Track Listing

1. Reach Out, I'll Be There
2. Standing In The Shadows Of Love
3. Bernadette
4. Ask The Lonely - Four Tops, Ivy Joe Hunter, William Mickey Stevenson
5. Baby I Need Your Loving
6. Without The One You Love (Life's Not Worthwhile)
7. It's The Same Old Song
8. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever - Four Tops, Ivy Joe Hunter
9. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)
10. Something About You
11. I Got A Feeling - Four Tops, Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland
12. I'm In A Different World - Brian Holland, Four Tops, Lamont Dozier, R. Dean Taylor
13. Walk Away Renee
14. What Is A Man - Four Tops, Johnny Bristol
15. A Simple Game - Four Tops, Tony Clarke
16. Still Water (Love) - Four Tops, Frank Wilson, Jimmy Roach, Jerry Long
17. (It's The Way) Nature Planned It - Four Tops, Frank Wilson, Jerry Long
18. It's All In The Game - Four Tops, Frank Wilson, Jimmy Roach, Jerry Long
19. You Keep Running Away
20. If You Don't Want My Love
21. 7 Rooms Of Gloom
22. I'll Turn To Stone
23. Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)
24. Sad Souvenirs - Four Tops, Ivy Joe Hunter, William Mickey Stevenson
25. Yesterday S Dreams - Four Tops, Ivy Joe Hunter

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3495 in Music
• Released on: 1998-08-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 71 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Cramming 25 songs onto a single CD, this set captures the Tops during their peak 1960s years, when they rode the pens of Holland, Dozier, and Holland to the top of the charts. Combining the writers' pop melodies, a gentle Motown groove, and Levi Stubbs' earthy lead vocals, the group landed 11 Top 40 singles by 1967, all of which are included on this compilation. Unfortunately, The Ultimate Collection omits later gems such as "Keeper of the Castle", "Ain't No Woman", and "When She Was My Girl", but that leaves room to delve into the unique partnership between the Tops and their songwriting triumvirate. --Marc Greilsamer

CD Description
Motown's THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION series has been widely considered the best of their many compilation series, and The Four Tops entry perhaps the best within that. All their classic hits are represented, ("Reach Out I'll Be There", "Baby INeed your Loving", and "I Can't Help Myself") with an altogether winning mix of the group's many other charting singles. Twenty-five tracks in all are collected from this utterly essential Motown group.

Customer Reviews

Nearly All The Hits
Concentrating on their singles career, this 25 track collection appeared on the Motown label in 1997 when it was licensed to Polygram, and covers the period from their first Motown single, Baby I Need Your Loving, up to 1972 when they first left the label (they were back between 1983 and 1986). 
Nearly all the hit singles are present so it is easier to itemise what isn't: their cover of Tim Hardin's If I Were A Carpenter, a bigger hit here than in the US; Do What You Gotta Do, not a single in the US; Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me, not a single in the UK and only a minor hit in the US; Just Seven Numbers, and In These Changing Times, both only minor hits, extracted from the Changing Times album; Walk With Me Talk With Me Darling, not a single in the US; and their two-part version of MacArthur Park, a non-album single that wasn't even released in the UK and which one probably has to buy Anthology to get hold of on CD.
It also includes 4 popular B-sides including their great original version of I Got A Feeling, better known in its cover by Barbara Randolph. Three of these were taken from albums but one, If You Don't Want My Love, was only ever the B-side of You Keep Running Way, perhaps making its debut on CD.
Most of the songs were produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier, with whom they had a string of huge hits, but a handful were produced by Mickey Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter, Johnny Bristol and others.
It states in the liner notes that "The Ultimate Collections feature the original 45 rpm versions. Album sources are issued for reference purposes; the LP versions were very often different mixes, and sometimes different performances." What this means in practice is that all but 2 tracks - Still Water (Love) and (It's The Way) Nature Planned It - are mono versions which I suppose means that Motown hope to have us buy the parent albums as well to get the stereo mixes

A strong collection of Four Tops music
A strong collection of Four Tops music

One of Motown's finest groups of the sixties, the Four Tops will be forever remembered for Reach out I'll be there, a timeless classic which opens this set. It was number one in Britain, America and many other countries.

This collection includes many other big hits, including Bernadette, I can't help myself, Standing in the shadows of love and Its the same old song, all huge hits in Britain and America.

Their first success came via Baby I need your loving, which gave them a top 20 American hit, but the song was covered by the Fourmost and it was their version that charted in Britain.

