Funk my Soul

On the occasion of today’s post, I would like to thank you for your donations. Without them, I couldn’t share albums like this one.

Rare Beautiful Deep Soul LP by this great singer. Listen to Freddie North and you will realize he has been magnificently blessed.”Love to Hate”,”Sun Comes Up” and the definitive redition of “Rainy Night in Georgia”.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Mankind LP including covers

Tracks
A1 Cuss the Wind 3:26
A2 My Whole World Ended 5:22
A3 Love to Hate 3:39
A4 Sun Comes Up 2:31
B1 Gotta Go Get Your Mommy 3:26
B2 I Loved Another Woman 3:00
B3 Oh Lord What Are You Doing 3:10
B4 Rainy Night in Georgia 4:37

Review by  Soulmakossa

Although known to most for his smash hit “She’s All I Got”, Freddie North is - or should be - a household name for those into authentic Southern Soul.

After the majestic ‘Friend’ LP (1971), North recorded this follow-up in 1975, again with Jerry ‘Swamp Dogg‘ Williams manning the board. And, as with the output of contemporaries such as Z.Z. Hill and Jimmy Lewis, ‘Cuss the Wind’ proved to be another one of those very last true Southern Soul albums, steeped in the gospelfied tradition of gut bucket testifyin’ that, commercially, was rapidly going ‘out of style’ come ‘75.

The greasy, plodding title track opens this now rare and acclaimed album, and as soon as North opens his mouth, hearing his rich baritone is like catching up with a long lost but very dear friend. Freddie then gets right down to business with the album’s centrepiece, the devastating “My Whole World Ended“, a soul staple, but to me, this blazing, horn heavy work out - complete with funk-rock freak out bridge - is the defitinive version. Count your goosebumps when North sinks his teeth into the last chorus…

The menacing, funky vehicle “Love to Hate“, a North original, features some snappy wah wah guitars and soft, shimmering strings. Folksy wisdom set to the traditional Blues pattern, funked up to the extent that it could well have come from a blaxpo-movie.

Sweet, country-tinged soul is up next with the smouldering, teasing “Sun Comes Up“; more down home philosophy put to a shakin’, earthy groove. Dig the harpsichord here!

There’s an excruciating fraility to the beautiful, low-key ballad “Gotta Go Get Your Mommy“, a sparsely arranged soulful lament featuring Freddie as the archetypical deserted, mourning lover. And believe it or not, there’s an actual red beans ‘n’ rice old time Blues shakedown here! The to-the-point “I Loved Another Woman” is dirty, dirty delta wailin’, somewhat reminiscent of B.B. King’s “You Upset Me Baby”.

“Lord, What Are You Doing” is sweetly orchestrated, mid-tempo soul at its finest; a remarkable, dreamy tune that fully demonstrates the range of pain, anguish and passion Freddie put in his vocal delivery.

Finally, there’s “Rainy Night in Georgia“… What’s to say about this one? A forgotten masterpiece… a soothing, harrowingly beautiful rendition of the Brook Benton original. I can’t say which version I like better… I do know that this is one masterful way of ending a splendid, deep, SOUL-ful album.

Freddie North should have been huge… The man was brilliant, and his two records for Swamp Dogg are all the evidence you need of that notion.

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Never released on CD. Buy the vinyl from Ebay or Groove Collector

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You should all be really happy that we have Mr.Moo within our contributors cause he shares with us great albums like this one. Eddie Floyd’s 2nd LP “I’ve Never Found A Girl”, a Southern Soul diamond.

In 1966, Floyd recorded a song intended for Otis Redding. Wexler convinced Stax president Jim Stewart to release Floyd’s version. The Steve Cropper/Eddie Floyd “Knock On Wood” launched Floyd’s solo career and has been cut by over a hundred different artists from David Bowie to Count Basie. It became a disco hit for Amii Stewart in 1979.

Floyd was one of Stax’s most consistent and versatile artists. He scored several more hits on his own, including “I Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)” and “Raise Your Hand”, which was covered by both Janis Joplin and Bruce Springsteen.

