"What If's" with The Four Tops

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12-21-2019, 08:45 AM
Motown Eddie

"What If's" with The Four Tops

Inspired by a What If thread with The Temptations, let's do a What If with The Four Tops. Songs from their first stint at Motown [[1963 thru 1972) that were B-sides, album cuts or previously unreleased that [[in our humble opinions) had the potential to be hits. My Picks:

"Helpless"
"Since You've Been Gone"
"Left With A Broken Heart"
"My Heart Is Calling You"
"Your Love Is Wonderful"
"Rocks In My Bed"
"Deep In The Pit Of Your Love"
"Starving For Your Love"
"I Wish I Was Your Mirror"
"What You Gonna Do With Me Baby"
12-21-2019, 12:26 PM
nathanj06

Helpless and Your Love Is Wonderful.
12-21-2019, 12:37 PM
tjl

Three of the biggest hits/requests I get for the Tops [[every week on the radio/stream for years) are still - by long and far over the usual hits are:

I've Got A Feeling
I'll Turn To Stone
and
Something About You
12-21-2019, 01:31 PM
SatansBlues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRLj4sikuL4

Just A Little Love [[Before My Life Is Gone) - Hunter/Stevenson, is my favorite unreleased track by the Tops. It's criminal that it sat in the vault all those years. Marvin Gaye and Chuck Jackson both did a version, but the Tops nail this one. It reminds me a bit of Baby I Need Your Loving. Levi's delivery is perfect.
12-21-2019, 01:57 PM
rovereab

Since You've Been Gone
When I'm With You - with the Supremes
12-21-2019, 08:51 PM
jobucats

SatinsBlues said, "Just A Little Love [[Before My Life Is Gone) - Hunter/Stevenson, is my favorite unreleased track by the Tops. It's criminal that it sat in the vault all those years. Marvin Gaye and Chuck Jackson both did a version, but the Tops nail this one. It reminds me a bit of Baby I Need Your Loving. Levi's delivery is perfect."[/QUOTE]

Ah, I agree that this is one of those that 'got away' being that it stayed in the vaults so long. The song itself is beautiful and so poignant, and Levi's delivery on the lead vocals is so pleading in a very subtle way. I love that the verses begin where he gets to show the warmness of his lower register. My only gripe about this output was that the Andantes background vocals, in the mix, were way too loud and somewhat disruptive to the flow of the song.
12-21-2019, 09:07 PM
marv2

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjl

Three of the biggest hits/requests I get for the Tops [[every week on the radio/stream for years) are still - by long and far over the usual hits are:

I've Got A Feeling
I'll Turn To Stone
and
Something About You

"I'll Turn to Stone" should have been an A-side single. It is one of their very best recordings in my opinion.
12-22-2019, 01:15 AM
daviddesper

Quote:

Originally Posted by tjl

Three of the biggest hits/requests I get for the Tops [[every week on the radio/stream for years) are still - by long and far over the usual hits are:

I've Got A Feeling
I'll Turn To Stone
and
Something About You

I would agree with these three, especially I Got A Feeling, which I consider to be one of Motown's finest recordings by ANYBODY.
12-22-2019, 12:50 PM
arr&bee

[your love is amazing] is a killer that shoulda been an a-side.
12-23-2019, 11:42 PM
TomatoTom123

I love "So Far" from 1969 [[I think) but it wasn’t even released at all at the time! :D
12-24-2019, 05:10 AM
Philles/Motown Gary

Motown Eddie, I would have to say "I Got A Feeling" and "Your Love Is Wonderful". Every time I hear those records, I can't help thinking, "Damn, Motown was good!"
12-24-2019, 07:23 AM
jboy88

Quote:

Originally Posted by SatansBlues

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRLj4sikuL4

Just A Little Love [[Before My Life Is Gone) - Hunter/Stevenson, is my favorite unreleased track by the Tops. It's criminal that it sat in the vault all those years. Marvin Gaye and Chuck Jackson both did a version, but the Tops nail this one. It reminds me a bit of Baby I Need Your Loving. Levi's delivery is perfect.

I couldn’t agree more. It could have been the twelfth cut on the first album.

I also think “Stranded On The Road Of Love” would have also been a contender had it been released. As far as released material goes, “I Can’t Quit Your Love” might’ve fair better with a different mix.
12-24-2019, 07:59 AM
144man

For me, it's got to be the unreleased-at-the-time "Lonely Lover", especially the stereo version. Pure Motown magic.
12-24-2019, 08:07 AM
rovereab

Quote:

Originally Posted by jboy88

“I Can’t Quit Your Love” might’ve fair better with a different mix.

Agreed and I feel it needed to be slightly faster as at times it seems to drag along a bit. It could have been the Four Tops "Stoned Love" easily and taken to the high places on the charts.
12-24-2019, 11:03 AM
lockhartgary

Quote:

Originally Posted by marv2

"I'll Turn to Stone" should have been an A-side single. It is one of their very best recordings in my opinion.

