“Reach Out I'll Be There” by The Four Tops

Legendary Motown vocal quartet the Four Tops dominated the pop and R&B charts with their epic track “Reach Out I’ll Be There” in 1966. This classic is pure sonic brilliance. It’s cinematic in scope and masterfully performed, featuring an incredible arrangement with flawless bass work from James Jamerson and a dynamic beat. The track boasts a powerful chorus and an electrifying lead vocal performance by Levi Stubbs, complemented by the rich background harmonies. And the wistful piccolo and galloping percussion at the intro effectively set the song’s dramatic tone.

Written by Motown’s celebrated songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, “Reach Out All Be There” is an anthem about unconditional love, hope, empathy, and unwavering support. The song’s narrator promises his lady that he’ll always be there for her, even in her most vulnerable and darkest moments. It’s also widely interpreted as having an underlying message of solidarity, hope, and resilience among the Black community and the many struggles its members faced during the Civil Rights Era. The song was released just two years after the passage of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964, and it offered Black Americans comfort, inspiration, and mutual support during that transitional period of uncertainty and societal upheaval. 

Additionally, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” is known for its complex, unique structure. In an old interview with music technology publication Sound on Sound, Lamont Dozier said the song marked a critical shift in the Motown sound. 

Up until then, most of the songs basically had three chords. They were very simple and, in a sense, very rock and roll, but I think the experiment of putting classical and gospel together reached full force on “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” To my knowledge, those structures had never been explored before, and on that song, we were reaching out for different sounds and approaches.

During an interview with journalist, author, and music historian Marc Myers for the book Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, Dozier explained that he wanted to write "a journey of emotions with sustained tension, like a bolero” in his approach to composing “Reach Out I'll Be There.” “To get this across, I alternated the keys, from a minor, Russian feel in the verse to a major, gospel feel in the chorus."

Folk-rock pioneer Bob Dylan also served as a major source of inspiration for "Reach Out I'll Be There." In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, Four Tops founding member Duke Fakir said Eddie Holland asked Levi Stubbs to perform the song in Dylan’s signature shout-singing style. Stubbs initially had reservations and felt uncomfortable singing the song in that style, Fakir explained. 

He said, "I'm a singer. I don't talk or shout." But we worked on it for a couple of hours, recording it in pieces, talking part after talking part. Eddie realised that when Levi hit the top of his vocal range, it sounded like someone hurting, so he made him sing right up there. Levi complained, but we knew he loved it. Every time they thought he was at the top, he would reach a little further until you could hear the tears in his voice.

Also, Fakir said Stubbs improvised the lyric, “Just look over your shoulder.” “[It] was something he threw in spontaneously,” said Fakir. “Levi was very creative like that, always adding something extra from the heart.” The finished product sounded very different from your typical Four Tops song, so the group assumed it would just be an experimental album track and wouldn’t be released as a single. A few weeks later, Motown boss Berry Gordy sent the group a memo that said: “Make sure your taxes are taken care of – because we're going to release the biggest record you've ever had." The group was bewildered and had no idea which song Gordy was referring to. “So when are we going to record this great song?” they asked, and he answered you already have.” He was talking about “Reach Out I’ll Be There.” The group begged Gordy not to release the song as a single, as they thought it was too experimental-sounding and would tank on the charts. But Gordy was adamant. The group did a complete 180 once the song hit the airwaves. Fakir recounted the first time he heard "Reach Out I'll Be There" on the radio:

I was out driving when I heard the song on the radio for the first time. It hit me like a lead pipe. I turned my car round and drove right back to Berry's office. He was in a meeting, but I opened the door and just said: "Berry, don't ever talk to us about what you're releasing. Just do what you do. Bye.”

“Reach Out I’ll Be There” was released August 18, 1966, on Motown, and was an instant smash. It sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard’s R&B singles chart for two consecutive weeks. And it topped the UK singles chart for three consecutive weeks. Also, it made the top 10 in Belgium (#10), Canada (#6), Ireland (#4), and the Netherlands (#6). And it reached #13 on the charts in West Germany. It was the Four Tops' biggest hit, selling 1.2 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 209 on its 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Billboard ranked it at number four on its list of the Top 100 Hits of 1966. In 2022, the Library of Congress selected “Reach Out I’ll Be There” for preservation in the National Recording Registry. The Four Tops' version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. 