This is a @320 vinyl rip (supplied by Mr.Moo) of the original Stax Records Lp including covers.

Tracks
A1. Bring It On Home To Me 2.29
A2. Never Give You Up 2.40
A3. Girl I Love You 3.15
A4. Hobo 2.55
A5. I Need You Woman 2.13
A6. I’ve Never Found A Girl 2.40
B1. I’ll Take Her 2.33
B2. Slip Away 3.21
B3. I’m Just The Kind Of Fool 3.13
B4. Water 3.03
B5. Sweet Things You Do 2.10

Review by Soulmakossa

The fantastic, highly original spin on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me” opens Eddie Floyd’s second album with the same fire and passion that exuded out of Floyd’s own classic, “Knock on Wood“. The Memphis Horns and Booker T. and his M.G.’s cook up a monster of a groove here, and the track rightfully became a big R&B hit when released on single. But there is so much more on this highly underrated album…

Eddie’s take on Jerry Butler’s “Never Give You Up” is fantastic: Al Jackson keeps the beat right in the pocket, while strings and even the French horn are put to use here, wonderfully embellishing this solid tune. “Girl I Love You” is rooted more firmly in the blues-drenched Memphis tradition. Steve Cropper churns out some mighty fine guitar fills while the Memphis Horns wail on infectiously behind him. “Hobo” surely ranks as one of Floyd’s finest soulful rock compositions (along with the classic “Big Bird”), with its incessant beat and catchy backing vocals. Nonetheless, it was relegated to LP-only status forever, and thus is one of Eddie’s least known soulful stompers. Even stronger is the high powered “I Need You Woman“, one of those inimitable Stax-gems with the entire band and Floyd ripping it up. Especially tantalizing ’bout this tune is the clever incorporation of some elements of Sam & Dave’s massive “Soul Man” in the middle of the song.

The title tune is just gorgeous. Soul perfection. Eddie’s huge voice, the thick, steady rolling bass, and those irrestistible strings rightfully turned this into Floyd’s second biggest hit ever. What’s more remarkable about this tune is that aside drummer Al Jackson and the Memphis Horns, all instruments are played and arranged by Booker T. Jones, including the right-on-the-money, sweet guitar solo. A Southern Soul must! The upbeat mood doesn’t falter after that; the busy, horn-infected “I’ll Take Her” - featuring superb harmony vocalizing - and Floyd’s spin on Clarence Carter’s “Slip Away” are energetic, stomping slices of supreme, grade A Southern Soul. But when Floyd decides to slow things down a bit, he really goes for broke. The indescribably beautiful “I’m Just the Kind of Fool” is, in my opinion, almost the equal to James Carr’s “Dark End of the Street”. Eddie’s lamenting voice, the moody, hazey beat, the wailing horns and Booker T.’s haunting, gospelish Hammond fills certainly created someting very VERY special here. A track that will not let you go. Essential. And despite “Water” being upbeat, jolly and almost carefree in its sound, the lyrics are completely in sync with the despair uttered in “I’m Just the Kind of Fool”. Nonetheless, Eddie’s the kinda guy that is, from the heart, an optimist. And the LP ends on a likeminded note, with the rockin’, supergroove of “Sweet Things You Do“, a joyous celebration of sweet, sweet lovin’.

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Biography, discography and more from AllMusic here.

This album wasn’t reissued, except as part of this 1993 combi CD release here. Buy this one on vinyl and a lot of his other LP’s and CD’s on Ebay.

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It’s time I tried to buy this album I failed! I’ve been after a near mint copy for years. This sought after LP is not often seen and I hope soon to get it. Check here for vinyl prices.

So I couldn’t resist (while I can not rip any of my vinyl at the moment due to house renovation)  when i found a good rip of the scarce Funk/Disco/ Soul LP from 1979 produced by Wayne Henderson. It’s an essential album that will please everybody from boogie funk lovers to modern soul fans - incl the classic “Hollywood Dreaming” and the dance floor shaker “You Can Get It” plus many other wonderful tunes.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Mercury LP.

