DUKE FAKIR OF THE FOUR TOPS SPEAKS AHEAD OF · PDF fileDUKE FAKIR OF THE FOUR TOPS SPEAKS...

DUKE FAKIR OF THE FOUR TOPS SPEAKS AHEAD OF THEIR 2014 UK TOUR!

Written by Charles WaringTuesday, 08 October 2013 19:04 - Last Updated Thursday, 14 November 2013 08:36

It's sixty years this year since the Four Tops, without doubt one of the greatest vocal groupsthat the world has ever heard, were formed in Detroit, Michigan. Founder members Levi Stubbs,Abdul 'Duke' Fakir, Renaldo 'Obie' Benson and Lawrence Payton were four high school buddieswho came together to make music initially under the name, the Four Aims. But it was anotherten years before they tasted the big time. In their first decade together they performed myriadgigs - which allowed then to hone their harmonies to perfection - and released the occasionalsingle (for Chess, Columbia and Riverside). But in 1963 they were offered a life-changingrecord deal by up-and-coming Detroit label, Motown.

From 1964 onwards, the group racked up a welter of memorable smashes for Berry Gordy'snow iconic record label - among them the US chart toppers 'I Can't Help Myself' in '65 and 'Reach Out I'll Be There' in '66 (which also has the distinction of being the group's only #1 singlein the UK). In '72, they quit Motown for Dunhill/ABC. The hits continued to flow - 'Ain't NoWoman (Like The One I've Got)' was their biggest smash for the label - and in 1981, theymoved to Casablanca where they experienced their first US R&B chart topper since 1966 in theshape of 'When She Was My Girl.' They eventually wound back at Motown in 1983 but it wasn'tthe homecoming that they had hoped for and after a disappointing second spell at the label, theFour Tops were signed by Arista in 1988 and scored a Top 10 UK smash with 'Going Loco InAcapulco.' Amazingly, the group's line up had remained the same since 1953 and it wasn't untilLawrence Payton passed away in 1997, that they recruited a new member. The deaths of 'Obie'Benson (in 2005) and Levi Stubbs (in 2008), has left Duke Fakir, now 77, as the only survivingoriginal member but he continues to keep the legendary quartet's legacy alive with a newincarnation of the Four Tops, which comprises Lawrence Payton Jr, Ronnie McNeir, and Harold'Spike' Bonhart.

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In March and April 2014 Fakir is bringing the Four Tops to the UK for a keenly-anticipated tourthat finds them performing ten concerts in all. The Tops will be sharing the bill with fellowMotown veterans, The Temptations, plus The Platters and Freda Payne. SJF's Charles Waringrecently caught up with the amiable Duke Fakir, who talks about his appreciation of the FourTops' loyal UK fans, as well as recalling key junctures in the legendary group's illustrioushistory...

What can Four Tops' fans expect to hear from you in March and April next year?

Well, what you expect to hear is what you always will hear: 90% of our songs will be thefavourites that you all like, that we like - what we call our top golden hits - and we also have thesame energy that we usually have because we're with our greatest competitors, TheTemptations, which allows our vocalists to be in our A-game all the time. You can't mess aroundand go through the motions, especially with a show like this, and especially with The

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Temptations. I'm also looking forward to being with The Platters. I haven't seen them for a longtime. We admired all their songs when we were coming up before we had hit records and FredaPayne, we've been working with her well before we both had hit records. We played with her injazz clubs in our earlier days in theatres with Billy Eckstine and there's a great relationship thereand it's just really going to be great show. I'm looking forward to it, as we always do. The onlything about it is that I wish we could come (to the UK) every year and not every other year.We're really blessed. It's the greatest tour that we do during the whole year. It's the love and theappreciation and the graciousness that they all accept us with. It's mostly overwhelming and I'mon a 10-12 day high of love and appreciation while I'm there. It's a great feeling.

The Four Tops have had a lot of chart success in the UK over the years - why do youthink that the group has connected so well with the British people?

It's hard for me to say why. First of all, I think they like the music and I think that they like thecamaraderie, the friendship, which we have together. I think that they think that we think thatthey're special as well. So it's a nice little ongoing love affair (laughs). Something similar to that,I would think, because that's the way I feel. I actually feel love, appreciation and respect - allthose kind of great things that we have over there. It's not that we don't feel them here at home(in the USA), it's just a little more prevalent. UK audiences seem to be a little more genuine.There's something so real, wonderful and warm about the fans and the people in all of the UKthat is absolutely amazing. We actually hate to leave - and that's all the way down to themusicians. We just like to say to all the people - the people of the UK; North and South, East,West, Wales, and Scotland – that we'd just like to thank them for what they've given us. I'm justreally looking forward to this trip, you know.

