Recorded 21st December 1988, broadcast 22nd December 1988. Written and produced by Phil Collins and Lamont Dozier, from the 1988 film "Buster". Note: Top of the Pops performances were usually mimed during this time.
Phil Collins is a genius songwriter and producer. Recently I've become totally addicted to the Phillip Bailey song "Walking On The Chinese Wall" which is produced by Phil Collins. I could listen to that all day long at the moment. Have you heard it? Maybe it's just me who thinks it's a great song. He also produced "I Know There's Something Going On" by the Abba member Frida and the production on that is fantastic as well. I wasn't aware of the song until recently even though it's from 1982.
Levi Stubbs was 52 here, and still had a voice like a fog horn! So powerful. Yes, I know this wasn't live (who ever sang live on TOTP) but I'm talking about the recording.
Talk about someone who took care of their voice and never took it for granted. Levi had such a powerful and smooth voice. I was indignant that he was left off the Rolling Stone list of top 200 singers.
OMGOSH GEORGE,WHAT A FUN, INTERESTING JOB THAT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR YOU BUT LOTS OF HARD WORK TO, I KNOW! What position did you work on the cruise ship & for what line? How amazing that their music was everywhere you went for it is true! From the 60’s to early 90’s their music was indeed everywhere! I worked in hospitality ( hotels) for yrs, myself! Love, Love, LOVED THE FOUR TOPS!♥️
I heard this song the other day for the 1st time (I'm 17) and I can't get it out of my head. It's absolutely awesome and I love it. It's so great when life throws you a song that you never knew existed and that you love. I want this at my wedding
I so loved the FOUR TOPS! Loved! Loved! Loved their song “SUGAR PIE, HONEY BUN” & every single one of their songs! Surprised I didn’t wear out their album of all their amazing “hits” out!🤣 SAW THEM SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH THE YEARS FROM WHEN I WAS JUST A TEENAGER 13, 14 & RIGHT THROUGH UNTIL I WAS 70 YEARS OLD, WHEN THE FOUR TOPS PLAYED OLDIES SHOWS( MOHEGAN SUN CASINO IN UNCASVILLE, CT.) I realized by then some had sadly passed away so others filled in for them but THE ORIGINAL FOUR TOPS WILL LIVE FOREVER IN MY HAPPIEST MEMORIES! “THEY WERE AN EXTRAORDINARY GROUP & SO DEARLY LOVED BY EVERYONE!”
Just fabulous. Impossible not to smile. Positively vibrates with bonhommie! Terrific suits too. Ah what days they were when Motown ruled - before rap ruined everything.
This should be shown to every act that wants to learn how to perform on stage. This has everything. Utter class Interesting fact - Levi Stubbs was unusual on the Motown scene as he had a baritone voice, while most male groups used a tenor as a lead singer
Wow! I didn’t know that! Thanks for that information! God was definitely looking out for them, that’s for sure! 😁Thankfully, they were not on that plane!
My husband was a US Postal supervisor and he had to deliver remains from a young man that died in that crash to the parents. So glad the fellas never made that flight.
love all this music ....lockdown everywhere work hard as a carer in a nursing home great to relax 53 years young this makes me happy thank u all take care xxxxxx
And not to mention that this was filmed on the night Pan Am 103 blew up over Lockerbie. The Four Tops were supposed to be on that flight but the TOTP gave them a last minute schedule to do a performance. The group cancelled their tickets to do this gig and the BBC booked them on a later British Airways flight.
This band originates from a time in the past when musicians needed talent and skills as opposed to much, but not all, of modern music whereby members are selected for their looks and appeal to consumers and the songs are written by others and the instruments played by others. These guys have it all in my opinion and talent was still in abundance through the 1980's, save for Stock Aitken & Waterman acts.
it's honestly insane that 34 years into their careers at that time, they still had their signature sound that they established in the 1960's. a lot of bands that last that long begin to sound old and dated later on, but the four tops could still stay hip and true to their style!
Simply brilliant and one can understand every word. I spent a year in Belize just before this performance, and spent many a weekend in Cancun or Aculpulco. Must have fell in love every time. Simply magic times. Love the 4 tops anyway
I was fortunate to see The Four Tops on tour in the UK shortly after this song had been released and was a massive worldwide hit. I must say that Levi Stubbs had the most amazing and passionate voice, i got goosebumps while listening to him.
@@shanedjoy8954 Yes, i know. I have seen the movie. True story from real life.They don't do so nice films anymore. Phil plays unbelievely well, not to mention that OST includes 2 great hits from Phil made exclusively for this film.
I love the Four Tops, I have this on 45 single. I was from the day when you checked the charts every week and went out and bought the records of the songs you loved.. Loved those days, bring them back, together with the awesome groups like The Four Tops. RIP Levi Stubbs🙏 such a beautiful clear voice. ❤️❤️
Considering that these four boys almost died in the attack on Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie) and probably this show had saved their lives because they were late to go to the airport, they were very lucky. Going loco in London!
