DICK JENSEN "I DON'T WANT TO CRY / TAMIKA (COME BACK LATER)" (1973)

I still love you, just like I did before
But before you smile and walk through the door, darling
I don't want to cry, no, I don't want to cry
No more, no, darling, no more, no more, do you hear me?

You come and go, just like the morning sun
But woman, I'm serious, and you're just having fun, darling
I don't want to cry, no, no, I don't want to cry
No more, no, darling, no more, no more, no more, no more

I said you're welcome to my lips
I said you're welcome, welcome to my arms
Yes, you're welcome to this old heart of mine
You're welcome to everything I have to offer you
So come on now, take it, take it, take it, take any part

Mama, I know I was wrong, can't you see I need you woman
So come on home, yeah, before you do, I'm gonna tell you
I don't want to cry, no, I don't want to cry
No more, no, darling, no more
Ain't gonna cry no more, ain't gonna cry no more

No, do you hear me? I don't wan't to cry, no, I don't want to cry
I cry no more, I ain't crying no more, no, no
Girl I cry no more, no, no, no, no more
Don't wanna cry no more, don't wanna cry no more...

[from the lyrics of "I Don't Want To Cry"]



Dick Jensen was one of the first artists to sign with the now-legendary Philadelphia International Records label in 1971. Nowadays it seems that he had little in common with the other artists which made the label famous later on, but at the time - once you heard the power and soul in his vocal delivery - it all made perfect sense. And with the label main men Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff behind the scenes, it seemed as if Dick Jensen had finally found the perfect home for his energetic style of Soul.

Like many of the label's acts, Jensen received musical assistance from PIR's house band, the illustrious MFSB. The band on the recording sessions for his self-titled album featured Ronnie Baker (bass), Larry Washington (congas, bongos), Earl Young (drums), Lenny Pakula (organ), Leon Huff (piano), Vincent Montana (vibraphone) and guitarists Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, Roland Chambers and TJ Tindall. Backing vocals were provided by Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benton.



Along with arrangements by Bobby Martin, Vince Montana and Norman Harris, and production by Bunny Sigler, Thom Bell and Gamble & Huff themselves (who also handled a majority of the songwriting) "Dick Jensen", released in February 1973, was as smooth and slick as anything else the label had released but was far more Pop-oriented.

Unfortunately, upon release, critics and Soul fans didn't know what to make of it. Jensen's talent was undeniable, but the album was not what they expected from the house that Gamble & Huff had built and the project itself was lost in the confusion... More information about the album are available here and here.

A signed Dick Jensen promotional picture, circa mid-70

Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. I Don't Want To Cry (2:49)
02. Tamika (Come Back Later) (2:57)

Both tracks were remastered in June 2015 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files; both formats include scans of the complete original artwork.

Please have a look at the comments for the download links.



Following the release of the "Dick Jensen" album, "I Don't Want To Cry / Tamika (Come Back Later)" was published in the U.K. sometimes in 1973 by Epic Records; the record comes in a company sleeve with catalogue number S EPC 1521.

"I Don't Want To Cry" was originally a hit for Chuck Jackson in 1961; the song was written by Jackson himself with Soul legend Luther Dixon. Jensen's version remains faithful to the original (which was arranged by Carole King) with the addition of the magical touch of the P.I.R. team. It swoops and soars thanks to Jensen's passionate delivery. You can listen to the original version of this song by clicking here.



Written by Gamble & Huff, "Tamika (Come Back Later)" features Jensen in Levi Stubbs mode, bellowing out the words as if his life depended on it. The song was arranged by bassist Ronnie Baker and is closer to a Motown Pop song than a Philly Soul record, hence probably its inclusion in this single for the British market. Here's the lyrics:

Tamika come back later
Tamika come back later
I've got another love in my corner

Who told you to come around here
without giving me some kind of warning?
Giving me some kind of warning
And who told you to knock on my door
when it's so early in the morning?
It's so early in the morning

You should have known much better than that
You should have known it was over and back

Tamika come back later
Tamika come back later
I've got another love in my corner

You left me for the love of another
You filled my heart with so much sorrow
Filled it with so much sorrow
Now you tell me that you're really, really sorry
but it's too late so come back tomorrow
Girl, you'd better come back tomorrow

You should have called before you came back
'cause it's a sin to see you cry

Tamika come back later
Tamika come back later
I've got another love in my corner...
Yes I do

Most of the text on this page was sourced from the "Dick Jensen" reissue liner notes written by Stephen SPAZ Schnee. The CD was released by Big Break Records in 2013 and is currently the only available Jensen album, I strongly encourage you to buy a copy of this great long forgotten masterpiece!

More information about Dick Jensen is available here:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/22/news/story02.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/22/il/FP606220304.html

http://www.oahuislandnews.com/May05/Home.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Jensen

I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.

I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.

Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.

All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.

I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next months, if you have any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

DICK JENSEN "PEACE OF MIND / NEW YORK CITY'S A LONELY TOWN" (1973)

I know where to go to get sunshine
South of the border, go swimming in the water
I know where to get the best of wine
Oh Paris, that's the place for me

Where do you go when your heart is breaking?
How do I get rid of all this aggravation?
Where can I find peace of mind?
How can I find peace of mind?
Where can I find, find, find peace of mind?
It's in your arms, girl

I know where I can have a real good time
Up in New York City, all the girls so pretty
I know I can go anywhere
Do anything I want to, but it's not like having you

But where do I go when I'm feeling sad and lonely?
Yes you love, I won't hand this, your love only
I've gotta find peace of mind
How can I find peace of mind?
Where can I find, find, find peace of mind?
It's in your arms, girl

Yeah, that's where I belong
Yeah, that's where I belong

Peace of mind is in your arms, girl
Ooh, right there in your arms
Right there in your arms

Peace of mind is in your arms, girl
Yeah, it's right there in your arms
Ooh, it's right there in your arms

Peace of mind is in your arms, girl
Yeah, that's where I belong
Yeah, that's where I belong

[from the lyrics of "Peace of Mind"]

"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town", the Swedish edition comes in a picture sleeve...

Dick Jensen was one of the first artists to sign with the now-legendary Philadelphia International Records label in 1971. Nowadays it seems that he had little in common with the other artists which made the label famous later on, but at the time - once you heard the power and soul in his vocal delivery - it all made perfect sense. And with the label main men Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff behind the scenes, it seemed as if Dick Jensen had finally found the perfect home for his energetic style of Soul.

...but the back cover is plain white!

Like many of the label's acts, Jensen received musical assistance from PIR's house band, the illustrious MFSB. The band on the recording sessions for his self-titled album featured Ronnie Baker (bass), Larry Washington (congas, bongos), Earl Young (drums), Lenny Pakula (organ), Leon Huff (piano), Vincent Montana (vibraphone) and guitarists Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, Roland Chambers and TJ Tindall. Backing vocals were provided by Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benton.

"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town", front cover reconstruction

Along with arrangements by Bobby Martin, Vince Montana and Norman Harris, and production by Bunny Sigler, Thom Bell and Gamble & Huff themselves (who also handled a majority of the songwriting) "Dick Jensen", released in February 1973, was as smooth and slick as anything else the label had released but was far more Pop-oriented.

"Peace of Mind (Mono) / Peace of Mind (Stereo)", front cover reconstruction (promo version)

Unfortunately, upon release, critics and Soul fans didn't know what to make of it. Jensen's talent was undeniable, but the album was not what they expected from the house that Gamble & Huff had built and the project itself was lost in the confusion... More information about the album are available here and here.

Dick Jensen at the Oceania Empire Room, circa 1972-73

Here's the track list for this 7" single:

01. Peace of Mind (2:47)
02. New York City's a Lonely Town (3:09)

bonus track:

03. Peace of Mind (Mono) (2:46)

All tracks were remastered in March 2015 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files; both formats include scans of the complete original artwork.

Please have a look at the comments for the download links.

   

"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town" Side A and Side B

Following the release of the "Dick Jensen" album, "Peace of Mind / New York City's Lonely Town" was Jensen's third single for Philadelphia International Records; it was published in a company sleeve with catalogue number ZS7 3542, probably sometimes in late 1973.

The single was also released for the Swedish market, and that particular edition featured the picture cover you can see at the top of this post.

By the way, according to the liner notes that accompaign the CD reissue of "Dick Jensen", the single was not released in late 1973 - as indicated on the labels - but in March 1974... I'm doubtful about this, but I may be wrong of course.

The single didn't chart, but it stands as one of the great lost singles of its era, especially with "New York City's a Lonely Town" as its B-side.

   

"Peace of Mind / New York City's a Lonely Town" Side A and Side B (Swedish edition)

Written by Gamble & Huff and arranged by Bobby Martin, "Peace of Mind" is a fine slice of joyful Pop containing all the elements that make a PIR recording so vibrant. Jensen adds soul to his performance; it's a lively recording that really demonstrate the singer and his golden pipes.

"New York City's a Lonely Town" was also written by Gamble & Huff, with a smooth arrangement by Norman Harris. This number is a real gem, a wonderfully soulful ballad that Jensen really sinks his teeth into. One of the many strengths of his voice is the passionate conviction in his delivery. He starts the song  as if it were a lost mid '70s Elvis recording and ends it with a Levi Stubbs-like bellow. With a musical bed that would have made The Stylistics cry with glee, Jensen wraps his booming voice around the heart-breaking melody, turning the sweat of his performance into tears of loneliness... Here's the lyrics of the song:

New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around

I left my girl in Atlanta, Georgia
she cried when she begged me to stay
I came up here to this great big city
hoping to find my way
Try to get over, try to get in
please let me in

New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around
New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around

I walk the streets, I see a million people
they won't tell me which way to go
The sign says welcome, but ain't it a pity
there's no one to open the door
I'm trying to get over, trying to get in
please let me in

New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around
New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around

New York City is a lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely town
when she's not around
New York City is a lonely town
when the one you love is not around...

   

"Peace of Mind (Mono) / Peace of Mind (Stereo)" Side A and Side B (promo only)

"Peace of Mind (Mono)", included here as a bonus, was released on Side A of the promo version of the single, which omitted "New York City's a Lonely Town" in favour of the regular stereo version of "Peace of Mind".

Most of the text on this page was sourced from the "Dick Jensen" reissue liner notes written by Stephen SPAZ Schnee. The CD was released by Big Break Records in 2013 and is currently the only available Jensen album, I strongly encourage you to buy a copy of this great long forgotten masterpiece!

More information about Dick Jensen is available here:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/22/news/story02.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/22/il/FP606220304.html

http://www.oahuislandnews.com/May05/Home.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Jensen

I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.

I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.

Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.

All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.

I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next months, if you have any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

FOUR TOPS "MAIN STREET PEOPLE" (1973)

We've made some progress this I know
look around you'll see it show
men on the Moon
and we watch it on TV
We move ahead at breakneck speed
ain't no end to the things we need
all for the betterment of you and me
But if someone should ask
would it be too great a task
to see the world the way it used to be

Whatever happened to the days we met on Main Street
all we ever wanted to do was sing and dance
Maybe we could go back again and look for Main Street
but sad as it may be, people, we never get the chance

I swear we're always on the run
it's an endless chase to find the sun
and what do you have at the end of a long, long day
You got your dreams in stereo
you go to bed with the late late show
but deep in your heart the good times have gone away
It comes as no surprise
when you cut it down to size
you're not the only one who's gonna say

Whatever happened to the days we met on Main Street
all we ever wanted to do was sing and dance
Maybe we could go back again and look for Main Street
but sad as it may be, people, we never get the chance

[from the lyrics of "Main Street People"]



One of Motown's most consistent hitmakers and its longest lived lineup (over four decades), the Four Tops were the most stable vocal groups to emerge from the label in the '60s, charting with scores of upbeat love songs featuring Levi Stubbs' rough hewn lead vocals.

The Four Tops were a product of Detroit's North End: Levi Stubbs and Abdul "Duke" Fakir sang together in a group while attending Pershing High School. Renaldo "Obie" Benson and Lawrence Payton were boyhood friends and attended Northern High together in Detroit too. At the insistence of their friends, they performed at a local birthday party and decided to remain together christening themselves The Four Aims.

Roquel "Billy" Davis, who was Lawrence Payton's cousin and sometimes sang with the group as the fifth Aim, sent a demo tape to Chess Records in Chicago. They were sent bus tickets and invited to audition.

It seems that Chess was more interested in Davis' writing skill than the group. However Davis' persistence ended up with them being signed to Chess Records. In 1956 they changed their name to Four Tops to avoid confusion with the The Ames Brothers, another well-estabilished vocal group.

Over the next seven years, the Tops endured unsuccessful tenures at Chess, Red Top, Riverside Records and Columbia Records. Without any hit records to their name, they toured frequently, developing a polished stage presence and an experienced supper club act. In 1963, Berry Gordy, Jr., who had worked with Roquel Davis as a songwriter in the late '50s, convinced the Tops to join the roster of his growing Motown record company.



Gordy had them record "Breaking Through" for his experimental Workshop Jazz subsidiary. Later that year they were finally directed toward contemporary soul. Under the wing of Motown's top production and recording team, Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Four Tops were launched with "Baby I Need Your Loving", which went to #11 in 1964.

Over the next eight years The Four Tops appeared on the charts almost thirty times, and Levi Stubbs became an international star and an influence on singers from the Sixties to the present time.

After scoring their first #1 hit, the often-recorded and revived "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" in June 1965, the Four Tops began a long series of successful hit singles. Among the first wave of these hits were the Top 10 "It's the Same Old Song", "Something About You", "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)", and "Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever".

Like many other Motown acts, the Four Tops became popular in major nightclubs around the world. In 1967 they had hits with "Bernadette", "7-Rooms of Gloom" and "You Keep Running Away". By now, the Tops were the most successful male Motown act in the U.K. (...in the United States, they were second to The Temptations...), and began experimenting with more mainstream pop hits.

They scored hits with their versions of "If I Were a Carpenter" and "Walk Away Renée". These singles and the original "I'm In a Different World" were their last hits produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland, who left Motown in 1967.

Without Holland-Dozier-Holland, the quality of the Four Tops' output began to decline, and hits became less frequent. The group worked with a wide array of Motown producers during the late 1960s, including Ivy Hunter, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Norman Whitfield and Johnny Bristol, without significant chart success.

"Main Street People" inner gatefold

Their first major hit in a long time came in the form of 1970's "It's All In the Game", produced by Frank Wilson. Wilson and the Tops began working on a number of innovative tracks and albums together, echoing Whitfield's psychedelic soul work with The Temptations.

Their 1970 album "Still Waters Run Deep" was an early ancestor to the concept album. It also served as an inspiration for Marvin Gaye's 1971 classic album "What's Going On", the title track of which was co-written by "Obie" Benson.

In addition to their own albums, the Tops were paired with The Supremes for a series of three albums: "The Magnificent Seven" was released in 1970, "The Return of the Magnificent Seven" and "Dynamite!" followed in 1971. While the albums themselves did not do well on the charts, "The Magnificent Seven" featured a Top 20 version of Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep - Mountain High", produced by Ashford & Simpson.

In early 1972 the Four Tops recorded "Nature Planned It" with producer Frank Wilson, it was their last Motown album for more than twenty years. This release was the subject of a previous post on Stereo Candies, just have a look here if you're interested.

During that year, Motown started relocating to Los Angeles and all its artists had to move as well. Many of the older acts opted to stay in Detroit, including The Funk Brothers backing band and the Four Tops. The Tops departed Motown for ABC/Dunhill, where they were assigned to songwriters-producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter.

Moving to another label rejuvenated the group's career and when "Keeper of the Castle" was released as a single in October 1972  it became their first Pop Top 10 hit since "Bernadette" in 1967, with "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)" also entering the Top 10 in a short time.

Following the success of the "Keeper of the Castle" LP (...enjoy it here...), in 1973 the Four Tops returned to the ABC Recording Studios under the supervision of Steve Barri with the same team of musicians, arrangers and producers to work on their 19th full-lenght studio album entitled "Main Street People".

"Main Street People" original inner sleeve

The following review of "Main Street People" was published on the 15th September 1973 issue of Billboard:

«There is an infectious mellowness to the group's sound which provides a distinctiveness which allows this vocal quartet to stand out. The songwriting team of Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter accounts for six of the eleven tunes. They are also listed as producers with Steve Barri. With all this fine talent, the LP smacks of intense care and concern. The songs are powerful vehicles for intense interpretations. The themes are man-to-man relationships, trouble and how to overcome it, mental happiness, solid man-woman relationships. There are many fine elements in the orchestral arrangements which reflect many of the pop, soul and subtle rock influences in today's music. This is a melting pot of instrumental styles, coupled with a vocal cauldron of excellent ensemble and solo singing.»

Four Tops as they appear on the back cover of "Main Street People"

"Main Street People" contains the following tracks:

01. Main Street People (Intro) (1:44)
02. I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind (4:01)
03. It Won't Be the First Time (3:56)
04. Sweet Understanding Love (3:04)
05. Am I My Brother's Keeper (3:26)
06. Are You Man Enough (3:27)
07. Whenever There's Blue (5:22)
08. Too Little, Too Late (3:30)
09. Peace of Mind (4:30)
10. One Woman Man (4:39)
11. Main Street People (3:23)

All tracks were remastered in October 2013, they are available as a single FLAC lossless format file or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 file. Both formats include complete printable artwork as PDF files.

Before you burn this album on CD-R using the provided CUE file you will need to convert the original files to WAV format using an appropriate software. Here's an option for FLAC to WAV conversion and one for MP3 to WAV conversion.

As usual, please have a look at the comments for the download links.



"Main Street People" was released by ABC/Dunhill with catalogue number DSX 50144 in September 1973. Just like the previous album "Keeper of the Castle", it was produced by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who were also responsible for writing about half of the tracks.

