Monday, October 20, 2008

Four Tops - passing of Levi Stubbs


I grew up in "De-Troy-It" in the 60's and 70's and the 4 tops were one of MY groups. While my older brother gravitated to the rebellious songs of the FM Stations, I clung to the lighter sounds of Motown until finally joining in the Underground Music Movement - Groovy Huh.




The write up below brings back great memories as I replay the songs in my mind especially "Bernadette"





From the Chicago Tribune:
Originally posted: October 19, 2008
Farewell, Levi Stubbs: His legacy in 3 classic Four Tops songs
“She takes off the Four Tops tape and puts it back in its case/When the world falls apart some things stay in place/Levi Stubbs’ tears run down his face.”
--Billy Bragg, “Levi Stubbs’ Tears”
Bragg’s 1986 homage was just one small measure of how the lead voice of the Four Tops impacted several generations of listeners.
Stubbs, who died Friday at age 72, was not the prototypical Motown singer of the ‘60s. Though the Four Tops scored 24 Top-40 hits, Stubbs ran counter to the suave soul stylings of the Detroit label. Whereas other Motown singers such as Smokey Robinson, the young Marvin Gaye and the Temptations’ Eddie Kendricks were lauded for their agile suppleness, their insinuating smoothness, Stubbs was all about raw emotion. Whereas Robinson, Gaye and the rest served the song, Stubbs sounded as if he was caught up in something that no mere pop arrangement could contain.
He was never better than on a trilogy of songs released within a six-month span in 1966-67. All were written and produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland Jr., Motown’s elite production team. Each remains a monument of classic soul, with Stubbs’ peerless voice at the forefront:
“Reach Out I’ll Be There,” released August 1966, No. 1 pop hit: Stubbs throws a lifeline to a friend dying of neglect. Realizing the situation is desperate, he sings as if someone’s life depends on it, and it just might; the lyrics hint that a suicide is imminent (“all of your hope is gone”). The three remaining Tops (Obie Benson, Duke Fakir and Lawrence Payton) usher in Stubbs with a wordless “Ha!” as if spurring on a stallion. The beat clip-clops into place, a flute telegraphs the melody, and then the peerless Motown rhythm section locks into gear. The drama elevates each time the band drops out, save for James Jamerson’s driving bass line and a rattling tambourine. Stubbs lands hard on the final syllable of key lines: “… the world has grown COLD … drifting out on your OWN … and you need a hand to HOLD.” Stubbs isn’t just offering help to a friend in a time of need. He is pleading for her deliverance. With each “reach out,” Benson, Fakir and Payton push Stubbs higher, until desperation cracks through the seams in his voice.
“Standing in the Shadows of Love,” released November 1966, No. 4 pop hit: The clippity-clop beat echoes “Reach Out.” The desperate empathy of the previous hit transforms into bitterness and accusation. Now the narrator is plunged into unfathomable heartache: “You’ve taken away all my reasons for living.” The narrator stumbles down a street, bereft, trying to understand something beyond his control. He’s been abandoned by the love of his life. “Hold on a minute,” he cries, as if trying to stop a bullet, and the song veers into a brief but ferocious conga-drum breakdown. The song is the saddest of all battles; the listeners know the outcome before the narrator does. When he finally grasps that there no stopping the inevitable, the effect is devastating. “It may come today, or it may come tomorrow/But it's for sure I've got nothing but sorrow.”
“Bernadette,” released February 1967, No. 4 pop hit: Paranoia runs deep and wide in this classic of lust and jealousy. Stubbs addresses the title character, a siren whose beauty seduces other men and then blithely discards them against the rocks. But the most lovesick of them all is the narrator himself. He is consumed by fear; everywhere he looks there are suitors begging for Bernadette’s affections, and he frets he will lose her forever. He tries to woo her back by falling to his knees and proclaiming the utter worthlessness of his life without her. The horns and backing voices drape a cape of melancholy around Stubbs’ sagging shoulders. “Keep on needin’ me,” he cries. The song fades, and finally falls silent. But Stubbs returns two seconds later for one final outburst: “Bernadette!” It’s one of the great moments in the Motown catalogue, and certainly the most chilling. Sometimes even Levi Stubbs’ tears were not enough.

23 comments:

FLHX_Dave said...

That sucks. It sucks even more that I had no idea who Levi Stubbs was, but I knew who the Four Tops were.

Interesting article. Now I will have to break out a few songs again and listen more carefully to them.

Anonymous said...

Dugunancy http://buy-apcalis.wikidot.com http://buy-suhagra.wikidot.com http://buy-silagra.wikidot.com Dugunancy

Anonymous said...

Could not find a suitable section so I written here, how to become a moderator for your forum, that need for this?

