Chart entered : 3 December 1988
Chart peak : 7
The Motown veterans exited with a big hit although I doubt many people would pick it as their favourite song by Levi Stubbs and the boys.
The Tops were the most consistently successful Motown group scoring their only number one in 1966 with "Reach Out I'll Be There". Their success continued into the early seventies but after "Simple Game" reached number 3 in 1971 their popularity waned . The hits became much smaller and after 1973 stopped altogether though their singles were still usually minor hits in the US. They made an impressive comeback in 1981 on Casablanca with "When She Was My Girl" reached number 3 in the UK but were not able to sustain it. They returned to Motown in 1983 but after two flop albums departed again and signed for Arista. We've already discussed their first single for the label, "Indestructible" in saying goodbye to Smokey Robinson.
The next single from the album "Indestructible" was this one although it owes its success rather to being featured in the film Buster. The song was written by the legendary Lamont Dozier in collaboration with Buster's star Phil Collins so not unexpectedly you have a musical blend of old Motown tropes and that trademark fussy brass sound that Collins always favoured on his solo records. The lyrics are mainly holiday tripe set to an irritatingly catchy tune although there's an effective switch to a minor key section reflecting the character's own change of heart about living the fugitive's high life. This is the only part of the song that deserves the quality of the vocal performances.
There were three more singles from the album , "If Ever A Love There Was", a duet with Arethra Franklin that 's the epitome of dreary corporate balladry , "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine" which isn't the Bacharach/David song but an awful Albert Hammond and Diane Warren "effort" that re-uses the backing track from Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now , and "Change of Heart" written by Australian Paul Kelly whose strong lyrics about domestic abuse don't really mesh with the slick production and feather-light chorus. None of them were hits either in the UK or US.
With that the group more or less called time on their recording career and became a classy cabaret act. Motown got them back in the studio once more for the album "Christmas Here With You" which is as essential as such efforts usually are. The guys alter the melodies to suit and Arethra turns up again on "White Christmas " and "Silent Night" but you really don't need to hear it.
Eighteen months later Lawrence Payton died of liver cancer aged 59 forcing the first line up change in 44 years.They toured as a trio The Tops for about a year and then recruited one-time Temptation Theo Peoples to fill Lawrence's shoes. In 2000, Levi became ill with cancer himself and had to retire though he lingered on for another eight years. Peoples moved into his role and Ronnie McNeir took Lawrence's part. This line-up performed at the 50th anniversary concert in 2004, at which Levi made a brief appearance in a wheelchair . Obie Benson actually predeceased him, dying of lung cancer in 2005. He was actually replaced by Lawrence's son.
This has left Abdul Fakir as the sole survivor from the original line up . In 2010 he was talking about a new album but it's never materialised and the group's schedule has gradually diminished as he enters his eighties.
Worth adding Levi's storming performance in "Little Shop of Horrors", with the song "Feed Me" being a particular highlight. He carries this song, as you accurately note, in spite of the usual crap Collins production values - I often think the man could sing a bus timetable and make it sound like he was going through mental torture.
ReplyDeleteRandom fact: I suggested Levi as a name for my recently born nephew, in tribute to Mr Stubbs, but was sadly shot down.