The Four Tops storied career dates back to 1956 where the lineup that would stay together for over 40 years met as high school students. Originally signed to Chicago's Chess Records under the name "The Four Aims" the foursome's earliest sides were smooth and jazzy, not the gutsy soul and r'n'b that brought them their greatest fame.
That fame, occurred, of course on our own Motown Records. We are not concerned about the Motown catalog in this installment. Today's song of the day was recorded after Levi Stubbs and Co. decamped to the supposedly greener pastures of ABC-Dunhill. The first single recorded for the new label was the Lambert-Potter tune "Keeper of the Castle." Adopting the persona of a gruff, man's man, the song had an anti-feminist message which was carried further on the later "Ain't No Woman (Like The One I Got) which placed Levi firmly in control of "his woman." "Keeper" sports a gutsy vocal (hey It's Levi! What do you expect?) And cool early 70's "wah wah" guitars. It hit number 10 on Billboard Pop and number 7 RnB.
The ABC-Dunhill contract would not be the last the group signed, returning once again to Motown and having chart records until the 80's. Sole surviving member Duke Fakir carries on the legacy with 3 younger, newer Tops and is probably somewhere on the road tonight, singing for his supper!
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