THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

650-Four Tops-Reach Out I’ll Be There.

1966-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 2.37. The ad lib, ‘Just look over your shoulder.’ Levi Stubbs was a passionate singer, and when he improvised that line, Holland-Dozier-Holland liked it so much, they left it in.

The Four Tops certainly had longevity, having formed in 1953, in Detroit, Michigan, United States, by Levi Stubbs (1936-2008,) Renaldo ‘Obie’ Benson (1936-2005,) Laurence Payton (1938-1997,) and Abdul ‘Duke’ Fakir. The Four Tops still tour to this day, with the only living original member Abdul Fakir, being joined by three others, including Laurence Payton Jr, and the Tamla Motown veteran Ronnie McNeir.

The Four Tops were originally called ‘Four Aims,’ but decided to change their name, to avoid confusion with the American vocal group the ‘Ames Brothers.’For the first seven years of the bands existence, they recorded for four different record labels, releasing four singles, without success, before signing with Motown records, initially recording Jazz standards for one of Tamla Motown’s subsidiary labels, and also singing backing vocals on some Motown songs. Their big break came in 1964 when Motown’s main songwriting, and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland selected them to record ‘Baby I Need Your Loving,’ which gave them their first hit on Billboard, peaking at Number 11. They would go on to become Motown’s most successful male group, with 17 Billboard top 40 singles, and a further five after leaving the label.

‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’ was co-written by the legendary songwriting, and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland (see also best songs 969-823-553-411-212 and 148.) The song has become the Four Tops signature track, and like many of the labels songs it features Motown’s in house band ‘The Funk Brothers,’ and the female backing vocals of ‘The Andantes,’ who appear unaccredited.

‘Now if you feel that you can’t go on, because all of your hope is gone, and your life is filled with much confusion, until happiness is just an illusion.’