Yep. You are right. TOTP saved them from that flight because the producers cannot do this and "Reach Out" in one recording (Reach Out was done on the second recording and it came out New Year 1989). The Four Tops did that and slept off after to wake up to the news of the tragedy. As Pan Am flights were full, the Four Tops were booked on a later British Airways flight.
Not only was Levi Stubbs the greatest singer ever, he was the best & when you have the best you can't get any better than that. I loved them all so much..... a true loyal fan....❤❤❤❤🙋♀️🙋♀️👍👍🙏🙏🙏Love you Dee.....Rip sweet Levi, Obie, & Lawrence....love you Dee❤❤❤❤
I just saw the 4 TOPS with a 20 piece band at the La Mirada Theatre and they were fantastic! Only 1 original member but they have the enthusiasm & joy that their music brings! Don't miss these guys if you can - They were spectacular and the band was great!!
May LAMONT DOZIER FOREVER “REST IN PEACE! Loved the FOUR TOPS( My Favorite MOTOWN GROUP & THE TEMPTATIONS were a close second! MAY ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SADLY PASSED AWAY FROM BOTH & ALL “MOTOWN GROUPS”, forever “REST IN PEACE!” Loved them all & so sad that so many ( LAMONT DOZIER) have passed away!♥️
I also have to say about the late great Levi Stubbs is that not only was he a world class act, he was most definitely a world class gentleman, as well as Obie, & Lawrence Payton, they all were world class acts, & world class gentlemen, I loved them so much...... a true loyal fan.....❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️love you Dee
What a blessing Joe for you to see this amazing group! My husband & I got to see them here in the United States quite often through the yrs when they played “oldies shows” in Hartford, Connecticut & then at Mohegan Sun ☀️ Casino in UNCASVILLE, Connecticut. They frequently played with “The Temptation’s” & saw them here in Springfield, Massachusetts when I was in my 20’s! The first time I saw them was at 13 or 14 & they played a fair or carnival, back in 1963 or 1964. I loved them first time I heard them. Last time we heard them was only a few yrs ago playing with The Temptation’s of course, but many of the original, if not “most”( The Temptation’s) had sadly, long since passed away. Only one of THE FOUR TOPS WAS SADLY, STILL ALIVE BUT STILL LOVE TO LISTEN TO THEIR MUSIC! What an amazing group they were! How wonderful that you got to see them Joe in gorgeous Australia! Wishing you the best! ☀️
I have been a fan of the four tops since I'm a little girl, 7 years old I think even younger than that I've been listening to their music my whole life, in fact when I got married, my wedding song was. I believe in you & me im going to be 70 years old in a few months and I will always be a fan of their music they make my day, love from the bottom of my heart, a true loyal fan ❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️Rip sweet Levi, Obie, & Lawrence, love you Dee
Thank God the BBC Producer made them do another take of this on 21 Dec 1988. By doing so they overran and missed their flight from LHR-JFK-Detroit. That flight was PanAm103. it ended over Lockerbie that evening.....
And the Four Tops managed to return to the US on a later British Airways flight, that departed like about how many hours after the departure of PA103. I spoke with a passenger who remembers that he flew to JFK that same night and it was three planes away from Pan Am 103. He said that there had been Syracuse University students on that British Airways flight and those students had exams running late or they could not make it to PA103, instead taking that late flight (he sat next to one of them) and he heard wailing at JFK upon arrival. He still wonders if the Four Tops were onboard the BA flight he took.
Wow! I never knew that & thanks for the information! God was definitely watching over them! Pretty incredible & thank heavens they missed their flight!
I understand from a documentary that they were held up during this episode of TOTP if they hadn’t been they would have been on the plane lost over Lockerbie
Co-written by Phil Collins, who was one of the biggest pop stars in the world in the 80s and early 90s. The song is the main soundtrack to the film Buster from 1988.
Pan Am Flight 103 was blown up over Lockerbie on 21st December 1988 and the Four Tops were booked on the flight. They had planned to do two recordings back-to-back but fortunately for them the Top of the Pops director insisted on recording them separately and they had to rebook their flight.
The TOTP producers rebooked their trip home using a later British Airways flight that was like five or six planes away from Pan Am 103. Most of the Pan Am flights were booked for Christmas and were usually full. They managed to take BA as it was the only airline available at that moment they heard about the crash.
Heard that song and took the love of my life on holiday for 3 weeks to there. We split up and it broke my heart. Still a tear in my eye when I watch this video and hear that song.
Thanks Lunes-1. The reason I did this video was because, unbelievably, there wasn't a good quality version of this performance on RU-vid, just lots of videos with either bad sound or bad picture quality, or both.
I also want to thank Abdul( duke) Fakir so much for sharing with us the precious stories about the group, you can hear all the emotion in his voice when he speaks about his brothers, he misses them terribly. God bless thank you again, I'm a true loyal fan, since I'm a little girl 7 years old, live you Dee❤❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙏🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️
Marc Oxton me too. I have never heard of this term before either so it is good to know what that term, “bop” means! Thanks for information “RAY OF LIGHT!”
The only thing that is wrong with this video is the fact that it was broadcasted on bbcfour. It should have been shown on BBC one at prime time. Amazing group.