Tracks
A1. Shine On 4:00
A2. Hollywood Dreaming 4:44
A3. Dance Do It 3:26
A4. Wild Woman 5:35
A5. Music Use It 3:31
B1. Got to Get Away 4:34
B2. Gone Bad 3:36
B3. My Grandma 4:25
B4. Music for Your Mind 2:38
B5. You Can Get It 4:10

Dusty Groove Review

A lost classic from Father’s Children - the group’s only album ever, but an impeccably produced set - thanks to the efforts of Wayne Henderson’s At Home Productions team! The groove here is similar to that forged by Henderson over at Fantasy - soul, but inflected with plenty of jazzy fusion touches - instrumentation that steps out riffing with a really great edge, and fleshes out the sound with a lot more creativity and imagination than mainstream soul at the time. The best grooves here have a midtempo boogie flavor - with plenty of righteous jazzy touches alongside the richer harmonies that flow out warmly on the lyrics! Titles include their landmark track “Hollywood Dreaming”, plus other nice ones like “Got To Get Away”, “Gone Bad”, “You Can Get It”, “Music For Your Mind”, and “Shine On”.

All Music Guide Review

It’s hard to believe that an album Wayne Henderson produced could be a total flop commercially. But then again, worthwhile albums fall through the cracks all the time. That’s exactly what happened with this self-titled debut album by Father’s Children, a little known Washington DC, band that Henderson produced in 1979. The music on this out of print LP is essentially soul and funk, but with jazz overtones — and, occasionally, Father’s Children incorporates elements of reggae and Afro-Caribbean music. Think of the jazzier funk of the 1970s, and you will know where the eight-man band is coming from on tracks like “You Can Get It,” “Dance Do It,” and “Shine On.” Pleasure, the Blackbyrds, and Karma are valid comparisons, and one can also hear similarities between Father’s Children and some of the more jazz-influenced offerings of the Ohio Players and the pre-J.T. Taylor Kool & the Gang. Father’s Children also hints at Side Effect on some of the songs, which isn’t surprising because Side Effect leader Augie Johnson serves as a co-producer and background vocalist. Some of the material is excellent, and some of it is merely decent - this LP isn’t perfect, although Father’s Children deserves credit for taking chances. One hears a lot of potential on this record, but, regrettably, the band’s first album also turned out to be its last.

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Never released on CD. You can buy the vinyl reissue for a decent price and the original vinyl from 60 $ to 100$ on Groove Collector. Listen up the wonderful groove “Hollywood Dreaming”.

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Formed in 1968 The Fabulous Counts - a six piece funk unit - were a scorching Detroit funk and R&B outfit that recorded singles on local labels Moira and Westbound before releasing this, their debut, on Cotillion in 1969. Low down gritty,sweaty,dirty but slick and polished at the same time is how i would describe this album which consists of both covers and original compositions, comparisons to the likes of ‘The Meters‘ are valid but there’s a whole lot more to these motorcity brothers than that.
After this album they had a couple of member changes and went on to further recordings as “The Counts“.

Tracks
A1   It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World (3:59)
A2   Simple Song (3:00)
A3   Hey Jude (3:35)
A4   The Bite (2:47)
A5   Soulful Strut (2:28)
B1   Dirty Red (2:17)
B2   Who’s Making Love (2:20)
B3   Scrambled Eggs (2:31)
B4   The Other Thing (2:39)
B5   Girl From Kenya (2:57)
B6   Jan Jan (2:15)

The Reviews

A stunner of a funk album - a must-have for any fan of all things funky! This is the one-and-only record cut by the Fabulous Counts, a version of the Counts before they recorded for Westbound - and nearly every cut is a funky 45-type gem! The group’s got a hard and heavy sound that mixed conga grooving at the bottom, guitar jamming in the middle, and lots of funky horns over the top - and the instrumental sound of the record is a non-stop funky party all the way through - all top-shelf material all the way through, with a sound that few other combos can match! The title track is an awesome groover - and the record features lots of other nice ones, like “Dirty Red”, “Who’s Making Love”, “Girl From Kenya’, “The Other Thing”, “Scrambled Eggs”, and “The Bite” (Dusty Groove).

