Back Where I Belong (Four Tops album)

This album marked a return to the label for the group who released a string of albums for other labels in the 1970s and 1980s and a failed experiment at trying to reunite with songwriting team Holland–Dozier–Holland in 1978. The trio wrote and produced half of the songs on this album, marking their first collaboration in a decade and the last one that all three would participate in together. In Lamont Dozier's memoir 2019 memoir How Sweet It Is, he recounts that the sessions were pleasant, but administrative and legal issues related to rights interfered with his ability to participate in future work with Motown and he alleges that the label consequently refused to promot Back Where I Belong, even though "I Just Can't Walk Away" was a minor hit. The Tops also appeared on the special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and collaborated with fellow Motown artists The Temptations on this release and a subsequent tour.

Reception

Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release 2.5 out of five stars, with reviewer Andrew Hamilton noting an inconsistency in the songwriting, summing up "overall, the Four Tops are more mellow and subdued here than in the past". The 1992 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide also rated this release 2.5 out of five stars.

Track listing

"Make Yourself Right at Home" (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Eddie Holland) – 4:06
"I Just Can't Walk Away" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) – 4:19
"Sail On" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) – 4:14
"Back Where I Belong" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) – 4:45
"What Have We Got to Lose" (Berry Gordy, Jr. and Willie Hutch) – 4:54
"The Masquerade Is Over" (Herbert Magidson and Allie Wrubel) – 4:28
"Body & Soul" (Mel Bolton and Marilyn McLeod) – 4:15
"Hang" (Bolton and McLeod) – 4:28

Personnel

Four Tops

Renaldo Benson – bass vocals
Abdul Fakir –first tenor vocals
Lawrence Payton – second tenor vocals
Levi Stubbs – lead and baritone vocals, vocal arrangement

Additional personnel

David Alexander – photography
Gil Askey – arrangement on "The Masquerade Is Over", production on "The Masquerade Is Over"
John Barnes – keyboards, synthesizer, rhythm arrangement on "Make Yourself Right at Home", "I Just Can't Walk Away", "Sail On", and "Back Where I Belong"; synthesizer programming on "Make Yourself Right at Home", "I Just Can't Walk Away", "Sail On", and "Back Where I Belong"
Alvino M. Bennett – drums, percussion
Mel Bolton – guitar, rhythm arrangement on "Body & Soul" and "Hang", production on "Body & Soul" and "Hang"
Kenneth Burke – bass guitar
Pat Burnette – engineering
Ian Campbell – design
Ananias "Thrasher" Chambers – percussion
Rick Clifford – engineering
Paulinho Da Costa – percussion
Richard Davis – production coordination on "Make Yourself Right at Home", "I Just Can't Walk Away", "Sail On", and "Back Where I Belong"
Lamont Dozier – production on "Make Yourself Right at Home", "I Just Can't Walk Away", "Sail On", and "Back Where I Belong"
Reggie Dozier – engineering
Gene Estes – percussion
Aretha Franklin – vocal duet on "What Have We Got to Lose"
Berry Gordy – production on "The Masquerade Is Over", executive production
Donald Griffin – guitar
John Harrison – engineering
Brian Holland – production on "Make Yourself Right at Home", "I Just Can't Walk Away", "Sail On", and "Back Where I Belong"
Eddie Holland – production on "Make Yourself Right at Home", "I Just Can't Walk Away", "Sail On", and "Back Where I Belong"
Paul Humphrey – drums
Willie Hutch – bass guitar, rhythm arrangement on "What Have We Got to Lose"
James Jamerson, Jr. – bass guitar
Bob Kayli – production on "Body & Soul" and "Hang"
Harry Kim – horn arrangement on "Body & Soul" and "Hang", string arrangement on "Body & Soul" and "Hang"
David Kitay – guitar
Richard Kosinski – keyboards, synthesizer
Johnny Lee – art direction
Jeremy Lubbock – string arrangement on "Make Yourself Right at Home", "I Just Can't Walk Away", "Sail On", and "Back Where I Belong"
John Matousek – engineering
Marilyn McLeod – keyboards, synthesizer, rhythm arrangement on "Body & Soul" and "Hang", production on "Body & Soul" and "Hang"
A. Delaney McQuaig – guitar
Alan Oldfield – keyboards, synthesizer
Gene Page – string arrangement on "What Have We Got to Lose"
Perry Peyton – percussion
Darryl K. Roberts – keyboards, synthesizer, rhythm arrangement on "Body & Soul" and "Hang"
Bob Robitaille – engineering
Allen Sides – engineering
Ray Singleton – project management, project coordination
Steve Smith – engineering
Eddie "Klunis" Summers – percussion
The Temptations – vocals on "Hang"
- Melvin Franklin – vocals
- Richard Street – vocals
- Ron Tyson – vocals
- Otis Williams – vocals
- Ali-Ollie Woodson – vocals
Russ Terrana – engineering
Mike Thompson – keyboards, synthesizer
Gabe Veltri – engineering
Al Viola – guitar
Warren Woods – engineering

