FRENCH FOUR TOPS

Artist: FOUR TOPS; Title: IF A WERE A CARPENTER; Label: TAMLA MOTOWN; Format: 7"; Cat. No.: FT 125; Year: 1968; Country: FRANCE

Carrying on with a French theme on today's post - focusing on this 1968 offering from the Four Tops.  And by the way you can tell roughly when this is from (if you didn't know exactly) - as up to 1967 the preferred format for gallic 45's tends to be the 4 track EP (you do get 2 track singles but generally these tend to be jukebox issues - although there are exceptions to that rule!).  After '67 as EP's faded in popularity and the focus shifted to the UK/US standard format of on  2 tracks per side - either that or you bought the LP.

Back to the music - the A Side is a rather excellent version of Tim Hardin's "If I Were A Carpenter".  This could have so easily been a disaster - but thankfully when the song's in the hands of a singer of the calibre of Levi Stubbs then you know you can't go wrong.  Something that can't be said for the Tempations 'In A Mellow Mood' set from the same period where it did do so badly.

The flip side gives you the sublime "Baby I Need Your Loving" - which has to be one of the group's finest moments ever!  Penned by the Holland brothers and Lamont Dozier this is one of those that encapsulates and defines what Motown did best! Listen and enjoy!  Can't really say much more than that

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