FOUR TOPS – MAIN STREET PEOPLE LP – Nr MINT A1/B1 UK SOUL MOTOWN

The Four Tops – Main Street People
(Probe Records  1973  SPBA6277)
Matrix No’s: A1/B1 – UK Pressing

G&L Gatefold Sleeve in Excellent condition
– some discolouration around edges
Probe Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality – some foxing spots on labels)

(The) Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes. Founded in Detroit, Michigan as The Four Aims, lead singer Levi Stubbs (born Levi Stubbles, a cousin of Jackie Wilson and brother of The Falcons’ Joe Stubbs), and groupmates Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton remained together for over four decades, having gone from 1953 until 1997 without a single change in personnel.

Main Street People is the twelfth album by R&B group the Four Tops, released in 1973. It produced three singles, one of which, “Sweet Understanding Love” was the group’s last top 40 single in the US for eight years. The album itself did not enjoy the commercial success the group was used to: ‘Main Street People didn’t do near what it should have done,’ Abdul Fakir said in 1982, ‘considering the quality of the material.’

All tracks composed by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter; except where indicated

1. “Main Street People” (Intro) – (1:42)
2. “I Just Can’t Get You Out of My Mind” – (3:59)
3. “It Won’t Be The First Time” – (3:53)
4. “Sweet Understanding Love” (Ivy Jo Hunter, Renaldo Benson, Val Benson) – (3:00)
5. “Am I My Brother’s Keeper” (Len Perry, Renaldo Benson, Val Benson) – (3:25)
6. “Are You Man Enough?” from the MGM movie Shaft in Africa – (3:24)

1. “Whenever There’s Blue” – (5:20)
2. “Too Little, Too Late” – (3:20)
3. “Peace of Mind” (Abdul Fakir, Huey Davis, Renaldo Benson) – (4:28)
4. “One Woman Man” (Len Perry, Phil Townsend) – (4:39)
5. “Main Street People” (3:22)

• Levi Stubbs (Tracks 2–9 & 11), Lawrence Payton (Tracks 1, 5 & 10) — lead vocals
• Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Abdul “Duke” Fakir — backing vocals
• Wilton Felder — bass
• Paul Humphrey — drums
• Ben Benay, David T. Walker, Joe Smith, Larry Carlton — guitars
• Chip Crawford, Dennis Lambert, Michael Omartian, Michael Wofford — keyboards
• Gary B.B. Coleman, King Ericsson — percussion
• Sidney Sharp – concertmaster
• Dennis Lambert, Don Hockett, Gil Askey, Jimmie Haskell – arrangements