Let Us Now Praise "Baby I Need Your Lovin'"

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Until this summer, the Four Tops' first hit was too ever-present on oldies radio for me to really hear -- but wow, what an amazing record! I've been obsessing over it for three months now. From the uncharacteristicly staggered drum beat to the odd-numbered lines in the verses (some of which rhyme and some don't -- even the intro is three lines long) to Levi Stubbs's incredibly soulful vocal (as downhome as Motown ever got) to the amazing transitions in and out of the chorus to the pure gospel of the long last verse -- this might just be Motown's crowning achievement. It gets my vote.

― Burr (Burr), Friday, 19 August 2005 02:02 (twenty years ago)

Levi's voice is incredible, and this is a great one no matter how much oldies radio overkill it gets.

― Steve K (Steve K), Friday, 19 August 2005 04:18 (twenty years ago)

Agreed - some soulful need in that track. He NEEDS something, to be sure.

― Big Loud Mountain Ape (Big Loud Mountain Ape), Friday, 19 August 2005 10:45 (twenty years ago)

Written by Jimmy Webb!!!

― Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Friday, 19 August 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

There's more than one version of this song, and I can never keep them quite straight. Is the Tops' version the one with the tiny piano flourishes before each line of the chorus? I love that one.

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Friday, 19 August 2005 13:06 (twenty years ago)

Beautiful record, one of my all time favourites, finest moment: "Cos lately, I've been losing sleep...."

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 19 August 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

That might be my favorite moment as well.

It was not written by Jimmy Webb though...

― Burr (Burr), Friday, 19 August 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)

Oh no it wasn't, I was thinking of "Do What You Gotta Do". It was HDH I think...

― Diddyismus the Blind (of Alexandria) (Dada), Friday, 19 August 2005 15:37 (twenty years ago)

...Is the Tops' version the one with the tiny piano flourishes before each line of the chorus?...

Yeah, I think this would be the one. Somehow I also think Johnny Rivers did a good cover, but that Tops' version defines this song.

― jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 20 August 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)

Beautiful record, one of my all time favourites, finest moment: "Cos lately, I've been losing sleep...."

I love how this line feels like it shouldn't even be there, that instead, the chorus should have kicked in a line or two earlier. Then you get hit with this heartbreaker of a line and *that's* when the chorus comes gliding in ... great, great song.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 20 August 2005 01:04 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, that's what I mean about the odd-numbered lines -- ALL the verses go on one line longer than it seems they should and the effect is devastating. In the first verse, it's that line, "'Cause I'm so lonely," which doesn't even rhyme with anything but it's just perfect.

― Burr (Burr), Saturday, 20 August 2005 06:06 (twenty years ago)

Haha. I was just telling my ex-girlfriend how the Tops' 'Greatest Hits' was one of my favorite albums in high school. (I got out of there in 1981, mostly listened to Stones and punk otherwise.)

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 20 August 2005 07:32 (twenty years ago)

HUGE emotion.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Saturday, 20 August 2005 07:33 (twenty years ago)

Better than "I Can't Help Myself," though? Who cares? Both are thoroughly classic. I may still prefer Smokey to the Tops, though.

― marc h. (marc h.), Saturday, 20 August 2005 23:40 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.