Here’s the full personnel for “Reach Out I’ll Be There”: Levi Stubbs (lead baritone vocals), Abdul “Duke” Fakir (first tenor backing vocals), Renaldo "Obie" Benson (bass-baritone backing vocals), Lawrence Albert Payton Sr. (second tenor backing vocals), James Jamerson (bass), Richard “Pistol” Allen (drums), and guitars (Robert White, Eddie Willis, and Joe Messina). And all of these talented musicians were members of Motown's famed in-house band, the Funk Brothers. Motown songwriter, composer, and producer Norman Whifield was responsible for the galloping percussion sound in the song. He achieved this by playing a bell-less tambourine with timpani mallets. Motown's in-house female vocal group, the Andantes, joined the Tops on background vocals, enhancing the track considerably. The Andantes consisted of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps. The piccolo part was played by 14-year-old Dayna Hartwick, who had a few sessions with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to her credit at the time. The young musician had a dislocated knee, so three of the Funk Brothers (Joe Messina, Robert White, and James Jamerson) carried her into the session.

“Reach Out I’ll Be There” was the lead single from the Four Tops' fifth studio album Reach Out, released in July 1967. It’s their biggest-selling LP. In addition to “Reach Out,” the collection includes the classics “Bernadette,” “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” and “7 Rooms of Gloom.”

“Reach Out I’ll Be There” has been sampled on 25 songs and featured in a host of film soundtracks, including The Witches (2020), Hitsville: The Making of Motown (2019), Harsh Times (2005), The Best of Youth (2003), Gothika (2003), Contact (1997), Pontiac Moon (1994), and Cooley High (1975). Additionally, it was used for the main trailer for the second season of the highly popular, critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance. 

Some of the major artists who have covered the song include Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor, Petula Clark, Average White Band, Michael McDonald, the Jackson 5, Boyz II Men, Irene Cara, and Thelma Houston. Joe Biden used “Reach Out I’ll Be There” during his campaign for the 2020 United States Presidential election.

“Reach Out I’ll Be There” is a timeless masterpiece that will still be played decades from now, on the radio, in films, on television, at events, etc. It’s one of the best songs released in the 1960s and the crown jewel among the Four Tops’ amazing discography.

The Four Tops performing "Reach Out I'll Be There" on The Ed Sullivan Show, October 16, 1966

The Four Tops performing "Reach Out I'll Be There" live in Paris, France, in 1967

"Reach Out I'll Be There" is available at Amazon

“It’s Your Thing” by The Isley Brothers

The Isley Brothers had their biggest hit with the funk classic “It’s Your Thing,” released in February 1969. This exhilarating groove anthem was one of the standout releases of that year. People were bumpin’ it everywhere: the club, the beach, cars, parties, festivals, etc. The song boasts a smashing arrangement, with marvelous musicianship featuring gutbucket bass, dirty guitar riffs, funky piano, and killer horns. And Ronald Isley delivers a gritty, soulful vocal performance. 

The song is a celebration of personal independence, artistic freedom, and sexual liberation. It also served as the band’s declaration of independence following their departure from Motown in 1968. The Isleys felt restricted, sidelined, and creatively stifled at the legendary Detroit-born label. The band released “It’s Your Thing” on their reactivated label, T-Neck Records, which they founded in 1964. The label had been inactive since 1965, when they signed with Motown. 

In an interview on The Isley Brothers: Summer Breeze Greatest Hits Live DVD, Ronald Isley said he wrote "It's Your Thing" while dropping his daughter off at school one day. Worried that he might forget the lyrics, he began humming the tune in his head and rushed straight to his mother’s house to write it out. He sang it to his eldest brother, O’Kelly Isley Jr., who liked it right away and thought it could be a hit. So they immediately set up the studio to record it. 

“It’s Your Thing” was a popular phrase at the time the Isleys recorded the song. It has an ambiguous double meaning. It could be about having the sexual freedom to hook up with whoever you want to without shame or guilt, or simply about self-independence and following your own path and pursuing your own interests, whatever they may be. The song covers both of these themes.

Ronald, Rudolph Isley, and O’Kelly Isley Jr. are the credited writers for “It’s Your Thing.” The song was the first major hit that the Isleys wrote and produced themselves. It topped Billboard’s R&B singles chart and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also performed well on the charts in the UK (#30), France (#9), and Canada (#3). It has sold over two million copies worldwide and earned the Isleys a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 1970. It was their first Grammy win. The song ranked at number 420 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "It's Your Thing" was the lead single from the Isleys' sixth studio album, It's Our Thing, released in April 1969.

Here’s the full personnel for “It’s Your Thing”: Ronald Isley (lead vocals), O’Kelly Isley Jr. and Rudolph Isley (background vocals), Woody Woodson (drums), Charles “Skip” Pitts (guitar), Trevor Lawrence (tenor saxophone), Herb Rooney (piano), George Patterson (alto saxophone and arrangement), and Ernie Isley on bass, who was only 16 at the time. It was his first appearance on an Isley Brothers record. They recorded it at A&R Studios in New York. The musicians that the Isleys recruited for the session had toured with soul/R&B legend Wilson Pickett. Guitarist Charles Pitts was later known for his funky wah-wah guitar riff on Issac Hayes’ "Theme From Shaft." 