What memories do you have of your very first trip to the UK back in the 60s?

Our very first trip to the UK was mostly promotional but it was exciting 'cause it was brand newand I didn't realise that all the way across the 'pond' there were as many people that caredabout us and loved us and loved our music as there was. I was actually really taken by thatmany people accepting the Four Tops and how Brian Epstein, who actually was also part of ourfirst promotion and our first tour, treated us and how he felt about us and how he wanted us tobe as popular in the UK as The Beatles were in the States. He had a genuine appreciation forus, which he helped to make go over to all of the UK. It was an amazing trip.

Coming from Detroit, what was your first impression of England and the UK?

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It was the first time that we had been overseas. First of all, it was really different and the culturewas different. Television shows would go off in the middle of the day. That was the only thingthat annoyed me (laughs). But it was so exciting and it was different. At that time I was veryconscious of English attire and so the first place that I went to was to some tailors to have somestuff made, some English kind of things made. I was so into English male attire and initially all Idid for the day was shop around for clothes. I'd go to the tailor to get this and to get that. Thatwas exciting but the people were always just so warm and friendly. I loved the way theysounded when they talked. It took me a while to pick up on it and to really understand becausesome of them would talk so fast. It's a different kind of dialect and you have to really listen. But Icaught on pretty quick and I fell in love with it.

Going back right beginning, can you remember when you first sang together with Levi,Obie, and Lawrence in the original Four Tops?

Oh absolutely, I remember distinctly. It was at a party given by these girls at our high schoolclub. The name of the girls' club was called The Scheherazade. We were like the elite of thatschool; the prettiest, the most finest, the best brains and all of that. I was one of the star athletesand Levi was always at my side; he would sing on the bus, going to track, going to football, orgoing to basketball. He was right there with me as a buddy. And the girls invited us. This wasthe kind of party that you were invited to. They invited me to bring along Levi and anybody elsethat I thought could possibly sing. That's when we called 'Obie' Benson and Lawrence Payton.Levi and I thought: maybe we can hit it off with these guys with these girls because these twoguys could sing well. We'd all had been singing with different groups around and so we gottogether and sang at that party. We said: Levi, you just sing the lead. We blended so well. Itwas just so perfect. We all looked at each other and said hey man, this is good, so we decidedto start rehearsing and form a group. And that's when we formed. It was the first time that wesang together and it was actually amazing. Right away I just started singing top tenor. Lawrencewas second tenor and Obie was third on bass and of course, we would say "Levi hit the ball.Quarterback, go for it!" We were extremely excited because we went there for another reason.To be honest, we went there to be with the girls. I'm not going to kid you. We didn't go there totry and form a group; we just wanted to be able to hopefully accomplish our mission of the night(laughs) and we had great fun. But the most fun we had was singing together; we realised that.The next day we started rehearsing and from there we started doing some amateur shows. Wedid the biggest amateur show in Detroit. At that amateur show there was an agent who said thathe could book us in nightclubs and he eventually followed through on that and we had our firstengagement not too long after that and then we bought our first uniforms and had our firstpublicity pictures. We scuffled right up to that first engagement but once we hit the stage at thatfirst professional engagement we knew right then and there that that was what we wanted to do.I had a scholarship to college but I turned that down. I also had two jobs waiting for me in thestate and in the city because I'd taken those tests and I'd just graduated. But we all felt after we

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came off that stage that this was what we wanted to do right then and there. We started towardsmaking this a lifetime career. At that time, a lifetime career was 15, 20 years and if you got to 25it was like amazing. And now here it is sixty years later - what a blessing.

How did you get to sign with Motown?

