Live! – THE FOUR TOPS****

Introduction/Its The Same Old Song/Its Not Unusual/Baby I Need Your Loving/Reach Out I’ll Be There/Turn To Stone/I Left My Heart In San Francisco/You Can’t Hurry Love/Ask The Lonely/Climb Ev’ry Mountain/The Girl From Ipanema/If I Had A Hammer/I Can’t Help Myself/I Like Everything About You

Immensely popular Motown group The Four Tops' first live LP, recorded at the upper deck of the Roostertail, Detroit in late 1966. As well as many of their big hits it includes a few unlikely covers. (US:17 UK:4)

"During the rush releases of late 1966, there came a pleasantly surprising collection of songs The Four Tops recorded at Detroit's Roostertail venue. The set not only included some of their biggest hits (Reach Out, Baby I Need Your Loving), but also some standards. The Tops' showmanship is also showcased in this varied collection."

"The showstopper here is I Left My Heart In San Francisco, with cries from the audience Levi gives it his all. But it's The Tops' backing vocals that stirs the song to a frenzy with no less than two encores. For the finale, I Can't Help Myself, The Tops are joined by none other than Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, and the encore is an emotional take on one of their greatest B-sides, I Like Everything About You. Thanks to recordings like this, we have a good deal of the legacy this group has left us."

"This captures the time and the group perfectly. I treasure this LP. In Ask The Lonely Levi has total vocal control. He uses it and delivers it as though it was an instrument, producing nothing but 'free flowing' improvisation of his creative artistry. This is soul music at it's most elevated form, natural and unpredictable. I love the groove of the song also; slightly slowed down from the hit record version; so that Levi could caress it and work his magic on it."

"These are the best, then there's the rarefied air that only a select few can reach. Levi Stubbs is among them. Here the man puts on a workshop on performing ballads. He can go from a whisper to an operatic baritone in a matter of seconds."

"They play all the favourites here and since it's live, you feel as though you're right there listening to them. Feel free to sing along."