“It’s Your Things” has been sampled on 13 songs, including “My Thang” (James Brown, 1974) and “Shake Your Thang” (Salt-N-Pepa feat. E.U., 1988). It was featured in the film soundtracks Tender Bar (2021), The Witches (2020), The Glorias (2020), Uncle Frank (2020), Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017), Sausage Party (2016), Stonewall (2015), The Falling (2014), Soul Kitchen (2009), Pride (2007), Music Within (2007), Big Momma’s House 2 (2006), The Big Bounce (2004), Runaway Jury (2003), Muppets from Space (1999), Out of Sight (1998), Virgin Snow (1976), and It’s Your Thing (1970). It has also been featured in several TV movies and series.

“It’s Your Thing” has been covered by a slew of artists, including Aretha Franklin, the Jackson 5, Ann Peebles, the Temptations, Johnnie Taylor, and Jason Derulo. This classic track still gets a lot of play on oldies stations, movies, commercials, events, TV series, and more.

The Isleys performing "It's Your Thing" live in 1969

Here's another great live performance of the Isleys performing " It's Your Thing" along with their 1959 classic "Shout."

"It's Your Thing" is available at Amazon

Related blog entry:

Album Review of The Isley Brothers' Go For Your Guns

Review of The Jacksons’ Triumph Album

The Jacksons released their fourteenth studio album, Triumph, in September 1980 on Epic Records. And it is indeed a triumph, both critically and commercially. With their previous album, Destiny, the brothers proved that they could write and produce a commercially successful, high-quality album on their own. Epic Records gave them the freedom to exercise their creativity and use their songwriting and production abilities, something they had never been given at Motown. The Jacksons’ songwriting and production skills are even sharper and more fully realized on Triumph, the strongest album in the group's oeuvre. The nine-song collection showcases their continued growth as songwriters, arrangers, and producers. 

The album kicks off in grand style with “Can You Feel It,” a stirring anthem of racial unity, equality, and global peace. Written and arranged by Michael and Jackie Jackson, the song features a dynamic bass line and fiery beat. It’s superbly arranged with magnificent strings, powerful horns, funky guitar riffs, and sensational synth work. Michael and his younger brother Randy share lead vocals. As usual, MJ brings the fire vocally, and Randy does a solid job on his vocals. The Jacksons created an epic video to accompany the song. It features spectacular visuals and presents the brothers as cosmic superhero-like saviors of humanity, spreading goodwill and positivity through their music. The video was highly groundbreaking for its time; its eye-popping visuals and tremendous scale blew people away.

“This Place Hotel” really highlights Michael Jackson’s considerable gifts as a songwriter and arranger. This sonic masterpiece is a precursor to later MJ-penned hits like “Billie Jean” and “Dirty Diana,” as it touches on similar themes of betrayal, paranoia, and deception. And sonically, it has that same ominous atmosphere of dread and impending doom as those songs. The narrator recounts a visit he and his girlfriend made to a mysterious hotel ten years ago for a romantic evening. To his dismay, he finds out that the hotel was designed to break up couples. The song boasts a haunting funk/post-disco groove that’s brilliantly arranged and performed. It features an exquisite horn arrangement, dramatic guitars, smooth piano, and an indelible chorus. MJ’s superb vocal performance is filled with great tension and fear. And big bro Tito serves up a fantastic guitar solo. Like many of MJ’s best tracks, This Place Hotel has a heightened cinematic feel. 

The Jacksons plunge deep into the funk on their exciting dance track “Lovely One.” This high-octane groove is sort of the sequel to their 1979 dance smash “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground).” It has a similar energy and flow. Nathan Watts’ explosive bass line powers this fast-paced funk groove. The track features some wicked guitar licks, a blazing beat, soulful piano, and an incredible horn arrangement, performed by a combo of real horns and synth-horn overdubs. The track also boasts an infectious chorus. Michael delivers a killer vocal performance, replete with his signature vocal tics–hiccups, yips, whoots, and all. Michael and Randy wrote and arranged the song. 

“Your Ways” is a smooth R&B track with a mysterious pre-Thriller vibe, featuring spooky sound effects. Michael brings it with a strong vocal performance. His rich, soulful falsetto significantly elevates the song. The Jackie-penned track features a terrific horn arrangement, a cool bass line, and a sterling chorus.

