THE FOUR TOPS HOT NIGHTS album and 2000 NORMAN WHITFIELD project

[biggestfourtops fan]

Will these ever see the light of day. Especially while Duke is still here.

[TomatoTom123]

I hope so!

What's the 2000 Norman Whitfield project? Sounds brilliant [[after all, Norman Whitfield is involved)

[marv2]

Will these ever see the light of day. Especially while Duke is still here.

I wished they would. It's been so long since the "Hot Nights" album was announced, I've forgotten the details surrounding it. I do recall the single, "Hot Night" getting airplay in Philadelphia late summer/early fall of 1986. Next up was 1988's "Indestructible".

[biggestfourtops fan]

TomatoTom123- It was Levi's last studio recordings before his stroke. The songs were posted on website back in 2008 but were quickly taken down. It sounded great from what i remember.

[Luciano]

TomatoTom123- It was Levi's last studio recordings before his stroke. The songs were posted on website back in 2008 but were quickly taken down. It sounded great from what i remember.

That's sounds great then. I was thinking maybe it might have been around the time Norman was recording many of the same songs with different Artists.

[lockhartgary]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux-B531TgB0

[TomatoTom123]

TomatoTom123- It was Levi's last studio recordings before his stroke. The songs were posted on website back in 2008 but were quickly taken down. It sounded great from what i remember.

Oh wow! That does sound great!! Levi Stubbs is an absolute legend in my opinion. He somehow mastered the art of sounding exactly the same for over 50 years! I also love "Hot Nights" and it would great to see that cancelled album released.

[booty]

No idea where this came from, but the info I have on the album tracks is as folllows;

Side One

1 Hot Nights
2 Red Hot Love
3 I Believe in You and Me
4 Let's Jam
5 We Got Bus'ness

Side Two

1 This Is Love
2 So up for You
3 Livin' It Up Too Much
4 The Four Of Us

[biggestfourtops fan]

Always wondered if I BELIEVE IN YOU AND ME is just the same version from their Cavablanca One More Mountain album.

[aljaydu]

biggestfourtops fan, here you go. Enjoy.
Levi takes it to church:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5MjVR5ArQKg

[aljaydu]

Question:
How do you pm someone?
I use to come here a lot but I've been slacking off.
We had a thread about the Tops and Norm Whitfield getting together for that album yeeeaaars ago. Lots of interesting info. I'll see if I can find it.

[aljaydu]

Here it is. The thread from [[GULP) 2004 :

http://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/1157-%20MAR%20APR%2004/10115.html?1082098768

[Laserdk]

No idea where this came from, but the info I have on the album tracks is as folllows;

Side One

1 Hot Nights
2 Red Hot Love
3 I Believe in You and Me
4 Let's Jam
5 We Got Bus'ness

Side Two

1 This Is Love
2 So up for You
3 Livin' It Up Too Much
4 The Four Of Us

Booty,

That tracklist for the unreleased "Hot Nights" album is the same as the tracklist I have with the addition of "Indestructible" as the opening track on side 2 which was one of three tracks Motown let the Tops take with them to Arista.

Ivor

[TomatoTom123]

We had a thread about the Tops and Norm Whitfield getting together for that album yeeeaaars ago. Lots of interesting info.


http://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/1157-%20MAR%20APR%2004/10115.html?1082098768

Wow, thank you aljaydu. Fascinating! That album sounds SOOO great. Also, that thread was from was ages ago and it still hasn't been released... OH WHY!!?? :)

[aljaydu]

TomatoTom123, check your pm....

[aljaydu]

Marv2, check your email.

[marv2]

Marv2, check your email.

Will do thank you.

[marv2]

aljaydu....you are a BOSS!!!! LOL!

[aljaydu]

Hey, maaaaaan....
what can I say???

LOL

[motown01]

What a shame that two Four Tops albums are STILL just sitting in the can. Can't these get released online?

[paul_nixon]

What a shame that two Four Tops albums are STILL just sitting in the can. Can't these get released online?

There are also a few Deke Richards productions left on the Four Tops that he played me - one of them being Soldier Of Love used on Cellarful .

[biggestfourtops fan]

That sounds great. Remember any titles or how many?

[paul_nixon]

There were at least half a dozen and Deke mentioned a title for the LP but that seems to have escaped my memory - I get it mixed up with Hot Nights album

[Laserdk]

There were at least half a dozen and Deke mentioned a title for the LP but that seems to have escaped my memory - I get it mixed up with Hot Nights album

Paul,

Do you know if one of the Deke Richards' produced tracks was the Four Tops' own update of the HDH classic tune "Since You've Been Gone" from 1984 but was then canned?

Ivor

[paul_nixon]

Paul,

Do you know if one of the Deke Richards' produced tracks was the Four Tops' own update of the HDH classic tune "Since You've Been Gone" from 1984 but was then canned?

Ivor

Hi Ivor that was not one of those he shared with me the title of the LP has just come back to me it was Continental Love

[marv2]

I wished a Four Tops album would be given the expanded treatment.

[biggestfourtops fan]

That's a dream of mine.

[jaybs]

I find it so sad that these tracks remain unissued, even to the last studio session Levi sounded as strong as ever vocal wise, no other male has had that voice for me.

Someone connected with the Whitfield side contacted me a few years back and asked if I would sound out UK interest in the Norman Whitfield produced album, working title then was "911 Emergency" and sent me the tracks, there was interest, but I knew well then that they would never get released as one person may hold that back.

