Título: Four Tops
Seção: ABC Records and Casablanca Records
Background: The Four Tops are a vocal quartet from Detroit, Michigan, USA, who helped to define the city's Motown sound of the 1960s. The group's repertoire has included soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, doo-wop, jazz, and show tunes. Founded as the Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, performing from 1953 until 1997 without a change in personnel. The Four Tops were among a number of groups, including the Miracles, the Marvelettes, Martha and the Vandellas, the Temptations, and the Supremes, who established the Motown Sound heard around the world during the 1960s.

Conteúdo: Motown as a company began to change during the early 1970s. Older acts such as Martha and the Vandellas and The Marvelettes were slowly moved aside or dropped to focus on newer acts, such as Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5, Rare Earth, and the now-solo Diana Ross. In addition, the company moved its operations from Detroit to Los Angeles, California, where Berry Gordy planned to break into the motion picture and television industries. In 1972, it was announced that the entire company would move west and that all its artists had to move as well. Many of the older Motown acts, already neglected by the label, opted to stay in Detroit, including The Funk Brothers studio backing band, Martha Reeves, and the Four Tops.  The Tops departed Motown for ABC-Dunhill, where they were assigned to writer-producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter and the label's head of A&R, Steve Barri as producer, with The Tops' own Lawrence Payton later also serving as a producer and writer. He also took over lead vocal duties on several tracks.  The group's first release on the label, "Keeper of the Castle" was their first pop Top 10 hit since "Bernadette" in 1967. Follow-ups included the million-selling "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)", also a top 10 pop hit and their third R&B number 1, and the Top 20 hit, "Are You Man Enough", (from the movie "Shaft in Africa"). "Sweet Understanding Love"; "Midnight Flower"; and "One Chain Don't Make No Prison" all reached the R&B Top 10 between 1972 and 1974

user: Did they move from ABC to Casablanca?

assistant: The Tops departed Motown for ABC-Dunhill,

user: Why  did they depart motown?

assistant: In 1972, it was announced that the entire company would move west and that all its artists had to move as well.

user: So the tops moved west then?

assistant: The Tops departed Motown for ABC-Dunhill,

user: How did they do with ABC?

assistant: The group's first release on the label, "Keeper of the Castle" was their first pop Top 10 hit since "Bernadette" in 1967.

user: Did any singles come from this album?

assistant: Follow-ups included the million-selling "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)", also a top 10 pop hit

user: Were there any other singles?

assistant: and their third R&B number 1, and the Top 20 hit, "Are You Man Enough", (

user: Were those the only singles?

assistant: "). "Sweet Understanding Love"; "Midnight Flower"; and "One Chain Don't Make No Prison"

user: When did they move to Casanblanca?

assistant: The group disappeared from the recording scene until the early 1980s. Signing a deal with Casablanca Records, the Tops made a comeback in 1981