Reach Out I 'll Be There - wikipedia Reach Out I 'll Be There `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' Single by the Four Tops from the album Reach Out B - side `` Until You Love Someone '' Released August 18, 1966 Format 7 '' single Recorded Hitsville U.S.A. ( Studio A ) ; 1966 Genre Soul Length 3 : 01 Label Motown Songwriter ( s ) Holland -- Dozier -- Holland Producer ( s ) Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier the Four Tops singles chronology `` Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever '' ( 1966 ) `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( 1966 ) `` Standing in the Shadows of Love '' ( 1966 ) `` Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever '' ( 1966 ) `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( 1966 ) `` Standing in the Shadows of Love '' ( 1966 ) `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( also formatted as `` Reach Out ( I 'll Be There ) '' ) is a song recorded by the Four Tops from their fourth studio album Reach Out ( 1966 ). Written and produced by Motown 's main production team, Holland -- Dozier -- Holland, the song is one of the best known Motown tunes of the 1960s, and is today considered The Tops ' signature song. It was the number one song on the Rhythm & Blues charts for two weeks, and on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, from October 15 -- 22, 1966. It replaced `` Cherish '' by The Association, and was itself replaced by `` 96 Tears '' by Question Mark & the Mysterians. The track also reached number one in the UK Singles Chart, becoming Motown 's second UK chart - topper after The Supremes ' 1964 release `` Baby Love ''. It replaced Jim Reeves ' `` Distant Drums '' at number one in October 1966, and stayed there for three weeks before being replaced by The Beach Boys ' `` Good Vibrations '' in November. Rolling Stone later ranked this version number 206 on its list of `` The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ''. Billboard ranked the record as the number four song for 1966. This version is also currently ranked as the 56th best song of all time ( as well as the number four song of 1966 ) in an aggregation of critics ' lists at Acclaimed Music. Contents 1 Style 2 Personnel 3 Charts 3.1 Weekly charts 3.2 Year - end charts 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Style Lead singer Levi Stubbs delivers many of the lines in the song in a tone that some consider straddles the line between singing and shouting, as he did in 1965 's `` I Ca n't Help Myself ( Sugar Pie Honey Bunch ) ''. AllMusic critic Ed Hogan praises Stubb 's vocal, as well as the song 's `` rock - solid groove '' and `` dramatic, semi-operatic tension and release. '' Critic Martin Charles Strong calls the song `` a soul symphony of epic proportions that remains ( the Four Tops ' ) signature tune. '' In 2014, interviewed by The Guardian, Four Tops singer Duke Fakir said : Eddie realised that when Levi hit the top of his vocal range, it sounded like someone hurting, so he made him sing right up there. Levi complained, but we knew he loved it. Every time they thought he was at the top, he would reach a little further until you could hear the tears in his voice. The line `` Just look over your shoulder '' was something he threw in spontaneously. Levi was very creative like that, always adding something extra from the heart. Personnel Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs Background vocals by Abdul `` Duke '' Fakir, Renaldo `` Obie '' Benson, Lawrence Payton, and The Andantes : Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr. Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier Charts Weekly charts Chart ( 1966 -- 1967 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 62 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 10 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 6 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 13 Ireland ( IRMA ) Italy ( FIMI ) 68 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 8 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 6 New Zealand ( Listener ) 11 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) US Billboard Hot 100 US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles US Cash Box US Record World Chart ( 1988 ) Peak position Ireland ( IRMA ) 11 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 28 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 11 Chart ( 1993 ) Peak position Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) Remix Michael Bolton with the Four Tops Year - end charts Chart ( 1966 ) Position Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 67 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 47 US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box 38 Chart ( 1993 ) Position Canada Adult Contemporary ( RPM ) 33 See also Reach Out : The Motown Record References ^ Jump up to : Rice, Jo ( 1982 ). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits ( 1st ed. ). Enfield, Middlesex : Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 105. ISBN 0 - 85112 - 250 - 7. ^ Jump up to : Gilliland, John ( 1969 ). `` Show 50 -- The Soul Reformation : Phase three, soul music at the summit. ( Part 6 ) '' ( audio ). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 212. Jump up ^ Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. p. 170. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ `` All The Number One Singles 1966 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 18, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Top 100 Hits for 1966 ''. The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The All Time Top 6000 Songs ''. Acclaimed Music. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Top Songs from 1966 ''. Acclaimed Music. Retrieved July 14, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Reach Out ( I 'll Be There ) -- Song Review ''. AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 14, 2014. Jump up ^ Strong, Martin Charles ( 2004 ). The Great Rock Discography. Canongate. p. 556. ISBN 978 - 1 - 8419 - 5615 - 2. Jump up ^ Simpson, Dave ( April 7, 2014 ). `` The Four Tops : how we made Reach Out ( I 'll Be There ) ''. The Guardian. Retrieved December 16, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Forum -- ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts -- CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989 ''. Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- The Four Tops -- Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 5729. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- The Four Tops -- Reach Out I 'll Be There ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 15, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Reach Out I 'll Be There ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Cite error : Invalid < ref > tag ; name `` sc_Ireland2_ '' defined multiple times with different content ( see the help page ). Jump up ^ `` Indice per Interprete : F '' ( in Italian ). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Nederlandse Top 40 -- 4 Tops - Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- The Four Tops -- Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Search listener ''. Flavour of New Zealand. Retrieved August 11, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` The Four Tops -- Awards ''. AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` CASH BOX Top 100 Singles -- Week ending OCTOBER 15, 1966 ''. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012... Cash Box. Jump up ^ `` 100 Top Pops '' ( PDF ). Record World. October 15, 1966. p. 19. Retrieved September 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` ( 1988 &cat = s Charts.org.nz -- The Four Tops -- Reach Out I 'll Be There ( 1988 ) '' ). Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Official Singles Chart Top 100 ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Adult Contemporary : Issue 1793. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jaaroverzichten 1966 '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 - Jaaroverzicht van 1966 '' ( in Dutch ). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved July 15, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The CASH BOX Year - End Charts : 1966 ''. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012... Cash Box. Jump up ^ `` The RPM Top 100 A C Tracks of 1993 ''. RPM. Vol. 58 no. 23. Library and Archives Canada. December 18, 1993. Retrieved July 15, 2014. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Cherish '' by The Association US Billboard Hot 100 number - one single October 15, 1966 -- October 22, 1966 ( 2 weeks ) Succeeded by `` 96 Tears '' by ? & the Mysterians US Cash Box number - one single October 15, 1966 ( 1 week ) Preceded by `` Beauty Is Only Skin Deep '' by The Temptations US Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles number - one single October 29, 1966 -- November 5, 1966 ( 2 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Love Is a Hurtin ' Thing '' by Lou Rawls Preceded by `` Distant Drums '' by Jim Reeves UK Singles Chart number - one single October 29, 1966 -- November 12, 1966 ( 3 weeks ) Succeeded by `` Good Vibrations '' by The Beach Boys Four Tops Abdul `` Duke '' Fakir Ronnie McNeir Roquel Payton Harold Bonhart Levi Stubbs Renaldo `` Obie '' Benson Lawrence Payton Theo Peoples Studio albums Four Tops ( 1964 ) Four Tops Second Album ( 1965 ) On Top ( 1966 ) Reach Out ( 1967 ) Yesterday 's Dreams ( 1968 ) The Four Tops Now ! ( 1969 ) Soul Spin ( 1969 ) Still Waters Run Deep ( 1970 ) Changing Times ( 1970 ) Nature Planned It ( 1972 ) Keeper of the Castle ( 1972 ) Main Street People ( 1973 ) Meeting the Minds ( 1974 ) Night Lights Harmony ( 1975 ) Catfish ( 1976 ) The Show Must Go On ( 1977 ) At The Top ( 1978 ) Tonight ! ( 1981 ) One More Mountain ( 1982 ) Back Where I Belong ( 1983 ) Magic ( 1985 ) Hot Nights ( 1986 ) Indestructible ( 1988 ) Albums with The Supremes The Magnificent 7 ( 1970 ) The Return of the Magnificent Seven ( 1971 ) Dynamite ( 1971 ) Other albums The Ultimate Collection ( 1997 ) Singles ( US / UK Top Ten singles ) `` I Ca n't Help Myself ( Sugar Pie Honey Bunch ) '' ( 1965 ) `` It 's the Same Old Song '' ( 1965 ) `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( 1966 ) `` Standing in the Shadows of Love '' ( 1966 ) `` Bernadette '' ( 1967 ) `` Walk Away Renée '' ( 1967 ) `` If I Were a Carpenter '' ( 1968 ) `` It 's All in the Game '' ( 1970 ) `` Still Water ( Love ) '' ( 1970 ) `` A Simple Game '' ( 1971 ) `` Keeper of the Castle '' ( 1972 ) `` Ai n't No Woman ( Like the One I 've Got ) '' ( 1973 ) `` When She Was My Girl '' ( 1981 ) `` Loco in Acapulco '' ( 1988 ) Related topics Discography Members Holland -- Dozier -- Holland The Supremes Book : Four Tops Four Tops singles discography 1960s 1964 `` Baby I Need Your Loving '' `` Without the One You Love ( Life 's Not Worth While ) '' 1965 `` Ask the Lonely '' `` I Ca n't Help Myself ( Sugar Pie Honey Bunch ) '' `` It 's the Same Old Song '' `` Something About You '' 1966 `` Shake Me, Wake Me ( When It 's Over ) '' `` Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever '' `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' `` Standing in the Shadows of Love '' 1967 `` Bernadette '' `` 7 - Rooms of Gloom '' / `` I 'll Turn to Stone '' `` You Keep Running Away '' 1968 `` Walk Away Renée '' `` If I Were a Carpenter '' `` Yesterday 's Dreams '' `` I 'm in a Different World '' 1969 `` What Is a Man '' `` Do What You Gotta Do '' `` Do n't Let Him Take Your Love from Me '' 1970s 1970 `` I Ca n't Help Myself ( Sugar Pie Honey Bunch ) '' ( re-issue ) `` It 's All in the Game '' `` Still Water ( Love ) '' `` River Deep -- Mountain High '' ( with The Supremes ) 1971 `` Just Seven Numbers ( Can Straighten Out My Life ) '' `` You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart '' ( with The Supremes ) `` In These Changing Times '' `` MacArthur Park ( Part II ) '' 1972 `` A Simple Game '' `` Bernadette '' ( re-issue ) `` Walk with Me, Talk with Me, Darling '' `` ( It 's the Way ) Nature Planned It '' `` Keeper of the Castle '' 1973 `` Ai n't No Woman ( Like the One I 've Got ) '' `` Are You Man Enough '' `` Sweet Understanding Love '' `` I Just Ca n't Get You Out of My Mind '' `` One Chain Do n't Make No Prison '' `` Midnight Flower '' `` Seven Lonely Nights '' `` We All Gotta Stick Together '' 1976 `` Catfish '' `` I 'm Glad You Walked into My Life '' 1980s 1981 `` When She Was My Girl '' `` Do n't Walk Away '' 1982 `` Let Me Set You Free '' `` Back to School Again '' `` Sad Hearts '' `` Tonight I 'm Gonna Love You All Over '' `` I Believe in You and Me '' `` I Just Ca n't Walk Away '' 1985 `` Sexy Ways '' `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' ( re-issue ) `` If Ever a Love There Was '' ( with Aretha Franklin ) `` Indestructible '' `` Loco in Acapulco '' Book : Four Tops Holland -- Dozier -- Holland Brian Holland Lamont Dozier Eddie Holland Songs 1962 `` Dearest One '' `` Old Love ( Let 's Try It Again ) '' `` Darling, I Hum Our Song '' 1963 `` Leaving Here '' `` Locking Up My Heart '' `` What Goes Up Must Come Down '' / `` Come on Home '' `` Tie a String Around Your Finger '' `` Come and Get These Memories '' / `` Jealous Lover '' `` You Lost the Sweetest Boy '' `` Heat Wave '' / `` A Love Like Yours ( Do n't Come Knocking Everyday ) '' `` ( He Wo n't Be True ) Little Girl Blue '' `` Mickey 's Monkey '' `` Too Hurt to Cry, Too Much in Love to Say Goodbye '' / `` Come on Home '' `` When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes '' / `` Standing at the Crossroads of Love '' `` I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying '' `` Quicksand '' / `` Darling I Hum Our Song '' `` Live Wire '' / `` Old Love ( Let 's Try It Again ) '' `` Run, Run, Run '' / `` I 'm Giving You Your Freedom '' `` Can I Get a Witness '' 1964 `` A Tear from a Woman 's Eyes '' `` My Lady Bug Stay Away from That Beatle '' `` Like a Nightmare '' / `` If You Were Mine '' `` In My Lonely Room '' `` Just Ai n't Enough Love '' `` Where Did Our Love Go '' `` Baby Do n't You Do It '' `` Guarantee for a Lifetime '' `` Baby I Need Your Loving '' / `` Call on Me '' `` Candy to Me '' / `` If You Do n't Want My Love '' `` Whisper You Love Me Boy '' `` Baby Love '' / `` Ask Any Girl '' `` Come See About Me '' / ( You 're Gone But ) Always in My Heart '' `` Without the One You Love ( Life 's Not Worth While ) '' / `` Love has Gone '' `` You 're a Wonderful One '' `` How Sweet It Is ( To Be Loved by You ) '' 1965 `` Where Did You Go '' `` Stop ! In the Name of Love '' / `` I 'm in Love Again '' `` You 've Been a Long Time Coming '' `` Who Could Ever Doubt My Love '' `` Nowhere to Run '' `` Back in My Arms Again '' / `` Whisper You Love Me Boy '' `` I Ca n't Help Myself ( Sugar Pie Honey Bunch ) '' `` The Only Time I 'm Happy '' `` Mother Dear '' / `` He Holds His Own '' `` Nothing but Heartaches '' / `` He Holds His Own '' `` Love ( Makes Me Do Foolish Things ) '' `` It 's the Same Old Song '' / `` Your Love Is Amazing '' `` Mother Dear '' / `` Who Could Ever Doubt My Love '' `` I Hear a Symphony '' / `` Who Could Ever Doubt My Love '' `` Something About You '' `` Take Me in Your Arms ( Rock Me a Little While ) '' `` Darling Baby '' `` There 's a Ghost in My House '' 1966 `` ( I 'm a ) Roadrunner '' `` This Old Heart of Mine ( Is Weak for You ) '' `` Ask any Man '' `` My World Is Empty Without You '' `` Put Yourself in My Place '' `` There 's No Love Left '' `` Shake Me, Wake Me ( When It 's Over ) '' / `` Just as Long as You Need Me '' `` Helpless '' / `` A Love Like Yours ( Do n't Come Knocking Everyday ) '' `` Call on Me '' `` Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart '' / `` He 's All I Got '' `` Who Could Ever Doubt My Love '' `` I Like Everything About You '' `` I Guess I 'll Always Love You '' `` Nothing but Soul '' `` Love 's Gone Bad '' / `` Put Yourself in My Place '' `` You Ca n't Hurry Love '' / `` Put Yourself in My Place '' `` Little Darling ( I Need You ) '' `` Reach Out I 'll Be There '' / `` Until You Love Someone '' `` Stay in My Lonely Arms '' `` You Keep Me Hangin ' On '' / `` I Wanna Mother You, Smother You With Love '' `` You Keep Me Hangin ' On '' / `` Remove This Doubt '' `` Standing in the Shadows of Love '' / Since You 've Been Gone '' `` I 'm Ready for Love '' `` ( Come ' Round Here ) I 'm the One You Need '' `` Heaven Must Have Sent You '' 1967 `` Just One Last Look '' `` Love Is Here and Now You 're Gone '' / There 's No Stopping Us Now '' `` Your Love Is Amazing '' `` Jimmy Mack '' / `` Third Finger, Left Hand '' `` Bernadette '' / `` I Got a Feeling '' `` My World Is Empty Without You '' `` The Happening '' / `` All I Know About You '' `` Just Ai n't Enough Love '' `` 7 - Rooms of Gloom '' / `` I 'll Turn to Stone '' `` I Understand My Man '' `` Your Unchanging Love '' / `` I 'll Take Care of You '' `` Reflections '' / `` Going Down for the Third Time '' `` One Way Out '' `` You Keep Me Running Away '' / `` If You Do n't Want My Love '' `` I Got a Feeling '' `` In and Out of Love '' / `` I Guess I 'll Always Love You '' 1968 `` Whisper You Love Me Boy '' `` Forever Came Today '' `` I 'm in a Different World '' 1969 `` We 've Got a Way Out Love '' `` Crumbs off the Table '' 1970 `` Give Me Just a Little More Time '' `` ( You 've Got Me ) Dangling on a String '' `` Everything 's Tuesday '' `` Band of Gold '' `` Westbound # 9 '' 1972 `` The Day I Found Myself '' `` Do n't Leave Me Starvin ' for Your Love '' `` Why Ca n't We Be Lovers '' 1973 `` You 're Gonna Need Me '' `` We 're Almost There '' `` Just a Little Bit of You '' `` Early Morning Love '' `` Where Do I Go from Here '' 1976 `` I 'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking '' `` High Energy '' `` Let Yourself Go '' 1982 `` We Can Never Light That Old Flame Again '' Related topics Motown Hot Wax Records Invictus Records List of songs written by Holland, Dozier and Holland Michael McDonald Studio albums If That 's What It Takes ( 1982 ) No Lookin ' Back ( 1985 ) Take It to Heart ( 1990 ) Blink of an Eye ( 1993 ) Blue Obsession ( 2000 ) Motown ( 2003 ) Motown Two ( 2004 ) Soul Speak ( 2008 ) Wide Open ( 2017 ) Compilation albums Sweet Freedom ( 1986 ) Singles `` I Keep Forgettin ' ( Every Time You 're Near ) '' `` No Lookin ' Back '' `` Sweet Freedom '' `` I Heard It Through the Grapevine '' `` Ai n't No Mountain High Enough '' `` Reach Out, I 'll Be There '' `` Baby I Need Your Lovin ' '' `` Stop, Look, Listen ( To Your Heart ) '' `` Deck the Halls / Jingle Bells '' `` Walk On By '' `` ( Your Love Keeps Lifting Me ) Higher and Higher '' `` Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ! '' Record labels Warner Bros. Reprise Universal Music Group Motown Related articles Discography The Doobie Brothers Toto Amy Holland Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Reach_Out_I%27ll_Be_There&oldid=836107591 '' Categories : 1966 songs 1966 singles 1971 singles Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs number - one singles Four Tops songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Michael Bolton songs Motown singles Song recordings produced by Brian Holland Song recordings produced by Lamont Dozier Song recordings produced by Ashford & Simpson Songs written by Holland -- Dozier -- Holland UK Singles Chart number - one singles Hidden categories : Pages with reference errors Pages with duplicate reference names CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart called without artist Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch40 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for UK Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for United Kingdom Singlechart usages for Canadaadultcontemporary Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 12 April 2018, at 18 : 35. 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Question: who wrote reach out i'll be there
Answer: Holland–Dozier–Holland