One track with Levi still at his very best I still play today so much "Just Another Day I Think of You" so strong and does not sound dated still, there were a few tracks I was unsure about, typical Norman, but not the Four Tops.

One day we may see all these unreleased tracks released, but we are all getting no younger lol

[ms_m]

I find it so sad that these tracks remain unissued, even to the last studio session Levi sounded as strong as ever vocal wise, no other male has had that voice for me.

Someone connected with the Whitfield side contacted me a few years back and asked if I would sound out UK interest in the Norman Whitfield produced album, working title then was "911 Emergency" and sent me the tracks, there was interest, but I knew well then that they would never get released as one person may hold that back.

One track with Levi still at his very best I still play today so much "Just Another Day I Think of You" so strong and does not sound dated still, there were a few tracks I was unsure about, typical Norman, but not the Four Tops.

One day we may see all these unreleased tracks released, but we are all getting no younger lol

Jaybs, so glad you posted this 'cause for a minute, thought I was in the final stages of dementia since "911" was the last time Levi was in the studio. As I'm sure you know, it was suppose to be his way of introducing Theo to the masses so I can understand why you might be hesitant about a few of them.

Just Another Day is a great track but I love them all.

Have pretty much given up on ever seeing these tracks released though.

[Encyclopedia Mack]

Will these ever see the light of day. Especially while Duke is still here.

Yeah I wanna see more from the Tops. I've heard about a book and a movie but nothing has come out.

[biggestfourtops fan]

Yeah I wanna see more from the Tops. I've heard about a book and a movie but nothing has come out.

Every time I hear something about a book or something getting my hopes up, it all disappaers. Nothing ends up happennin.

[Laserdk]

Hi Ivor that was not one of those he shared with me the title of the LP has just come back to me it was Continental Love

Sorry Paul, missed your post when first posted. Never heard of that album before so many thanks for that piece of info. Presumably, if the album had came out it would have fallen between "Back Where I Belong" and "Magic".

Ivor

[marv2]

Sorry Paul, missed your post when first posted. Never heard of that album before so many thanks for that piece of info. Presumably, if the album had came out it would have fallen between "Back Where I Belong" and "Magic".

Ivor

Yes because it was like a two and a half year lull in there.

[Laserdk]

Yes because it was like a two and a half year lull in there.

Indeed marv2 because we know the one track from the Deke Richards sessions that has been released, "Soldier Of Love", was recorded in 1984 and I know their update of "Since You've Been Gone" was recorded around the same time as the guys mentioned it in an interview they gave to "Blues & Soul" magazine around that time and that was the tune they were particularly excited about from their, then, recent sessions so I suspect they cut a number of tracks with various producers.

Ivor

[marv2]

Indeed marv2 because we know the one track from the Deke Richards sessions that has been released, "Soldier Of Love", was recorded in 1984 and I know their update of "Since You've Been Gone" was recorded around the same time as the guys mentioned it in an interview they gave to "Blues & Soul" magazine around that time and that was the tune they were particularly excited about from their, then, recent sessions so I suspect they cut a number of tracks with various producers.

Ivor

We need to hear these tracks! We need to have them released. There are still a lot of us Four Tops fans out here.

[jaybs]

There should have been a FOUR TOPS BIOGRAPHY it would have been ideal from Sharon Davis, early 2000's there was talk of a book on Levi. but like the 999 album, just faded away.

[fourtopsjim]

Booty,

That tracklist for the unreleased "Hot Nights" album is the same as the tracklist I have with the addition of "Indestructible" as the opening track on side 2 which was one of three tracks Motown let the Tops take with them to Arista.

Ivor


Ivor is right. There were 10 songs on the Hot Nights LP. Indestructible is your missing song.

[fourtopsjim]

Always wondered if I BELIEVE IN YOU AND ME is just the same version from their Cavablanca One More Mountain album.


No, its different. The arrangement is different, and Levi extends the end, as I'm sure you heard on my video that aljaydu posted for you.

[fourtopsjim]

We need to hear these tracks! We need to have them released. There are still a lot of us Four Tops fans out here.


Marv, if you're still out there, PM me.

[marv2]

Marv, if you're still out there, PM me.

I'm on my way Fourtopsjim. Thanks.

[paul_nixon]

Does anyone have the Hot Nights project?

[jaybs]

Does anyone have the Hot Nights project?

Sorry no! never heard any unreleased material from 'Hot Nights' a.A member of The Norman Whitfield family asked me if I would approach some distributors for the '911' album in Uk, there was interest, but then they went cool, I still like the album, one real classic ballad from Levi. I'm not sure if the Tops themselves after Levi's passing were very helpful, same with books about them?

[Fourtopsbiggestfan]

Sorry no! a member of The Norman Whitfield family asked me if I would approach some distributors for the 911 album, there was interest, but then they went cool, I still like the album, one real classic ballad from Levi. I'm not sure if the Tops themselves after Levi's passing were very helpful, same with books about them?
Well this album NEEDS released. Absolutely criminal it's been locked up so much. Great songs on both.

[Encyclopedia Mack]

Will these ever see the light of day. Especially while Duke is still here.

Nope. Also we are never getting Duke's book either that he promised for the last 10 years.

[Fourtopsbiggestfan]

Well then it's time for fans to overthrow and start bootlegging because this is outrageous.