We had an amazing career before we even came to Motown; we just didn't have enoughfollowers. We had been hitting on Berry before he had even started the company. When he firststarted he just casually asked us: "hey, would you like to be with my company?" We justcasually said no. We didn't think he had a chance as a black recording magnate/owner in thatday. It was like he was going nowhere. At that time we felt that he had no chance. There weretwo record companies in Detroit that had done it so badly that they had left a bad taste in ourmouths. I felt that nobody in Detroit, especially a black record company, could make it. Wesigned onto three or four different record companies before we came to Motown. We firstrecorded in 1956 with Chess, then in 1960 with Columbia and then in '62/'63 with Riverside.While we were recording with Riverside, we were also working up in upstate New York. One ofthe TV producers from the Tonight Show was up there and he said he'd like to have us on hisshow. So we went down and performed one of our numbers on TV. Berry Gordy was watchingand said to his A&R director, William R. Stevenson; "You know the Tops: we want the Tops, goget them." And at that time we had been watching Motown climb up the charts and getting morepopular. And then right at that time we realised: "hey, that's where we need to be. We need to

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be back home with Berry." At the same time he was reaching out to us so it seemed wonderfullyinevitable that we got together and it didn't take long for us to get a deal.

What was the experience of being at Motown like?

At first, because we were like newcomers, we were like five, six or seven years older than mostof the artists at that time and so we were like big brothers. But all of the artists that knew of theFour Tops, they respected us because we had friends and a great name around the city. We felthonoured to be there because some of them had great records - Smokey (Robinson & TheMiracles), and the Marvelettes and then we met the Supremes and we said oh my God, look atthese girls (laughs). We became great friends right away with them, with Smokey and withBerry. We used to play golf together, we'd play cards together, but the best thing we did, whichwas very important, was while we were recording our first album - it was going to be a jazzalbum, not really just jazz but our rendition of the American songbook of standards. Berrywanted us to do that because he said you're capable of doing that and he had nobody else onhis roster that he thought could do that. So he needed us. So we recorded that album but itdidn't really have the commercial appeal that he thought it would have. What we did learn washow to record. That was one thing out of all the professional-isms that we had; we knew how toget on and get off stage, how to put a show together, and dress up but we did not actually knowhow to record with feeling. And as I look back on the records that we recorded with othercompanies they were just nice renditions of songs but the actual heartfelt warmth from thevoices and the feeling and the crying and the need of something from Levi wasn't truly thereuntil we got to Motown. And while we were waiting for Holland-Dozier-Holland to come up withthe hits, we were constantly doing backgrounds which helped us to really realise how to feelwhat we're doing and how to project that onto the tape. So it was just an amazing learningexperience, those first six months of just being able to get your feelings, not just the notes, butthe feeling to go with it, which had been missing I think on our previous recordings. They didn'tquite know how to bring it out but Holland-Dozier-Holland did, though. They knew what to do.

What was the experience like of working with them?

First of all, they were amazing people. They were probably the most talented writers andproducers at that time. It was like going into a tailor's shop. You'd go in there and they would fityou with this song for you. The third time you sit down with them your record's in the top 10,boom. They would do that one week to the next week and they would have groups like Marthaand the Vandellas, a totally different type of style. But they fitted them with whatever the attirethat they needed to make it to the Top 10. And of course, the Supremes; whenever they cameinto the "tailors shop" they were fitted with number ones. So it's just amazing. I use that analogy.

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I like to look at it like that. It was just amazing how they worked with different artists to producedifferent feelings and writing the sounds that fit. And they delivered. It was quite amazing.

You pioneered a different kind of sound with 'Reach Out I'll Be There,' didn't you? Canyou remember the recording sessions for that song?

Yeah, we thought it was experimental and would be an album song. We never thought it wouldbe a single. In fact, there's a story behind that track. Berry Gordy called us into his office oneday. He sent out a memo for a meeting with the Four Tops - so we went to his office and hesaid: "fellahs, you've just had 'I Can't help Myself' which came out not too long ago... But I'mgetting ready to release a song that is as good as or better than that. It will have just as muchappeal." So of course, we asked: "when are we going to record it?" He said: "you've alreadyrecorded it." We all looked at each other and said: "we can't remember as song as good as 'ICan't Help Myself,' are you kidding?" So he said: "let me play it for you and he played it." So welistened and before the song reached eight bars we said "hold it, hold it Berry. You think that'sgoing to be a great single?" He said: "yes, it's going to be the biggest one you've had, probably."Then Levi said: "man, we were just experimenting with the talking/singing thing. We thought itwas going to be an album song. I don't think it's going to be hit. That's not a hit record." We didnot hear that, honestly. Berry laughed and said: "look, just watch, you'll see." About two weekslater I was driving in my car and I heard 'Reach Out' on the radio and that's when it hit me. I said"my God! That's that song." Now, whatever it was, in that song, there was something that we did