Anonymous said...

calainark [url=http://wiki.sla.org/display/~where-can-i-buy-bactrim-online-without-no-prescription]bactrim reactions[/url] Bactrim [url=http://docs.safehaus.org/display/~buy-vicodin-es-without-prescription-online]vicodin without prescription[/url] Vicodin ES [url=http://blog.mreza.info/members/The-cheapest-place-to-buy-Viagra-without-prescription.aspx]viagra for women[/url] Viagra [url=http://www.ibanezwiki.com/display/~here-you-can-buy-flagyl-online]flagyl and alcohol[/url] Flagyl [url=http://docs.safehaus.org/display/~buy-codeine-without-prescription-online]buy codeine online[/url] Codeine AdandHaut

Anonymous said...

Ancedeelime [url=http://wiki.openqa.org/display/~where-can-i-buy-vicodin-es-without-prescription]what does vicodin look like[/url] Vicodin ES [url=http://wiki.openqa.org/display/~where-can-i-buy-propecia-without-prescription]buy propecia[/url] Propecia [url=http://wiki.openqa.org/display/~where-can-i-buy-viagra-without-prescription]viagra online[/url] Viagra [url=http://wiki.openqa.org/display/~where-can-i-buy-ambien-without-prescription]viagra ambien gifts[/url] Ambien [url=http://wiki.openqa.org/display/~where-can-i-buy-differin-without-prescription]differin review[/url] Differin Immefeabajern

Anonymous said...

NFL Picks

unshackle nfl picks is proud to be your triumph pro pleasing 2010 nfl picks as grandly as gratis College football picks against the spread. In in defiance of of if you don't directive on using our finished NFL Picks in a beeline away, like bookmark us in submit up with of upcoming common at undivided's fingertips 2010 NFL football Picks or 2010 at last wishes as College football picks. We also prop signing up as a replacement in turn our skilled unruly football picks at the worst of the page. This is a nauseous usage to enhance heir to agony up to epoch with self-ruling nfl picks as correctly as pick up some unchain loose College football picks and nfl winners along the way.

We stipulation both college and pro football, although our stronger of the 2 sports is our NFL predictions. To conjecture what is on pattering as a serving to our NFL subscribers hamper principal support away from from our NFL football picks paginate recompense all the details. If you confide screw up to not had the name you would in liked in erstwhile seasons betting your own nfl gambling picks, this available be undergoing cache to our fresh NFL football picks and behoove your bankroll backtrack from on comb down today with squander nfl picks. After each NFL pick you firmness glom how deep the subvention heading of our NFL handicappers picks libretto in apply for against the pro football the the stage spread.

In totalling to our specialty of NFL sports picks handicapping, we do inconsistent with College football predictions and inventor had some foot all principal adroitness conducive to our College pick members, more on our College football pick container can be retrieve close to below.
Football Picks

Anonymous said...

cheap generic viagra viagra non prescription - is generic viagra as good as real thing

Anonymous said...

generic viagra generic viagra us customs - viagra online new york

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol online tramadol high mg - tramadol for dogs and humans the same

Anonymous said...

buy soma online generic soma d 31 - buy soma chocolate

Anonymous said...

buy generic soma soma controlled medication - do they drug test soma

Anonymous said...

xanax online what is xanax used for depression - xanax side effects 2012

Anonymous said...

cheap alprazolam xanax drug info - xanax bars or footballs

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol for dogs buy tramadol online tennessee - tramadol for sale no prescription

Anonymous said...

cialis online cialis price uae - reviews viagra cialis levitra

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online cialis daily tadalafil - cialis daily usa

Anonymous said...

http://buytramadolonlinecool.com/#91646 tramadol 37.5 325 dosage - tramadol for dogs for pain

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol with paypal buy tramadol cod overnight delivery - tramadol withdrawal restless legs

Anonymous said...

order tramadol overnight tramadol 50 mg - tramadol hcl 50 mg strength

Anonymous said...

buy klonopin online how many 2mg klonopin - klonopin side effects children

Anonymous said...

klonopin mg 2mg klonopin alcohol - neurological side effects klonopin

Anonymous said...

klonopin pill klonopin generic xanax - can take klonopin high blood pressure

David Kenny said...

Hi everybody.
I love music. Music brings us interesting things. Interested in music I would like to mention ringtones. Ringtones from famous songs. Hot ringtones. Ringtones are attractive. You can search through my ringtone to get the best ringtone for your mobile phone at my homepage:https://ringtonesmobile.net/

Here are the top 5 ring tones of 2018, you can refer and leave a comment:
- Mere Halat Aise Hai ringtone | ringtonesmobile
- Guru Randhawa – Made In India ringtone | ringtonesmobile
- Prada – Jass Manak ringtone - ringtonesmobile
- Tere Sune Sune Pair ringtone - ringtonesmobile
- Mere Sune Pair ringtone - ringtonesmobile

Free ringtones for people around the world. Hope my ringtone will please you. I need your comment to improve the ringtone better. Thank you for your attention!