, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Maxine Brown, The Parliaments, and Edwin Starr.

Gene Page

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On August 24, 1998, Eugene Edgar Page Jr. aka Gene Page, died aged 58. He was a conductor, composer, arranger, and record producer, one of the most successful arrangers and conductors from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s, who worked on more than 200 Platinum and gold records. He created specific sound in the arrangements, and work with numerous artists including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, George Benson, The Jackson 5, Jefferson Starship, The Righteous Brothers, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Roberta Flack, Elton John, Leo Sayer, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Frankie Valli, Helen Reddy, Lionel Richie, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Donna Loren, Martha and The Vandellas, Cher, Barry White, The Love Unlimited Orchestra, and Dionne Warwick. Page released four solo albums and composed soundtracks for few movies.

Obie Benson

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On July 1, 2005, Renaldo “Obie” Benson died aged 69. He was singer and songwriter, best known as a founding member and the bass singer of the Four Tops, a band that sold over 50 million records and had hits including “Reach Out (I’ll be There)” and “I Can’t Help Myself”. In 1971 Benson co-wrote “What’s Going On” for Marvin Gaye and song that “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked at no. 4 on their list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.