"I would be like a statue in a park
Cold and alone a man without a heart"

Marv, I totally agree!!
12-24-2019, 04:59 PM
Soulmusic4life

NO TIME is a killer track. Absolutely phenomenal. Yet Motown did it's typical let's not release a great song. I'M SO AFRAID OF LOSING YOU, WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE, BABY DUMPLING etc are also masterpieces.
12-24-2019, 06:53 PM
marv2

Quote:

Originally Posted by lockhartgary

"I would be like a statue in a park
Cold and alone a man without a heart"

Marv, I totally agree!!

Lockhartgary, that line in the song. It took me all of these years to really appreciate the greatness of Holland-Dozier-Holland and their work with the Four Tops. That is just the greatest line ever!
12-26-2019, 06:53 AM
Motown Eddie

Quote:

Originally Posted by marv2

"I'll Turn to Stone" should have been an A-side single. It is one of their very best recordings in my opinion.

You're right Marv2. Not only did "I'll Turn To Stone" chart on it's own as the B-side of "7 Rooms Of Gloom" [[R&B#50/Pop#76), it inspired The Foundations' hit "Build Me Up Buttercup".
12-26-2019, 08:37 AM
144man

Quote:

Originally Posted by 144man

For me, it's got to be the unreleased-at-the-time "Lonely Lover", especially the stereo version. Pure Motown magic.

Has anyone else actually heard "Lonely Lover" or love it as much as I do? No one else ever seems to comment whenever I mention it.
12-26-2019, 03:29 PM
marv2

Quote:

Originally Posted by 144man

Has anyone else actually heard "Lonely Lover" or love it as much as I do? No one else ever seems to comment whenever I mention it.

I have not heard it. I have to try to find it. Thanks.
12-26-2019, 03:41 PM
lockhartgary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_WT1eXeOjY
12-26-2019, 07:20 PM
144man

^^^ Thanks for posting, Lockhartgary.

The original version of HDH's "Lonely Lover" by Marvin Gaye is also worth a play, with or without the 1986 overdubs.
12-26-2019, 07:48 PM
144man

Strangely, there's another unreleased HDH Tops' track, formerly recorded by Marvin Gaye, namely "Gotta Say It, Gonna Tell It Like It Is".
12-26-2019, 07:57 PM
144man

Because of its lyrical content, the BBC wouldn't allow Tony Blackburn to get behind "Barbara's Boy" when he played it as an album track. If they had, it would have been a massive UK hit.
12-27-2019, 01:51 PM
arr&bee

Two more good ones are-it would almost drive me out of my mind...and the super groove[body and soul].
12-28-2019, 06:25 AM
Soulmusic4life

Quote:

Originally Posted by 144man

Because of its lyrical content, the BBC wouldn't allow Tony Blackburn to get behind "Barbara's Boy" when he played it as an album track. If they had, it would have been a massive UK hit.

Screw the BBC. Doing that makes them scumbags.
12-28-2019, 06:26 AM
Soulmusic4life

Quote:

Originally Posted by 144man

Has anyone else actually heard "Lonely Lover" or love it as much as I do? No one else ever seems to comment whenever I mention it.

I absolutely love that song. Another should've been hit but thanks to Motown it wasn't.
12-30-2019, 01:26 PM
SatansBlues

Quote:

Originally Posted by 144man

Because of its lyrical content, the BBC wouldn't allow Tony Blackburn to get behind "Barbara's Boy" when he played it as an album track. If they had, it would have been a massive UK hit.

What was the objectionable lyric[[s) in that song?
12-30-2019, 01:32 PM
SatansBlues

FOUR TOPS - BARBARA'S BOY
[[J. Hinton; P. Sawyer)
Tamla Motown 006-91154

[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
If he's mine I don't know
How could any man ever really know?
[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
But I love him so

I was so proud to be the father of the son
We wanted desperately
I wanted the whole wide world to see the son
Barbara gave to me

I said: "Those eyes, don't they just look like mine?"
And then I heard that rumour one more time
I couldn't ignore the spiteful tongues
That made me doubt: is he really my son?

[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
If he's mine I don't know
How could any man ever really know?
[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
But I love him so

I heard that she was me biding my time
With this other guy
I cannot believe that Barbara would cheat on me
She wasn't one to lie

She said: "I love him, 'cause he's poorer than you"
How could she say it if it isn't true?
I end up feeling like the guilty one
When she says: "Darling, do you love your son?"

[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
If he's mine I don't know
How could any man ever really know?
[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
But I love him so

Since my good times were stopped
Blaming her, charging her
And then we'll see that I
Content to be loving her

I would never accuse that girl
I couldn't live if I should lose that girl
Let the gossips have their say
Wildly talk will never come in your way, but

[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
If he's mine I don't know
How could any man ever really know?
[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)
But I love him so

[[Barbara's boy is Barbara's boy)https://paulvanriet.nl/GRAPHICS/home.gif