This is not a complete collection, as it omits If I were a carpenter and River deep mountain high, a song they recorded with the Supremes after Diana Ross left that group, but it really requires a double-CD to do full justice to this excellent group. Nevertheless, if you just want a single CD, all the tracks that really matter are here, superbly re-mastered.

One Of Motowns Best Male Groups Of The 1960's
The Four Tops were formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1953 though they never really struck lucky until they signed to Berry Gordys pioneering all-black record label, Tamla Motown Records, home to many legendary soul acts including Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves And The Vandellas, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Marvelettes and many, many more.

The Four Tops were just simply a KNOCKOUT! Lead singer Levi Stubbs rocketing vocal delivery was capable of such impressive, immense power and volume and were one of Motowns best male acts during the companys heyday in the swinging sixties.

The Four Tops, like Diana Ross and the Supremes, enjoyed an extensive and dynamic collaboration with the genius songwriting and production trio, Holland-Dozier-Holland. Holland-Dozier-Holland helped put Motown Records on the map by creating and defining that classic Motown sound of the 60's along with the legendary muscian team known as The Funk Brothers. The Four Tops enjoyed a river of classics through the duration of the 1960's with the most magical of these offerings recorded under the guidance of Holland-Dozier-Holland.

I Can't Help Myself, one of The Four Tops signature tunes, contained a hooky melody and lyrics that could appeal to both the spirited and the saccharine. Levi Stubbs inimitable and persuasive voice on this classic is just pure SOUL! I Can't Help Myself shot up the charts landing at No.1.

The follow up to I Can't Help Myself, the appropriately titled It's The Same Old Song admitedly lacked the initial immediacy of that track but still holds its own individual merits and became another classic to their credit.

In 1966 The Four Tops literally exploded onto the charts with the far more adventurous and highly ambitious Reach Out I'll Be There. Reach Out I'll Be There was haunting and atmospheric in its tone. Levi Stubbs puts in another phenomenal, breathtaking performance with his grittily earthy, soulful delivery seamlessly surfboarding along the tidal wave of musical arrangements that consists of flutes, oboes and tambourines. It also delivered The Four Tops their first real taste of big chart success in the U.K. In the U.S Reach Out I'll Be There became their second chart topper.

The Four Tops music was always dramatically orchestrated that lands somewhere between soul,r&b and pop. Their staggeringly impressive run of hits continued with the magnificent Standing In The Shadows Of Love where there diverse and unique blend of harmonies gel remarkably well together which adds to its dazzling, magical effect.

Bernadatte was yet another infectious classic with its masterpiece musical production and astounding delivery from Levi Stubbs but there is a far darker and more atmospheric mood on the chilly and haunting 7 Rooms Of Gloom. Stubbs' whips along the verses with utter conviction that's literally spine-tingling across the rollercoaster and stark musical arrangements.

Holland-Dozier-Holland swiftly left Motown Records in early 1968 after a bitter dispute over back royalty payments with Motown boss Berry Gordy (many of Motowns stars subsequently sued the company years later for claims of unpaid record royalties). The Motown sound was slowly dissolving after their departure and was virtually extinct by the early 70's following Motowns headquarters move from downtown Detroit to swinging L.A. As a result The Four Tops chart-action became erratic.

They did still manage to come up with some winners. Their divine, unique cover of The Left Bankes' Walk Away Renee, which is arguably far more effective than the origanal and mereley conveyed Levi Stubbs versatile vocal approach. Walk Away Renee commendably proved that Stubbs' unforgetable voice could be just as effective when working on ballads. Walk Away Renee may have been sombre in its tone though still had a touching quality.

Another excellent ballad from The Four Tops that emerged in the late 60's was another atmospheric number, Still Waters Run. This classic hit was a remarkably exhilirating masterpiece featuring an exuberant performance from Stubbs. Still Waters Run also captures Stubbs' at perharps his smoochiest.

It's All In The Game and If I Were A Carpenter both encapsulate that swinging Motown sound and both are of significant value to this collection. However by the early 70's their once unstoppable momentum was now sadly beginning to wear thin. The Four Tops fled from Motown Records in the early 70s and had a number of record deals that didn't amount to too much and gradually they faded from view (though enjoyed a few minor revivals in the 1980's).

To this day The Four Tops continue to sporadically perform on the customary golden oldies circuit but its their glorious, golden 1960's era for what they will always be remembered for. This compilation titled The Ultimate Collection guides you through these fabulous, ground-breaking classics and capture the group at their prime. The Four Tops - The Ultimate Collection is ESSENTIAL to any serious soul music collection!

Ian Phillips