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Detroit funk unit the Fabulous Counts formed in 1968, uniting keyboardist Mose Davis, guitarist Leroy Emanuel, alto saxophonist Demo Cates, tenor saxophonist Jim White, and drummer Raoul Keith Mangrum. Earning local notice as both headliners and a jack-of-all-trades backing band for national touring acts, the group eventually teamed with noted producer Richard “Popcorn” Wylie, recording the cult classic “Jan, Jan” for the Motor City label Moira in late 1968. Distinguished by Davis’ banshee-wail Hammond organ, and the dueling saxophones of White and Cates, the instrumental fell just shy of the national R&B Top 40 charts in early 1969. Noted for its scorching White solo, the Fabulous Counts’ sophomore effort, “Dirty Red,” further solidified their edgy urban funk sound, although commercial interest was negligible. The group’s third single, “Get Down People,” proved their biggest hit — complete with vocals, conga drums, and a deeply soulful Emanuel guitar solo; it spent nine weeks on the R&B charts in 1970 and highlighted the Fabulous Counts’ lone LP, Jan, Jan, produced by Detroit legend Ollie McLaughlin and issued on Cotillion. They left the label the following year for local imprint Westbound, swapping out a few members and continuing as simply the Counts (AMG)

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There’s a wonderful presentation of the group and the album including info’s and photo’s of their singles and more -  the whole story as The Fabulous Counts - here. You can buy original vinyl, reissue vinyl and cd here.  Now, listen how they sounded in later years as  “The Counts”

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The Four Tops - 1972 - Keepers Of The Castle

This is another excellent contribution from my dear friend Trakbuv who has a deep Knowledge of Soul and Funk and loves the Four Tops :

“Hi Folks – Here are 2 of my favourite Four Tops LPs from my favourite period of theirs at ABC records. After leaving the security of the fame they enjoyed at Motown, they elected for an untested tenancy with Dunhill Records, a label more synonymous with pop, folk and country-based material. Fortunately, Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter were able to woo the mighty Four with their demos, and the rest was, for me, a marriage made in vinyl heaven.

Tracks
A1 Keeper Of The Castle (3:00)
A2 Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got) (3:04)
A3 Put A Little Love Away (3:03)
A4 Turn On The Light Of Your Love (3:36)
A5 When Tonight Meets Tomorrow (3:41)
A6 Love Music (3:35)
B1 Remember What I Told You To Forget (3:50)
B2 (I Think I Must Be) Dreaming (2:55)
B3 The Good Lord Knows (4:04)
B4 Jubilee With Soul (3:20)
B5 Love Makes You Human (4:42)
B6 Keeper Of The Castle (Reprise) (1:25)

‘Keeper’ was the first result of this union, a glorious 12 tracker loaded with hooks, charm and assured production and was met with critical acclaim and due success (reaching 33 in the US Pop Charts). Both the title track and ‘Ain’t no woman’ went gold (attaining no. 10 and 4 spots, respectively, in the US Pop Charts), whereupon Levi and the gang must have released a huge sigh of relief that there definitely was life after Gordy.

There is a effervescence in Levi’s voice that fits so effortlessly into the tuneful material. Also, Lawrence Payton’s vocals enjoys some sympathetic arrangements, most notably with the awesome ‘Love makes you human’, a massively ignored track.

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The Four Tops - 1974 - Meeting Of The Minds

This was followed up the equally devastating ‘Main Street People’ LP in 1973, before what I consider to be their pinnacle, the ‘Meeting Of The Minds’ long player.

The songs are among Lambert and Potter’s finest moments, ‘ with the righteous delivery of ‘One Chain’, ‘Right on Brother’, and the exceptional title track all cracking with fire in the message. Add to that some breezy pop-orientated soul in ‘Midnight Flower’, ‘Love ain’t easy’ and ‘All my love’, a nod to Motown in ‘The Well Is Dry’, and arguably Lawrence’s finest moment, ‘Tell Me You Love Me’. He co-wrote the track featuring a sexy groove that Leon Ware would envy (with female vocals by Sylvia Smith, by the way).

