Reach Out - THE FOUR TOPS*****

Reach Out I’ll Be There/Walk Away Renee/7 Rooms Of Gloom/If I Were A Carpenter/Last Train To Clarksville/I’ll Turn To Stone/I’m A Believer/Standing In The Shadows Of Love/ Bernadette/Cherish/Wonderful Baby/What Else Is There To Do

Reach Out was the final Four Tops LP to be produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland. This was the group's most successful album and the track listing almost reads like a greatest hits, reflecting their immense popularity at the time. Reach Out I'll Be There was a No. 1 hit single in both Britain and the USA. Also includes Standing In The Shadows Of Love, Bernadette, 7 Rooms Of Gloom, Walk Away Renee and If I Were A Carpenter all of which achieved high placings in both the US and UK top twenty. (US:11 UK:4)

"One of the greatest Motown albums, thanks in part to nearly half of the album being hits, with a few of them, especially the title track, Standing In The Shadows Of Love, and Bernadette being amongst the greatest of all Tops songs. But still, even some of those non hit 'tacked on' tracks sound great as well, even The Monkees covers sound alright. I really can't say enough good things about lead vocalist Levi Stubbs; truly one of the greatest voices of the '60s."

"Levi Stubbs is a genius of a vocalist; not only does he infuse with dangerous amounts of soul, but he has a certain untamed sense of control that adds an organic level. Reach Out I'll Be There is a standard (but brilliant), verse, chorus, verse type of pop song structure, but it never gets tired or repetitive for a moment."

"Basically this album is littered with singles where it almost plays like a greatest hits."

"Big single hits plus lots of cover versions. That was typical mixture for Motown LP's in the mid-sixties. This long player has to be one of the most successful ones, since there are so many jewels here, the brightest trio being Reach Out I'll Be There, Bernadette and Standing In The Shadows Of Love. The Four Tops were a great group back in the sixties, and Levi Stubbs one of the best vocalists around in those days,"

"The Four Tops had one of the best in-house song-writing teams of the 60s, and one of the best production teams as well. I love all the originals and even their cover versions of Walk Away Renee and If I Were A Carpenter."