The Four Tops Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Four Aims

The four of them were still at high school when they first met and chose the name the Four Aims as they were aiming for success. They changed the name in 1956 as they didn't want to run the risk of confusion with the Ames Brothers, also around in the 1950s.

The group built up a repertoire of jazz and standards and often worked with Billy Eckstine, but early record releases failed to make an impact. Motown was destined to change that.

Answer: Duke

One of the two tenors in the group, Fakir was born in Detroit and is of Ethiopian and Bangladeshi heritage. He is known as Duke, with Renaldo Benson being the other member known primarily by his nickname of Obie.

Answer: Levi Stubbs

Stubbs was an unusual choice for the lead singer of the time, being a baritone with a distinctive style of urgency and pleading in his voice. Payton and Fakir were both tenors, while Benson provided the bass. Payton is credited with being the member responsible for the group's song arrangements - Stubbs described him as having 'perfect pitch' and being a musical 'genius'.

While Stubbs took lead vocals most of the time, Payton does sing lead on some recordings.

Answer: It's the Same Old Song

The move to Motown sent the group off into a different, and successful, direction. Teamed up with the songwriters and producers Holland-Dozier-Holland, the hits barely stopped. Their first came in 1964 with 'Baby I Need Your Loving'. '7 Rooms of Gloom' and 'Bernadette' from 1967 and 'Standing in the Shadows of Love' from 1966. 'It's the Same Old Song' was a 1965 song. Most of the songs were about lost or unrequited love, and Levi's voice seemed to convey the impression that he was on the verge of tears in most of them. According to internet sources, the songs were deliberately written at the top of his range, so he had to stretch to reach the notes, adding the sense of urgency to his style.

Answer: False

The group is renowned for staying together for over forty years with the four of them only being parted when death removed a member. Not only did they stick together, Stubbs refused any offers of a solo career or even to have his name singled out as Levi Stubbs and the Four Tops. Most reports say that the four members received equal pay. Stubbs's loyalty seems to have extended to his private life, too. He married his wife, Clineice, in 1960 and the marriage only ended upon his death in 2008.

When the hits dried up, as they do for most acts, the Four Tops toured with the Temptations, whose lineup had been much more volatile. The later years were devoted to live performances rather than recording.

Answer: What's Going On

The song's inspiration came when Benson saw police attacking protesters against the Vietnam War in Berkeley in 1969. It set him to asking himself questions about what he'd witnessed and he worked with Motown songwriter Al Cleveland to create the song lyrics.

His fellow Four Tops rejected the song as being too political for them, but Marvin Gaye took it on, revised it as co-author, and had a number two hit with it on the US Billboard Hot 100. Benson himself described the Gaye version as 'we measured him for the suit and he tailored it' - the quote has been slightly edited to avoid any risk of offence.

Answer: Walk Away Renée

The group's main songwriters, Holland, Dozier and Holland, had fallen out with Motown and departed in early 1968. No other songwriters seemed able to come up with the songs the group liked, so they made quite a few cover versions of songs. Three of the four options I gave you were covers - 'If I Were a Carpenter' was written by Tim Hardin and had been a hit for Bobby Darin while 'It's All in the Game' had been a hit in 1958 for Tommy Edwards. 'Walk Away Renée' was popular, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart for the Four Tops.

The Lefte Bank version made no impact in the UK.

Answer: Going Loco

Phil Collins starred in the film and wrote two new songs for the soundtrack. His own 'Two Hearts' was released as a single in 1988. Both this song and 'Loco in Acapulco' were co-written with Lamont Dozier, so the Four Tops were reunited with one third of their old songwriting team when they recorded the song.

It was released only as a B side in the US but reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart - their last top ten hit anywhere.

Answer: The Moody Blues

The song was different in a few ways from normal Four Tops fare. To begin with, it was recorded in London, not Detroit, and lead vocals were shared by Lawrence Payton and Levi Stubbs. The single did not make much impact in the USA, but gave the group a number three hit on the UK Singles Chart in 1971.

The song had originally been released by The Moody Blues as a B side. Their original version sounds very different from the soul version produced by the Four Tops.

Answer: Lawrence Payton

Payton was the youngest member of the group and became the first to die, at the relatively young age of 59. Benson died in 2005 and Stubbs in 2008. Both Payton and Benson were still performing with the Four Tops until shortly before their respective deaths. Stubbs was forced into retirement in 2000 following a stroke.

The group kept going with Theo Peoples, formerly of The Temptations, replacing Stubbs as lead vocalist and Payton's son, also called Lawrence, becoming the replacement for Benson. Fakir continues to perform with the latest version of the Four Tops in the 2010s, although he now in his eighties.