Tracks
A1 One Chain Don’t Make No Prison 4.03
A2 Midnight Flower 4.06
A3 The Well Is Dry 3.43
A4 Love Ain’t Easy To Come By 3.33
A5 No Sad Songs 5.11
B1 Right On Brother 4.04
B2 Tell Me You Love Me 3.27
B3 All My Love 4.26
B4 I Found The Spirit 3.53
B5 Meeting Of The Minds 4.19

Maybe this chapter in the Four Tops story could be seen to convey an absence of soul, be too pop-orientated, and be lacking in gutsy ballads. Apparently, the Tops themselves have distanced themselves from this period. I think I love these 2 LP’s because there is so much unbridled joy in the over-worn grooves.

For me, Levi Stubbs had a voice that can crackle on the verge of tears or laughter with equal ease. This timbre is then carried over to the listener with a wave of emotion that cannot be ignored or denied. My heart is simply at his mercy. The purest of gifts from one of the purest of geniuses.

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Listen up “ Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)”

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In Memory of Levi Stubbs

The Four Tops - 1965 - Second Album

The Four Tops‘ second album and quite possibly the most hitbound of all their early Motown work! Thethe perennial favorites “I Can’t Help Myself” and “It’s The Same Old Song” as well as a totally winning batch of other tunes, all produced to perfection by the Holland/Dozier team! The sound is classic Motown all the way through still some nice rough edges on the group’s vocals and killer lead work from Levi Stubbs.

Tracks
A1 I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) 2.43
A2 Love Feels Like Fire 2.03
A3 Is There Anything That I Can Do 3.02
A4 Something About You 3.00
A5 It’s The Same Old Song 2.44
A6 Helpless 2.39
B1 Just As Long As You Need Me 3.07
B2 Darling, I Hum Our Song 2.18
B3 I Like Everything About You 2.16
B4 Since You’ve Been Gone 2.38
B5 Stay In My Lonely Arms 2.16
B6 I’m Grateful 2.42

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The Four Tops - 1967 - Reach Out

Tracks
A1 Reach Out I’ll Be There 3.01
A2 Walk Away Renee 2.45
A3 7 Rooms Of Gloom 2.35
A4 If I Were A Carpenter 2.50
A5 Last Train To Clarksville 2.41
A6 I’ll Turn To Stone 2.29
B1 I’m A Believer 2.38
B2 Standing In The Shadows Of Love 2.39
B3 Bernadette 3.03
B4 Cherish 3.13
B5 Wonderful Baby 2.35
B6 What Else Is There To Do (But Think About You) 2.31

Though it’s one of the best Four Tops records of the ’60s, Reach Out still feels weighted down by a few vain attempts at adult pop crossover. It certainly starts out right, with the glorious “Reach out, I’ll Be There,” the group’s second pop/R&B chart-topper. After a faithful cover of the Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee,” though, listeners are forced to sit through trite versions of “If I Were a Carpenter,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” and “I’m a Believer” to get to real highlights like the dramatic, impassioned “Standing in the Shadows of Love” and “Bernadette.” There is room for a great lesser single (”I’ll Turn to Stone”), but the flip side finds the Four Tops taking on “Cherish,” which could’ve worked well but didn’t. Reach Out still did better than any other original LP by the group, almost breaking the Top Ten.

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The Four Tops - 1970 - Still Waters Run Deep

By the time the album were released, The Four Tops weren’t very high on Motown’s priority list. That’s really a shame because this album contained some of their strongest material. Frank Wilson was the appointed producer the production is top notch, using many of Motown’s highly talented musicians. Some of the recordings truly stand out. Although skimpy in the lyric department, “Still Water (Love)” is a true R&B classic. The Tops rendition of “Reflections” is better and tighter than the Supremes original version, in my opinion. “Love Is The Answer” brings back memories from when I was a child. (I owned a copy of the single.) It’s a fun song with some really swinging horns.