Chart performance

Sales on Back Where I Belong were lower than expected by the group and it reached 47 on the R&B charts.

References

Williams, Jean (January 28, 1977). "4 Tops Reborn: Group Seeks New Life; Trying Holland–Dozier–Holland's Skills". General News. Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 4. p. 97. ISSN 0006-2510.
Mitchell, Gail (May 17, 2003). "Rhythm, Rap, and the Blues". R&B/Hip-Hop. Billboard. Vol. 115, no. 20. p. 27. ISSN 0006-2510.
Dozier, Lamont; Bomar, Scott B. (November 26, 2019). How Sweet It Is: A Songwriter's Reflections on Music, Motown and the Mystery of the Muse. BMG Books. ISBN 9781947026513.
Larkin, Colin, ed. (May 27, 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1228. ISBN 9780857125958.
Betts, Graham (May 2, 2014). "Four Tops". Motown Encyclopedia. AC Publishing. ISBN 9781311441546.
Hamilton, Andrew. "The Four Tops – Back Where I Belong". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
DeCurtis, Anthony; George-Warren, Holly; Henke, James, eds. (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely New Reviews : Every Essential Album, Every Essential Artist. Random House. p. 260. ISBN 9780679737292.
Hoeburger, Joe (April 20, 1985). "Four Tops Hope to Recapture 'Magic': Group Readies Second Album Since Rejoining Motown". Talent. Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 16. p. 44. ISSN 0006-2510.
"US Albums". AllMusic Guide. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2016.

External links

Back Where I Belong at Discogs (list of releases)
Back Where I Belong at MusicBrainz (list of releases)

v t e Four Tops
Ronnie McNeir Lawrence "Roquel" Payton, Jr. Alexander Morris Michael Brock Harold Bonhart Levi Stubbs Renaldo "Obie" Benson Lawrence Payton Theo Peoples Abdul "Duke" Fakir
Studio albums	Four Tops Four Tops Second Album On Top On Broadway Reach Out Yesterday's Dreams Four Tops Now! Soul Spin Still Waters Run Deep Changing Times Keeper of the Castle Main Street People Meeting of the Minds Night Lights Harmony Catfish The Show Must Go On At the Top Tonight! One More Mountain Back Where I Belong Magic Indestructible Christmas Here with You
Albums with The Supremes	The Magnificent 7 The Return of the Magnificent Seven Dynamite
Compilations and live albums	Four Tops Live! The Four Tops Greatest Hits Live & in Concert The Ultimate Collection
Singles	"Baby I Need Your Loving" "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" "Ask the Lonely" "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" "It's the Same Old Song" "Something About You" "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" "Bernadette" "7 Rooms of Gloom" "Walk Away Renée" "If I Were a Carpenter" "Yesterday's Dreams" "I'm in a Different World" "It's All in the Game" "Still Water (Love)" "A Simple Game" "Keeper of the Castle" "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" "When She Was My Girl" "Loco in Acapulco"
Related topics	Discography The Andantes Holland–Dozier–Holland The Supremes

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