Reach Out I'll Be There

Reach Out I'll Be There is the title of the most successful single of the Four Tops from 1966.

Genesis

Another composition for the Four Tops was under time pressure because they were expected back in July 1966 by a tour. The performance accustomed Four Tops were regularly supplied by the writing team Holland- Dozier - Holland song material so that Lamont Dozier began to try out some change from minor to major on the piano. Finally, he completed the melody and started on basic text. Where were missing words, they were provisionally supplemented by placeholders, which then in turn replaced by Eddie Holland final text. Holland- Dozier -Holland oriented the planned new composition at the narrative style in song by Bob Dylan, lead singer Levi Stubbs it should scream more than sing as shout- blues.

First, a few days later was in Studio A of the Motown Recording Studios (Detroit ), the rhythm and music track. Eddie Holland then took on a demo recording so that Levi Stubbs could be based on the desired arrangement. Stubbs was baritone with range in the tenor and had to exploit his vocal limits. Tenor Duke Fakir had to sing the highest notes without transition to falsetto. Arranger Paul Riser made ​​later, for overdubbing string parts, used the classic chord inversions. Like many other Motown title was also Reach Out I'll Be There chords of three, however, was gospel -focused.

The background chorus did not come this time of the studio 's Andante, but was composed of Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent, who formed the group with Tony Orlando Dawn later. In addition to the haunting, empathetic lead vocal flute and piccolo are particularly striking. You play the main melody in the intro and melody leader during the entire song. The piccolo was played by Dayna Hartwick, her very first recording session at the age of 13 years. James Jamersons dominant bass lines serve as a counter melody, Norman Whitfield at controlled percussion, Benny Benjamin and Richard Allen were the drummer. In the dense and intense sound image a vocal contribution would actually have been superfluous, but Stubbs increases in a haunting vocals. This makes the entire piece of music moves close to the limit of overproduction. Reach Out I'll Be There was - recorded in only two takes and endabgemischt on July 27, 1966 - despite the complex instrumentation.

Lyrically, a variant is treated in a love relationship in which the partner of his girlfriend assured that they can rely on him just in bad times. If they do not know how to continue their hope fades and gets muddled up her life when happiness is an illusion and the world crumbles around them, then they can come to him, because his love is offer her protection.

Publication and success

The Four Tops went assume that Reach Out I'll Be There was planned as an album filler and had forgotten the piece again, when label owner Berry Gordy was safe in the subsequent quality control that this would be the next big hit. The single Reach Out I'll Be There / Until You Love Someone ( Motown 1098 ) was published on August 18, 1966 and peaked in the U.S. charts for two weeks rank one in both the pop and the R & B charts. She was so another massive crossover hit from Motown Group. Also in the British charts, he became the number -one hit and sold 250,000 copies. Global sales made ​​him a million-seller. On July 17, 1967, the Four Tops brought out an album called Reach Out, the first track unveiled the hit and penetrated into the U.S. LP charts up to rank 11. In Germany the title could only reach rank 13 of the charts. In the Notices issued by the RIAA list of Songs of the Century of the title is ranked 266th

Cover versions

There are at least 58 cover versions, including PJ Proby (LP Enigma, December 1966 ), Chris Farlowe ( December 1966 ), Lee Moses ( January 1967 ), Bill Cosby with a funky parody ( January 1968 ), The Cowsills (LP The Cowsills in Concert, May 1969 ), Diana Ross ( April 1971 ). ( Rank 11 July 1988), while in the UK charts, the title was still present three times, namely in the disco version of Gloria Gaynor ( March 1975 rank 14), Narada Michael Walden (1983 ), a remix of the original by Stock Aitken Waterman or Michael Bolton ( March 1993; Rank 37 ). This was followed by Human League (November 2002 ) and Boyz II Men (October 2007).

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