Tracks
A1 Still Water (Love) 3.10
A2 Reflections 3.26
A3 It’s All In The Game 2.46
A4 Everybody’s Talking 2.55
A5 Love Is The Answer 2.27
B1 I Wish I Were Your Mirror 3.11
B2 Elusive Butterfly 3.09
B3 Bring Me Together 3.00
B4 L.A. (My Town) 3.09
B5 Still Water (Peace) 2.44

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The Four Tops - 1972 - Nature Planned It

Positive proof that Motown was capable of putting out a good Four Tops LP without the aid of Holland, Dozier and Holland. Levi Stubbs’ warm, emotive baritone takes Ashford and Simpson’s “I Am Your Man” to the river and back. “It’s the Way Nature Planned It” is one of the group’s top songs, with an engaging lead and Abdul Fakir, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo Benson’s smooth harmonies. The medley “Hey Man - We Got to Get You a Woman” garnered quite a few spins when released, the song has a happy optimistic feel that went over well. “I’ll Never Change” and “I Can’t Quit Your Love” are both sung by Stubbs near the top of his register, adding even more fuel to the already dynamic arrangement. The public liked this one as it rose to #50 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart, a decent showing for an LP that didn’t have a Top Ten single. (Andrew Hamilton, AMG)

Tracks
A1 I Am Your Man 3.12
A2 (It’s the Way) Nature Planned It 3.38
A3 I’ll Never Change 2.42
A4 She’s an Understanding Woman 2.56
A5 I Can’t Quit Your Love 2.59
A6 Walk With Me Talk With Me Darling 2.39
B1 Medley : 4.57
i. Hey Man
ii. We Got To Get You a Woman
B2 You Got To Forget Him Darling 2.43
B3 If You Let Me 2.48
B4 Happy (Is a Bumpy Road) 2.54
B5 How Will I Forget You 2.45

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One of Motown’s most consistent hitmakers and its longest lived lineup (40 years), the Four Tops were the most stable and consistent vocal groups to emerge from Motown Records in the ’60s, charting with scores of upbeat love songs featuring Levi Stubbs’ rough hewn lead vocals.The Four Tops were products of Detroit’s North End. Levi Stubbs and Abdul “Duke” Fakir sang together in a group while attending Pershing High School. Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton were boyhood friends and attended Northern High together in Detroit who. It was while singing at a friends birthday party in 1954 they found they were good at it. They began practicing the next day and soon began calling themselves the Four Aims.

Roquel “Billy” Davis who was Larry Payton’s cousin, sometimes sang with the group as the fifth Aim and was later to be Berry Gordy’s songwriting partner sent a demo tape to Chess Records in Chicago. They were sent a bus ticket and invited to Chicago to audition. It seems that Chess was more interested in Davis’ writing skill than the group. However Davis’ persistence ended up with their being signed to Chess Records in 1956. They then changed their name to the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the Ames Brothers. They only recorded one single with Chess “Kiss Me Baby’ which flopped. They then went to Red Top and Riverside before they were signed by John Hammond to Columbia in 1960 where they recorded “Ain’t That Love.” This was the first of a string of supper club style flops that lasted for seven years on a number of labels. All the while, they were performing in top clubs. The Four Tops toured with the Billy Eckstine revue in the early ’60s.

By 1964, they had signed with old friend Berry Gordy’s Motown Records. Gordy had them record “Breaking Through” for his experimental Workshop Jazz subsidiary. Later that year they were finally directed toward contemporary soul. Under the wing of Motown’s top production and recording team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Four Tops were launched with “Baby I Need Your Loving,” which went to #11 in 1964. Over the next eight years The Four Tops appeared on the charts almost thirty times, and Levi Stubbs became an international star and became an influence on singers from the Sixties to the present time.

The Four Top’s 1965 hits included “Ask the Lonely” (#24), “Same Old Song” (#5), and “I Can’t Help Myself” (#1). “Reach Out and I’ll Be There” hit #1 in October, 1966, followed by “Standing in the Shadows of Love” (#6) in 1967.