Michael, Tito, and bassist Mike McKinney wrote the breezy, upbeat “Everybody.” The song features a groovin’ slap bass line and sweet guitar licks. It’s immaculately arranged and produced, with soaring strings and majestic horn charts. The song creates a feel-good vibe with MJ delivering a spirited vocal performance that’s complemented by his brothers' flawless background vocals.

“Time Waits For No One” is a beautiful mid-tempo ballad about lost love, regret, and loneliness. The song’s narrator reflects on the breakup with his partner. He wishes he had a second chance to make things right and demonstrate his love and appreciation, things that he failed to do when they were together. However, sadly, he realizes it’s probably too late, and time has moved on. The song features a tender, heartfelt vocal performance from Michael. His vocals are filled with great longing, regret, and heartbreak. And the song closes out with an absolutely breathtaking chorus. Jackie and Randy wrote and arranged this sorely underappreciated gem.

“Give It Up” is a vibrant, sunny groove that boasts a stellar arrangement. The musicianship and production on this track are impeccable, featuring swirling strings, luminous piano, and soaring guitar lines. Marlon delivers a pleasing vocal performance on the verses, and Michael brings his shimmering falsetto to the chorus and pre-chorus sections. The track was written by Randy and Michael. 

Jackie ably handles lead vocals on “Wondering Who,” a bumpin’, high-energy groove. The musicianship on this hot cut is top-flight, with Michael Boddicker serving up some nasty funk on the synths and vocoder. MJ adds some extra spice to the background vocals with his signature “hee hees.” Jackie and Randy wrote this song.

Nathan Watts’ furious slap bass line propels “Walk Right Now” into pure groove bliss. This cut is an absolute banger from start to finish. Watts and the other talented players keep the funk at maximum level throughout. The song boasts a sensational horn arrangement, a scorching beat, sweeping strings, and sick guitar licks. Michael brings tons of energy and soul to his lead vocals. The song is about a man who’s fed up with his partner’s constant infidelity and calls an end to the relationship once and for all. It was written by Jackie, Randy, and Michael, who also arranged it.

Triumph stands as one of the Jackson brothers’ greatest efforts. It’s consistently strong with zero filler, featuring some of their best songwriting. The album has sold more than three million copies worldwide. It topped Billboard’s R&B Albums chart and peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200. It also performed well on the charts internationally: the UK (#13), New Zealand (#8), Australia (#13), Sweden (#46), and Canada (#7). The collection earned the Jacksons a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals in 1981.

“Lovely One” topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. It reached #29 on the UK singles chart and #14 on the Irish singles chart. “This Place Hotel” peaked at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. It rose to #44 on the UK singles chart. “Can You Feel It” reached the summit of the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at #30 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and #77 on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed well on the charts in the UK (#6), Ireland (#12), and Australia (#10). “Walk Right Now” topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and peaked at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #50 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart. It enjoyed significant chart action across the pond, the UK (#7), and Ireland (#16).

Here’s the full personnel for Triumph: Michael (lead and backing vocals, percussion), Tito (guitar, backing vocals), Marlon (backing vocals, co-lead vocals on track 8, timpani track 5), Randy (percussion, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on track 1), Jackie (backing vocals, lead vocals on track 9); bass (Clay Drayton, Mike McKinney, and Nathan Watts); guitar (David Williams, Greg Poree, Michael Sembello, Paul Jackson Jr. and Phil Upchurch); keyboards (Greg Phillinganes, Ronnie Foster); drums (Ollie E. Brown); synthesizers (Webster Lewis, Greg Phillinganes and Michael Boddicker); percussion (Lenny Castro and Paulinho da Costa); horns (Bill Reichenbach, Kim Hutchcroft, Jerry Hey and Larry Hall); vibraphone (Gary Coleman); flute (Gary Herbig); background vocals (Julia Tillman Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, and Stephanie Spruill, who directed the adult choir on “Can You Feel It”). La Toya Jackson provided the scream at the opening of "This Place Hotel."

Thomas “Tom Tom 84” Washington helped with the arrangements on “Lovely One” and arranged “Your Ways.” Additionally, he did the string arrangement on “Can You Feel It” and the horn arrangement on “This Place Hotel.” Jerry Peters did the string arrangements on “Time Waits For No One” and “Give It Up.” Jerry Hey did the horn arrangement on “Everybody” and arranged the prelude on “This Place Hotel.” Greg Phillinganes was the album’s associate producer. 

Full Triumph album

Official video for "Can You Feel It."

Triumph is available at Amazon

Related blog entries:

The Jacksons Perform "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" In Toronto For 1984 Victory Tour

Review of Michael Jackson's Off The Wall Album

"Dancing Machine" by The Jackson 5