Four Tops

The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet from Detroit, Michigan who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes.

Founded as The Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs, and groupmates Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, having gone from 1953 until 1997 without a change in personnel.

The Four Tops were among a number of groups, including The Miracles, The Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, The Temptations, and The Supremes, who established the Motown Sound around the world during the 1960s. They were notable for having Stubbs, a baritone, as their lead singer, whereas most male/mixed vocal groups of the time were fronted by a tenor.

The group was the main male vocal group for the highly successful songwriting and production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, who crafted a stream of hit singles on Motown. These included two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits for the Tops: "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" in 1965 and "Reach Out I'll Be There" in 1966. After Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in 1967, the Four Tops were assigned to a number of producers, primarily Frank Wilson, but generally with less success.

Four Tops (album)

Four Tops is the 1965 self-titled debut album by The Four Tops. The album was written and produced by the Motown's main writing/producing team Holland-Dozier-Holland. Four Tops includes the singles "Baby I Need Your Loving" and "Ask the Lonely".

Track listing

Personnel

Performance

Body and Soul (1930 song)

"Body and Soul" is a popular song and jazz standard written in 1930 with lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton; and music by Johnny Green.

History

"Body and Soul" was written in New York City for the British actress and singer Gertrude Lawrence, who introduced it to London audiences. Published in England, it was first performed in the U.S.A. by Libby Holman in the 1930 Broadway revue Three's a Crowd. In Britain the orchestras of Jack Hylton and Ambrose recorded the ballad first in the same week in February 1930. In the U.S.A. the tune grew quickly in popularity, and by the end of 1930 at least eleven American bands had recorded it. Louis Armstrong was the first jazz musician to record "Body and Soul", in October 1930 but it was Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra (Jack Fulton, vocal) who popularized it in U.S.A. Their recording hit the charts on October 11, 1930, and held the number one spot for six weeks.

"Body and Soul" remains a jazz standard, with hundreds of versions performed and recorded by dozens of artists. Classic vocal recordings include those of Ella Fitzgerald, Annette Hanshaw, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstine, Etta James, Sarah Vaughan (for the 1954 album, Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown and the 1957 album, Swingin' Easy) and Frank Sinatra, and such musicians as Benny Goodman, Lee Konitz, Bill Evans, Russell Garcia (on his 1958 album The Johnny Ever Greens, starring John Williams on piano and Don Fagerquist on trumpet), John Coltrane, (on his 1964 album, Coltrane's Sound,) Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Stan Kenton, Royce Campbell, and Lester Young contributed notable instrumental recordings. The Manhattan Transfer sang it on their album Extensions in 1979, with lyrics honoring both Hawkins and Eddie Jefferson. To this day, "Body and Soul" is the most recorded jazz standard. (This is one of the few big hits that had a number of different versions of the lyric.)

Body & Soul (Rick Astley album)

Body & Soul is Rick Astley's fourth album, released in 1993. It was not commercially successful, failing to enter the UK album chart. The album charted for a week at number 185 on Billboard 200 and reached number 28 in Italy. Two singles were released from the album. After this album, Astley left the music business behind for several years and released no new material until 2001.

Track listing

Body and Soul (1931 film)

Body and Soul (1931) is an American Pre-Code action and drama film directed by Alfred Santell. The story, adapted from the stage play Squadrons by Elliott White Springs and A.E. Thomas, depicts Royal Air Force pilots in World War I. The film stars Charles Farrell, Elissa Landi, Humphrey Bogart and Myrna Loy.

Plot

In World War I, American pilots Mal Andrews (Charles Farrell), Tap Johnson (Don Dillaway) and Jim Watson (Humphrey Bogart) enrol in a Royal Air Force squadron. Mal and Tap are worried that their friend Jim is cheating on his new bride. When General Trafford Jones (Ian MacLaren) arrives to evaluate the squadron, he criticizes its lack of discipline and poor effort in aerial battles. Consequently, the general orders Watson to undertake a near-suicidal mission to shoot down an enemy balloon for his first flight with the squadron. Secretly, Mal joins him aboard the aircraft and when Jim is killed in the air battle, his friend manages to complete the mission and make it look like the dead pilot was a hero.