Like other Motown acts, the Four Tops became popular in major nightclubs around the world. Like virtually all of Motown’s top acts, The Four Tops sought longevity and stability of a career built equally on live appearances and records. In 1967 they had hits with “Bernadette” (#4) and “Seven Rooms of Gloom” (#14); but when Holland-Dozier-Holland left in 1967, their charting hits declined. In fact two of their bigger charting hits of 1968 were covers: the Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee” (#14) and Tim Hardin’s “If I Were a Carpenter” (#20). However, the Tops did record a number of adventurous and successful records with other Motown producers, including “River Deep, Mountain High,” with the Jean Terrell led Supremes (#14 pop, #7 R&B, 1970) and “Still Water” (#11 pop, #4 R&B, 1970. In addition Obie Benson cowrote Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On.”

In 1972, the Four Tops moved to ABC/Dunhill records where they recorded a couple of million sellers “Keeper of the Castle (#10) and in 1973 “There Ain’t No Woman” (#4). It was only a brief pop chart resurgence, but the Tops continued to have Top 20 R&B hits.

In 1981 they moved to Casablanca Records and had a hit with “When She Was My Girl” (#11 pop, #1 R&B). Two years later they were back at Motown and after performing in a “battle of bands” with the Temptations on the Motown 25th anniversary television special, they began the first of several coheadlining tours with the Temptations, billed as T ‘n’ T. The first tour ran nearly three years, went around the world, and include sold out stint on Broadway.

In 1986 Stubbs provided the voice for the man-eating plant in the film Little Shop of Horrors. In 1985 the Tops had its last Motown hit “Sexy Ways” (#21 R&B). In 1988 they signed with Arista and recorded “Indestructible” (#35 pop, #66 R&B).

In 1989 the Four Tops appeared on Arethea Franklin’s Through the Storm, and in 1990 Steve Wonder inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listen up “Reach Out I’ll Be There”

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Faith Hope & Charity - 1972 - Heavy Love

Their 2nd album (on Sussex distributed by Buddah Records) with the original line up. Brenda Hilliard, Zulema Cusseaux and Albert Bailey.

Zulema left the group after the “Heavy Love” album, some sources say 1971 but it may have been in ‘72. Her first solo album was issued on Sussex while the label was still issuing FHC singles which had been recorded before she left. Brenda Hilliard and Albert Bailey continued as a duo, Brenda and Albert, with one release on a short-lived Sussex subsidiary label Clarama 1200 (1974) ‘Talking About Loving You / This Has Happened Before’.

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original Sussex LP including covers.

Tracks
A1 We Can Change The World (3:03)
A2 Heavy Love (3:46)
A3 I Was There (4:40) *
A4 Come Back And Finish What You Started (2:40)
B1 I Worship The Very Ground You Walk On (3:50)
B2 Who Could Love You More Than I (2:10) *
B3 No Trespassing (2:14)
B4 God Bless The World (2:40)
B5 Who Made You Go (3:10) *

Produced by Van McCoy and Joe Cobb

*Produced by Mike Stokes

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Faith Hope & Charity - 1978 - Faith Hope & Charity (20th Century)

Faith Hope & Charity departed with RCA in 1978 and signed with 20th Century. They released their forth and final LP ‘Faith Hope & Charity’ with ‘Don’t Pity Me’ b/w ‘Find What You Need’ (No.20 R&B Sept 1978) and ‘Keep Me Baby’ b/w ‘How Can I Help But Love You’, as their last single releases. Zulema occasionally helped out on background vocals with the reformed group but only in the studio - she was not a member. According to many music lovers, this one was their best recording. (A.M.G. rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars)

This is a @320 vinyl rip of the original 20th Century LP including covers.

Tracks
A1 How Can I Help But To Love You (6:15)
A2 People In Love Oughta Be Together (4:23)
A3 I’m Ready For A New Love (5:02)
B1 Keep Me Baby (3:08)
B2 Find What You Need (2:21)
B3 Don’t Pity Me (4:15)
B4 You Never Were My Friend (4:30)

Produced and Arranged by Van McCoy

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Singles and albums discography

Discover and enjoy this wonderful group, with the blending (harmonies) of the voices create that totally fabulous sound, under the guidance of the great Van McCoy….

….and please leave a comment. We always need your views on the albums and posts.

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