OK, this is re-visiting a pet peeve of mine (bands that bill themselves with the original name while only having one original member),but, here we go again.

"The Four Tops" are playing here in Atlanta this weekend with only one member, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, performing. Lawrence Payton died in 1997, Obie Benson in 2005, and Levi Stubbs, while still with us, is not able to tour and perform live anymore.

Same thing for what passes as "The Beach Boys" these days (Mike Love as the original member, Bruce Johnston as the "sort of" original member, and that's it).

In August we're going to have what is called the "Hippie Fest" (HATE that name, but that's what they're calling it). "Badfinger" (only Joey Molland left), "The Rascals" (only Felix C.), "The Turtles" (Flo & Eddie, of course). Sigh.

Hey, live and let live, and how people want to spend their money is OK with me...but does this bother anybody else?

Worth to go ?

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TEMPTATIONS & FOUR TOPS - DÜSSELDORF, Germany - 06.11.2007 - 20:00 Uhr

Zwei Jahre nach ihrer ersten gemeinsamen Deutschland-Tournee kommen The Temptations und The Four Tops ein zweites Mal zusammen auf Gastspielreise. Kritiker wie Zuschauer waren bereits damals von den Auftritten der beiden Wegbereiter des Soul begeistert. Kein Wunder: Es ist eines der wichtigsten Kapitel der amerikanischen Soulmusik, das dem Besucher der „Magic Night Of Soul“ präsentiert wird. Auf der Bühne stehen zwei Vocal-Formationen, die bei dem für Black Music maßgeblichen Motown-Label unter Vertrag waren und im Soul als richtungsweisend gelten: The Temptations und The Four Tops, die mit "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" und "Get Ready" respektive "Loco In Acapulco" oder "Walk Away Rene" Soul- und Popklassiker en Masse im Gepäck haben.
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Does anybody knows how many original members from "The Temptations" will be there.

Interesting to know !



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-06-28 20:07 by satisfaction2.

I love the Four tops...but i have my doubts about the nu-four tops...I mean without Levi??!!!

The four tops where great.

Seems to me the Temptations played during a New Year's Eve show in downtown Atlanta a couple of years ago that was broadcast on local TV, and they made a special point of indicating that there was only one original member of that band as well.

I mean, two or three members, IMHO, and, yeah, go ahead and bill yourselves as the original band.

If you have seen Ray and Dave Davies together on stage, you've seen THE KINKS, no matter who was playing bass and drums. Kudos to Ray for currently touring as "Ray Davies" instead of trying to bill it as "the Kinks."

I saw the Beach Boys in the mid 90s when the band still included Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, and Mike Love, so, yeah, OK, at least there was one Wilson on the stage, let's call it the Beach Boys.

What would happen if John Paul Jones got three 25 year old studio musicians together and decided to go on tour as "Led Zeppelin?" Thank God THAT will never happen, but it certainly IS happening with a lot of older bands these days.

The Temptations are without any orginal member. There is Dennis Edwards, who joined them in 1972 and he is also a Rock-N-Roll-Hall-Of-Fame-Member.

I've seen Dennis Edwards with his Temptations Band in 1997 and the concert was really great. And I've seen the 4 orginal Four Tops in 1989 and that concert was also great.

If the centerpiece member of a band is no longer with the band, then it is kind of a fraud. For example, Ten Years After is performing in concerts. But, though there are still 3 of the original 4 members, are they REALLY TYA without Alvin Lee? Come on, he WAS TYA. At least with the Beach Boys you still have Mike Love's voice. . . . . .

But this is not only a problem in the world of rock. I have seen ads for The Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and more, from the Big Band era. While they may sound good, they are little more than musicians playing the music of those greats.

Yeah, that's very true about the jazz bands.

And, you're right, Ten Years After without Alvin Lee is just about the same thing at Jethro Tull without Ian Anderson.

In 1981, (luckily) I saw one of the last shows with all 5 original Beach Boys. Not sure that Brian (Dennis either) knew he was there, but he was propped up at a piano. Bruce, another drummer, and a host of background singers too. Still glad I got to see the Wilson Brothers.

2 months later - The Rolling Stones for the first time - Wyman included. Good vibrations indeed.

"No Anchovies, Please"

All 5 original Beach Boys huh? Yeah that looks good on the old Rock & Roll resume Elmo.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Ladykiller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Temptations are without any orginal member.
> There is Dennis Edwards, who joined them in 1972
> and he is also a Rock-N-Roll-Hall-Of-Fame-Member.
>
> I've seen Dennis Edwards with his Temptations Band
> in 1997 and the concert was really great. And I've
> seen the 4 orginal Four Tops in 1989 and that
> concert was also great.

I just saw a flier for an upcoming Temptations show and the only face I could identify was Ron Tyson, who joined in the mid-80's. (!)

I agree that Dennis Edwards was/is great..after David Ruffin left he sang on some of their best records. Actually, he joined them in '68.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-06-29 07:50 by loog droog.

Stay tuned for the ohnonotyouagains, coming to a local fair/quicki mart/parking lot/broom closet near you. Oh overdosed by snorting one to many kalonapins, no was sold into the south asian sex trade by his fellow bandmates, not choked on someone else's vomit (very hard to dust for vomit, you know), you had a sex change and is now on rocknrollchickswithdicks.com, but again is still going strong and playing a mean ukelele. The new version of the band puts on a hell of a show from what I hear.

The worst instance of this trend that I've seen was when a group billed as "Bill Haley's Comets" featuring John "Bam-Bam" Lane (Haley's 1965-68 drummer) came to town to promote the opening of a crappy new 50s-style diner. That took lame to a whole new level for me.

Well at least there shouldn't be any gripes over the Spice Girls line-up!

"I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon."

I also remember in Virginia in the 1970s there was a band called BIG BROTHER that had absolutely nothing to do in any way with Janis Joplin or Big Brother and the Holding Company, but they were often billed that way in gigs.

This always stirs up trouble but the one that really bugs me is Credence Revisited.

Second place: All-time doofus-ass Mike Love calling himself and Bruce Johnston the Beach Boys.

"No Anchovies, Please"

To satisfaction2 and others regarding "The Temptations":

Actually, I friend of mine (member of the band I play in) is going to fly to Valencia today to perform with "The Temptations" later tonight (as a stand in in the horn section).
He promised me to find out how many original members of the band will be there or if Dennis Edwards is still with the group. I'll tell you on Sunday afternoon.

I believe there are two different groups touring as the Temps. One is called the Temptations Review, and features Dennis Edwards who, though not an original member, did sing lead on many of their late 60s/early 70s hits. The other is the "official" Temptations, which still features (I think) the only living original member, Otis Williams.

gosh there was a comedian, don't remember his name right now, with this hysterical bit called 'the pip'...set up is that he's the only 'pip' ("gladys knight & the pips") that shows up...
they were known, aside from gladys killer voice, for a lot of detailed and smooth sharp 3 man choreography behind her...classic moves like the best pop soul groups of the era...

so the comic is all doing these moves meant for 3 guys in unison as the song plays...but he's all alone with a worried look on his face...trying nervously between cues to explain to the audience, but the cues keep coming up so he automatically does all these moves but he's alone on the stage looking really unhappy...but doin' the moves...hysterical stuff...who was that guy?
was it pryor? i just can't recall...your post reminded me...

yeh, the tops without levi is kinda lame...sadly so...

Motown probably owns all legal rights to the use of the names "The Four Tops" and "The Temptations". I would not be surprised if they send four "Tops" who have not yet been born out on a 100th Anniversary tour in 2054.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-06-30 15:50 by tatters.

Did you have a good time at the show?

The ones that really bug me are "Queen" and the "Doors of the 21st Century". In both cases, the most important member of the group is gone, and yet people still pay to see them. I dont get it.

Hey and don't forget Levi's younger brother Joe Stubbs
Was in the Falcons....then moved to Contours and Originals at Motown...





ROCKMAN

Four Tops special concert on pbs stations in n. america tonight (sunday july, 8th)...playing NOW in some markets...(different public stations carry different shows in different areas)....but for those interested...this is from celebration show WITH levi (& aretha and temptations) from 2005, Detroit Opera House...
(50 years anniversary) ;historical footage...levi, obie and lawrence don't perform with them anymore...but levi is a special guest here, and also this is obie's last appearance before his passing i believe...

duke still on the road with 3 younger guys...in interview here he's asked about not working with the other 3, and breaks down in tears...

from wiki:
The Four Tops are an American Motown musical quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, and showtunes. Founded in Detroit, Michigan as The Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs (a cousin of Jackie Wilson), and groupmates Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, finally forced to endure a lineup change when Payton died in 1997. At that time, Theo Peoples was added to the lineup; Peoples later replaced Stubbs, who fell ill from a stroke, and Ronnie McNair assumed Peoples' spot. In July 2005, Benson died of lung cancer with Payton's son Roquel replacing him. As of September 11, 2006, Fakir, McNair, Payton and Peoples still perform together as the Four Tops.
________________

cool shot of The Falcons, Rockman...interesting about The Contours...their "do you love me (now that i can dance)" rocked my whole world as as kid...amazing group...explosive crescendo in that one, again and again...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-07-09 04:56 by Beelyboy.

On the bright side, 'the Stones' could still be around with only 'the original' Daryl Jones left.

if that's the bright side, what's the dark side?
lol, the only 'original' left...haawww



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-07-09 04:58 by Beelyboy.

do you love me...Yeah Beely and First I look At The Purse....Rockin' Stuff!!!!



ROCKMAN

I get a lot of those fifties bands (Four Tops, Temptations, Coasters, Drifters etc.) mixed up and can't remember who sang what but I think the best out of that bunch was The Platters.

Ladykiller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Temptations are without any orginal member.
> There is Dennis Edwards, who joined them in 1972
> and he is also a Rock-N-Roll-Hall-Of-Fame-Member.
>
> I've seen Dennis Edwards with his Temptations Band
> in 1997 and the concert was really great. And I've
> seen the 4 orginal Four Tops in 1989 and that
> concert was also great.


Otis Williams is the only surviving member of the original Temptations line-up and still the de-facto leader.

The band Dennis Edwards fronts is called "The Temptations Revue featuring Dennis Edwards". He had to change it from "Dennis Edwards & the Temptations" following court action from Williams some years ago. Ollie Woodson, who sang with the Temps (and who actually replaced Edwards TWICE in the line up in the 80s) is in the same band.