13
the unifying message of
Love Train
was an irresistible invitation to hop aboard
a railway devoted to peace and brotherhood, its surging groove tailor-made
for sweating up a storm on the dance floor. Once again the trio had a gold
record,
Love Train
pacing the R&B charts and sitting at #1 pop in March of
’73. The Gamble and Huff imprimatur ensured that Philly International LPs
were hit-packed, ‘Back Stabbers’ being especially bountiful.
The O’Jays stayed red-hot as 1973 progressed. That spring, their
Time To
Get Down
- yet another highlight of ‘Back Stabbers,’ again written by Gamble
and Huff - sailed to #2 R&B, a coveted slot that their
Put Your Hands Together
commenced its journey toward at year’s end. Levert’s burr-edged baritone
contrasted strikingly with the pipes of Williams (he and Eddie had started out
singing gospel in Canton together during the late ‘50s) and Powell. The
O’Jays would remain winners with Gamble and Huff at the helm for the
foreseeable future.
Could The Four Tops survive outside of
Motown’s nurturing confines? Yes indeed.
The Detroit quartet thrived at ABC-
Dunhill Records in 1972; leonine lead
singer Levi Stubbs, first tenor Abdul
‘Duke’ Fakir, second tenor Lawrence
Payton, and baritone Renaldo ‘Obie’
5. The Four Tops
Ain’t No Woman
(Like The One I Got)
(Dennis Lambert-Brian Potter)
Dunhill 4339
