The Four Tops - It's The Same Old Song (1966) 4K
Baby I Need Your Loving
It’s the Same Old Song
I Can’t Help Myself
Reach Out
Wake Me Shake Me
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
You Keep Running Away
Can’t Seem To Get You Off My Mind
Your Love Is Amazing
Since You’ve Been Gone
I Got A Feeling
Until You Love Someone
Standing In The Shadows Of Love
Bernadette
7 Rooms Of Gloom
Where Were You
Simple Game
Still Water
The Four Tops had the benefit the voice of the great Levi Stubbs and they simply personified Motown – ‘Baby, I Need Your Loving’ is the apocryphal slow Motown soul sound, the lament of Levi and the entire song ‘reaches out’ to tell your heart just what soul music is, another of their tracks – ‘Just Ask The Lonely’ has a similar soulful feel, it can’t be spoken of in words, a written description has no meaning it has to be experienced, listened to in an open hearted way, then you will be hooked to it for life! because it is the music of life.
The Four Tops: Levi Stubbs, Jr., Renaldo ‘Obie’ Benson, Lawrence Payton, and Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir
They formed in Detroit in 1953 when still in high school and they have been together ever since.
All their single ‘A’ sides and many ‘B’ sides and Album tracks were played at the Soul clubs in Manchester. Without doubt The Four Tops, togehter with all the major stars at Motown generated music that was played as the core of the Mod soul scene in the 1960’s. This appreciation the genesis of what was to become the now world famous Northern Soul sound.
‘Wake Me Shake Me (When Its Over)’
another notable single that rocked the concrete floors in the Twisted Wheel in Manchester. This is an example of the Tops belting out an up-tempo number that retains all the soul emphasis that can be felt on their slow soulful recordings.
‘It’s the Same Old Song‘ (but with a different meaning since you’ve been gone)
The Song writing talents of ‘H-D-H’ add an extra dimension to the songs meaning too. The lyrics are sad but the tune is an up beat dance number. It shows again how soul music is from the heart and from real life experiences built into the lyrics – it reaches back to gospel and blues roots. For many soul connoisseurs The Four Tops were the ultimate Soul group.
We nearly lost them in the late 1980’s as they were booked on the Lockerbie disaster flight but missed it!
Levi Stubbs Died: 17th October 2008 – Obituary
The Four Tops – Wikipedia