The album begins with a short introduction of the title track which then will be offered in complete form at the end of the second side. "Main Street People" is a flawless mix of R&B and Pop with a good arrangement, perfectly carried by Lawrence Payton, Jr.'s robust vocal and more smooth vocal riffs from the rest of the group, a social commentary rich in nostalgia and deep harmonies. The song was also included on the flip side of the "Sweet Understanding Love" single.

"I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind" was chosen as the third and last single taken from the album and was released in January 1974, backed with "Am I My Brother's Keeper" on Side B. The song is a poignant mid-tempo that offers a cool arrangement by Dennis Lambert and Don Hockett, and features one of the best performances of lead singer Levis Stubbs; easily the best track on the album in my humble opinion!

"It Won't Be the First Time" is a slow Pop number that brushes MOR territories, with a nice strings and horns work by Jimmie Haskell and plenty of harmonies and background vocals sustaining Levis Stubbs in an all too easy task.

The album reverts to a more excited phase with "Sweet Understanding Love", which was also released as a single in September 1973. The song was written by Renaldo Benson along with his wife Valaida and Motown veteran Ivy Hunter. So danceable and full of life, this is an irresistable love song that could've walked off a '60s Holland-Dozier-Holland album!

"Am I My Brother's Keeper" was written, once again, by Renaldo Benson along with his wife Valaida, this time joined by Len Perry, an alias for none less than Lawrence Payton, Jr.... This number is another thoughtful and emotional social commentary where lead vocals are divided equally between O.B. Benson, Lawrence Payton, Jr. and Levi Stubbs; the mood is warm and melodic, and the song fully displays the group's trademark left-of-center harmonies as well as the skill of the backing band.

Side One ends with "Are You Man Enough", a funky track that slyly combines a lush orchestration with Shaft-style wah-wah guitars, and served as the theme song for the movie "Shaft In Africa". This song is another highlight from the album and was released as a single backed with "Peace of Mind" in May 1973, a few months before the album. It reached #2 on the American R&B chart and #15 on the American Billboard chart.

Advertisement for the "Shaft In Africa" soundtrack - From the June 6, 1973, issue of Billboard.

Side Two starts with the heavily orchestrated "Whenever There's Blue", arranged by Dennis Lambert and Don Hockett. The song is another Lambert & Potter original with lead vocal by Levi Stubbs.

The less than essential "Too Little, Too Late" is a mellow slow number orchestrated by Jimmie Haskell, whose contribution in the economy of the album seems to focus on the slower and sad ballads. Levi Stubbs sings the lead benefiting of the usual background work by the other Tops.

The group lays down some forceful Soul music in "Peace of Mind", a track written by Abdul Fakir, Renaldo Benson and Huey Marvin Davis, who is best remembered as guitarist of The Contours, the group responsible for Motown's first million-selling single "Do You Love Me?". The song's got a hip sound, a blend of Motown reminiscences and Philly strings that features lead vocal by Levi Stubbs and interesting brief spoken sections by the other members. Another number worthy of the podium!

"One Woman Man" was written by Lawrence Payton, Jr. under his Len Perry alias along with Phil Townsend, a member of a street corner group known as The Sparrows. The arrangement was created by Gil Askey, while Payton delivered the lead vocal with no other member of the group in sight. A short saxophone solo on the closing section of the song remains uncredited...

The album ends with the full-lenght rendition of "Main Street People" that features lead vocal by Levi Stubbs.

The following videos offer a preview of the remastered album; for this purpose I chose my favourite tracks: "I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind", "Sweet Understanding Love", "Am I My Brother's Keeper", and "Peace of Mind", enjoy!

Here's the credits and personnel list of "Main Street People" as they appear on the inner gatefold of the album:

Main Street People (Intro)
(Dennis Lambert / Brian Potter)
Rhythm arranged by Dennis Lambert
Strings arranged by Jimmie Haskell
Lead Vocal: Lawrence Payton, Jr.

I Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind
(Dennis Lambert / Brian Potter)
Arranged by Dennis Lambert and Don Hockett
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs

It Won't Be the First Time
(Dennis Lambert / Brian Potter)
Rhythm arranged by Dennis Lambert
Strings and Horns arranged by Jimmie Haskell
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs

Sweet Understanding Love
(Renaldo Benson / Val Benson / Ivy Hunter)
Arranged by Gil Askey
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs

Am I My Brother's Keeper
(Renaldo Benson / Val Benson / Len Perry)
Arranged by Gil Askey
Lead Vocal: O.B. Benson, Lawrence Payton, Jr., Levi Stubbs

Are You Man Enough (From the MGM Film "Shaft In Africa")
(Dennis Lambert / Brian Potter)
Arranged by Dennis Lambert and Don Hockett
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton, Jr.

Whenever There's Blue
(Dennis Lambert / