Still Waters Run Deep (Four Tops album)
Encyclopedia
Still Waters Run Deep is an early concept album
released by American
vocal group the Four Tops
.
label. Produced by longtime Norman Whitfield
associate Frank Wilson
, the album returned the Four Tops to the top forty on the album charts where it peaked at number twenty-one on the albums chart yielding the popular Top 30
hits, "Still Water (Love)" (#11), which was co-written by Smokey Robinson
and their cover of "It's All in the Game" (#24), which featured rare co-leads by Four Tops members Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton
singing alongside prominent lead Levi Stubbs
. The album also served as inspiration behind singer Marvin Gaye
's What's Going On
, the hit title track
, which was written by Benson.
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
released by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
vocal group the Four Tops
Four Tops
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...
.
Reception
Released in March 1970 on the MotownMotown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
label. Produced by longtime Norman Whitfield
Norman Whitfield
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
associate Frank Wilson
Frank Wilson (musician)
Frank Wilson is an African American former songwriter and record producer for Motown Records.-Biography:He was born to James Wilson and Samantha Gibbs...
, the album returned the Four Tops to the top forty on the album charts where it peaked at number twenty-one on the albums chart yielding the popular Top 30
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hits, "Still Water (Love)" (#11), which was co-written by Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
and their cover of "It's All in the Game" (#24), which featured rare co-leads by Four Tops members Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton
Lawrence Payton
Lawrence Albert Payton was an American tenor, songwriter and record producer for the popular Motown quartet, the Four Tops....
singing alongside prominent lead Levi Stubbs
Levi Stubbs
Levi Stubbles , better known by the stage name Levi Stubbs, was an American baritone singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Motown R&B group Four Tops...
. The album also served as inspiration behind singer Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
's What's Going On
What's Going On
What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released May 21, 1971, on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records...
, the hit title track
What's Going On (song)
"What's Going On" is a song written by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marvin Gaye. It was the title track of Gaye's groundbreaking 1971 Motown album What's Going On, and it became a crossover hit single that reached #2 on the pop charts and #1 on the R&B charts...
, which was written by Benson.
Track listing
- "Still Water (Love)Still Water (Love)"Still Water " is a 1970 hit single written by Smokey Robinson and Frank Wilson, who also produced the track for Motown singing group The Four Tops, who took the song to the top ten of the UK pop charts and the top twenty of the US pop chart...
" (Smokey RobinsonSmokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
, Frank WilsonFrank Wilson (musician)Frank Wilson is an African American former songwriter and record producer for Motown Records.-Biography:He was born to James Wilson and Samantha Gibbs...
) 3:09 - "Reflections" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) 3:25
- "It's All in the Game" (Charles Dawes, Carl SigmanCarl SigmanCarl Sigman was an American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York, Sigman graduated from law school and passed his Bar exams to practice in the state of New York...
) 2:44 - "Everybody's Talkin'Everybody's Talkin'"Everybody's Talkin" is a folk rock song released by Fred Neil in 1966 that became a global success for Harry Nilsson in 1969, reaching #2 and #6 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and Pop Singles chart respectively and winning a Grammy after it was featured on the soundtrack for the film...
" (Fred NeilFred NeilFred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
) 2:53 - "Love is the Answer" (Smokey Robinson, Kathy Wakefield, Frank Wilson) 2:26
- "I Wish I Were Your Mirror" (Pam SawyerPam SawyerPamela Sawyer, an American-based songwriter from Romford, East London.Sawyer worked with artists at Motown Records from 1967 to 1977. Before Motown she had been involved in hit records for the Young Rascals and Lulu, and wrote with Lori Burton with whom she also recorded as the Whyte Boots.Sawyer...
, Frank Wilson) 3:09 - "Elusive ButterflyElusive Butterfly"Elusive Butterfly" is a popular song by Bob Lind released in 1966, which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was also recorded and released in 1966 in the UK by the Irish singer Val Doonican...
" (Bob LindBob LindBob Lind is an American folk music singer-songwriter who reached the height of his success during the 1960s...
) 3:07 - "Bring Me Together" (Kathy Wakefield, Frank Wilson) 2:59
- "L.A. (My Town)" (Sherlie MatthewsSherlie MatthewsSherlie Matthews is an American singer, songwriter and record producer, best known as a backing vocalist for Pop, R&B and Rock groups from the mid 1960s to the present time.-Early life:...
) 3:09 - "Still Water (Peace)" (Smokey Robinson, Frank Wilson) 2:42
Charts
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
21 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
3 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|||
| 1970 | "Still Water (Love)" | 11 | 4 | |
| "It's All in the Game" | 24 | 6 | ||