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Post by Dawn on Feb 8, 2009 21:01:42 GMT -5
Let's look at a few overlooked gems from the Four Tops.
The first is one of their earliest hits, Ask the Lonely, from 1965. Although not as successful as many of their '60s singles, it still managed a respectable #24 peak. I can't say I've ever heard this one on the radio.
Next is Seven Rooms of Gloom, from 1967. This was the follow-up single to Bernadette, and is one of my favorite songs from the group. It has a great vintage Motown sound, and yet I've rarely heard this played outside of XM.
Last is I'll Turn to Stone, also from 1967. This was the B side to Seven Rooms of Gloom, but charted separately, peaking at #76.
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Post by m c dornan on Feb 8, 2009 21:45:02 GMT -5
I thought "Ask the Lonely" charted better than this. One of their very best- what a lead vocal!
Never heard "Turn to Stone" before.
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Post by H2IZCOOL on Feb 8, 2009 22:01:53 GMT -5
Dawn, when I saw you were doing a Lost '60s feature on the Four Tops, one of the songs that popped into my head before I even opened the thread was Seven Rooms of Gloom.
I love the Tops! I'm only slightly familiar with Ask The Lonely, but quite familiar with the other two as I have the 45.
The Tops had hit in '64 with Baby I Need Your Lovin' and was doing a very typical one or two hit wonder downward spiral into oblivion. But then after Ask the Lonely (indeed a beautiful song) , they came out with I Can't Help Myself. I can remember more than one DJ remarking at the tome, that it was not supposed to go anywhere; it was a surprise hit. From tg=here they went on to superstardom.
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Post by Dawn on Feb 9, 2009 11:31:42 GMT -5
I thought "Ask the Lonely" charted better than this. One of their very best- what a lead vocal! Never heard "Turn to Stone" before. It's a really good song, I agree. I too was surprised it didn't chart higher than it did. |
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Post by Dawn on Feb 9, 2009 11:41:46 GMT -5
Dawn, when I saw you were doing a Lost '60s feature on the Four Tops, one of the songs that popped into my head before I even opened the thread was Seven Rooms of Gloom. I love the Tops! I'm only slightly familiar with Ask The Lonely, but quite familiar with the other two as I have the 45. The Tops had hit in '64 with Baby I Need Your Lovin' and was doing a very typical one or two hit wonder downward spiral into oblivion. But then after Ask the Lonely (indeed a beautiful song) , they came out with I Can't Help Myself. I can remember more than one DJ remarking at the tome, that it was not supposed to go anywhere; it was a surprise hit. From tg=here they went on to superstardom. Yes, it's a mystery why Seven Rooms of Gloom has been so overlooked. Even from a strictly charting standpoint, it did better than Shake Me, Wake Me and Something About You, both of which have been played more often on the oldies stations I've heard. That's interesting about I Can't Help Myself being a surprise hit - I hadn't known that. |
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