The Four Tops: Reach Out (I’ll Be There)

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This was a No 1 on both sides of the Atlantic in 1966. It was written and produced by Motown’s main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland (Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland).

In a 2014 Guardian interview, Four Tops singer Duke Fakir said:

Eddie [Holland] realised that when Levi [Stubbs, lead singer] 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. The line “Just look over your shoulder” was something he threw in spontaneously. Levi was very creative like that, always adding something extra from the heart.’

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