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not hear. Maybe they added something or something. But that song just knocked me off my feetwhen I heard it. So I rushed back from wherever I was going and rushed to the office andknocked on Berry's door. The secretary said: "He's having a big meeting in there: you can't goin." But I pushed open the door and said: "Berry, don't even ask us about a song. Just do whatyou do. Thank you! Bye!" (Laughs). And it was true. That and 'I Can't Help Myself,' we're stilltrying to compare which is the greatest. They're both great songs but totally different. That wasHolland-Dozier-Holland. They were looking for new ground for us and that was. And of course,Levi, was so talented. He could make you cry singing a song about a garage (laughs). He'd justgot that great voice and a great interpretation of lyrics; he just had a great way of getting acrossthat message with whatever those words were really saying. He could have been a comedian,he could have been an actor... but all he wanted to do was sing. I remember the first thing hesaid to me, the first time we were playing as youngsters. We were playing football or something,and nobody could catch him; he was very elusive, very fast, and I said "man, when you get tohigh school, you'll gonna be a great athlete" and he said "Not me. All I want to do is sing." Thatwas it, and that's what he did.

And he never went solo, did he? Was he ever tempted to do something on his own?

No. There are many stories that I can tell you about people trying to lure Levi as a soloist. Letme give you another story. Berry Gordy did a movie, Lady Sings the Blues, with Diana Ross andBilly Dee, the story of Billie Holiday. The part of Billy Dee Williams was originally written for Levi.When he was preparing to do the movie, Berry Gordy called Levi up. He said: "look man, comeout here to California, I want you to do a part in this movie. Bring your wife so we can talk aboutit." So Levi was very excited, told us about it and we said sure, okay. So he flew out there andthey were discussing the movie and the part that he would play. Levi was very excited about theamount of money he would be getting, which was a nice load for himself alone. They kepttalking about the movie and Levi just stopped it and said: "Hold it, Berry, what about my Tops,the other guys? What part will they be playing?" Berry Gordy said: "oh no, there's not a part forthem." So Levi looked at him and said "Berry I can't do it." So he and his wife headed backhome straight away. He had character, you know. If it wasn't for the four of us, it wasn't going tohappen. That's what he was. And that was just one instance. There were other instances ofpeople trying to lure him away, which he would tell me about. He did some voice-overs on someof the comic, cartoon kind of things. He did a lot and even when he did Little Shop of Horrors,he asked us if he could do that. I said: "are you kidding? Go, man, do what you gotta do; if it'sgood for you, it's good for all of us." He just had so much character.

And he was very loyal as well.

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Yeah, to the four of us. It was just amazing.

Whereas groups like the Temptations had lots of different line-ups, you guys stayedtogether through thick and thin, didn't you?

Yes we did. We were very fortunate. We enjoyed singing together. We were like brothers. It waslike we were all family. We had made this pact and we knew that as long as we stayed togetherwe had more of a chance. We realised that the four of us together onstage while we weresinging was a force that could not be denied. We wanted to say we're going to do this togetherfor as long as it was humanly possible. And that's what we did. We wanted to be differentbecause there was so much love between us, so much respect and so much fun singingtogether. We could be sitting in an airport waiting for a plane and Lawrence would say "heyman, let's try this," and we would start singing, man. It was something that we loved to dobecause we felt like we could do it well. It was really fun. Lawrence Payton had a musical ear asgood as any professional arranger of music. He couldn't write notes but he could sing them toyou. He could take a whole arrangement of an orchestra and sing each one of their parts as if itwas written to him. But he couldn't write it down: he didn't want to learn, he just loved his ear.We were very fortunate.

How does it feel leading the Four Tops without Levi, Obie, and Lawrence Payton?

It's definitely bittersweet. There's nothing like the real thing. There's nobody that will ever be likeObie, Levi and Lawrence. But I feel very fortunate that I'm very close to what is probably thenext best thing. We have the son of Lawrence Payton, Lawrence Payton Jr., who has the samevoice and the same ear as his dad. And then we have one of Obie's best friends, who we'veknown for 30 years, even before he got in the group, that's Ronnie McNeir, who's very popularin Northern Soul. And then there's Harold Bonhart who we call Spike, who's always wanted tosing Levi's part, even since he was a kid. So what we have now is as close as you could get tobeing the real Tops. The energy is still there and we're pretty close to the same sound. Somepeople think it's pretty much the same. Spike has a voice that is very similar to Levi's and wefeel good about it. I've never had to audition anybody for these parts. It was like whensomething happened or one person passed away, it was just a person that was sitting therewaiting more or less to just do that. Like Lawrence Payton Jr; he knew every step, every partthat his dad did, everything. He knew that the first time we had a gig. We didn't even have torehearse. He lived as a Top as a kid. So that's great. And he will probably carry on with thelegacy of the Tops if anything ever happens to me. I hope it never does but I say you can't getout of this one alive (laughs). Wish I could. I will be singing right up to the very end.

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The new guys seem a natural fit.

Yes they are! It was just like they were just waiting there for us, to be picked off the tree, so it'sall has been a natural fit. And to me, it's like I'm Uncle Duke and mentoring my nephews to carryon this legacy. They feel the legacy and they enjoy the legacy. The major difference is whenwe're travelling we talk a lot but I don't hang out with them like I did with all the original guys.They're younger and they have different desires. Me, I just like rest. When I'm on the road nowI'll just do some shopping or something like that. Or watch a movie and I'll just go and relax. I'mnot looking to do anything. I've been there, done that, and seen that. I'm just basically relaxingwhereas they're all over the place, like we were as youngsters. They're moving around, theywant to go here, want to do that. After the show I go straight to the hotel and take a shower or abath and lay there. I don't even have to turn the TV on and I'm gone. (Laughs). So that's whathappens as you grow older. But I feel very fortunate because I still have the love for it. I stillhave the energy to do it and amazingly, I still have the voice as a tenor that I had when I was20-something. And to me that is absolutely amazing. There are so many wonderful things thathave happened to and for us. It's a totally wonderful thing to happen to and I'm always justtaken with the love of the people. It's amazing to go through life with all that love around youand to do exactly what you enjoy doing for 60 years.They even give you a cheque most of thetime to get through. That's pretty amazing.

You've been living a dream, haven't you?

To be very honest, that's very well put. I am actually living a dream. Thank you.

Finally, what's been the biggest highlight of your career as a member of the Four Tops?

Wow! There are so many highlights. How do you pick one? You've been voted into the Rock 'N'Roll Hall of Fame and anytime you're voted into a any Hall of fame in your industry, that's oneof the biggest achievements you can have. I'll tell you what is probably the biggest thing tohappen. We achieved a Lifetime Achievement award at the Grammies. First of all, we never hadreceived a Grammy. We never got a Grammy, which a lot of people said: what? They thought itwas amazing. We were always beaten out by someone. I remember the year when 'I Can't HelpMyself' was nominated and 'Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones just beat that one out. For thelongest time it seemed like we weren't going to get a Grammy but it was no big deal because

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we have so many awards but still in the recording industry you would like to get a topachievement award or some sort of recognition from your organisation. Just when I thought wewere not going to get it, I got a call from the Grammy awards saying that they were going to giveus a Lifetime Achievement award. See, to me, that says something. For a long time we'd beenthere and we did it every year as well. You can't ask for more than that from your peers from theindustry that you love, so in my heart I think that that is - to me - our greatest achievement. Itspells out a lot. We were very thankful for that one.

Thanks for talking to SJF. Good luck with tour next year.

Well, thank you, I'm certainly looking forward to coming there in March with my good friends TheTemptations and my darling little sister, Freda Payne, and the wonderful sound of The Platters.We're going to have a great tour.

Four Tops UK tour dates:

March

Fri 21st LIVERPOOL ECHO ARENA

Sat 22nd BOURNEMOUTH BIC

Sun 23rd BIRMINGHAM NIA

Wed 26th GLASGOW CLYDE AUDITORIUM

Thurs 27th NEWCASTLE METRO RADIO ARENA

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Fri 28th NOTTINGHAM CAPITAL FM ARENA

Sun 30th CARDIFF MOTORPOINT ARENA

April

Tues 1st LEEDS ARENA

Wed 2nd MANCHESTER ARENA

Thur 3rd LONDON O2 ARENA (LOWER BOWL)

All tickets £42.50, London £46.00 (subject to booking fee). Tickets go on sale Friday September6th at 9.00am from www.ticketline.co.uk the 24 hour booking line - 0844 888 9991 or thevenues direct.

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