The Four Tops were now in the limelight at Motown, having achieved their double number one hit in 1965. They consolidated their position at the company with two solid hits in February and then May, 1966.
The first single of the new year was Holland, Dozier, Holland’s “Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over)”, which reached number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and number five on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. It has the familiar pounding beat, the Andantes lifting the mood and the Funk Brothers swinging.
The follow-up is better still, co-written by Ivy Jo Hunter and Stevie Wonder, and produced by Hunter, with Stevie Wonder playing drums on the recording session. “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever” is driven along by the bouncy piano line, with some clever vocal harmonies that echo through the verses and build to a gospel-style chorus. The single actually did less well than its predecessor, reaching number forty-five on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and number twelve on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. However, it was the group’s biggest hit to date in the UK, rising to number twenty-one on the UK Official Pop Singles Chart.
In August, their third single of the year took the Four Tops back to the top, and later brought the group a gold certification from the RIAA. “Reach Out I’ll Be There” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart for two weeks in October, also topping the U.S. Billboard R&B Singles Chart and the UK Official Pop Singles Chart. The song gave Motown its second UK number one, following the success of the Supremes’ “Baby Love” in 1964, later earning the group a gold disc from the BPI. The song also charted in seven other countries, which cemented the group’s place amongst the elite acts at Motown. In 2022, the song was selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. It was, of course, another major hit for the Holland, Dozier, Holland team.
“Reach Out I’ll Be There” is another demonstration of the songwriting skills of the famous trio. Dozier came up with the idea of alternating between major and minor keys for the chorus and the verses. It was then decided to pitch the song at the top of Levi Stubbs’ vocal range, which would add an element of tension to his voice. Stubbs, in turn, added an extempore “look over your shoulder” at the recording session, which added a highlight to the lyrics. The final touch of quality came from arranger Paul Riser, who added a flute and piccolo to the introduction and then suggested augmenting the drum beats using timpani drumsticks played on a tambourine. The recipe was an unusual one, but it worked like a dream. The song has become a Motown classic.
Strangely, the group were not happy with the result of the recording sessions. They felt that the song was “a little odd”, according to group-member Duke Fakir. Berry Gordy thought otherwise!
The Four Tops
Photo: Ron Kroon/Anefo (Wikimedia Commons)
The last single of the year was “Standing in the Shadows of Love”, co-written once more by Holland, Dozier, Holland and produced by Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland. It was released in November. The song is very much in the same style as the previous hit, powerfully sung with dramatic lyrics, and the sales were good. The single jumped to number six on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart early in 1967 and also reached number two on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. In the UK, the song peaked at number six on the Official UK Pop Singles Chart.
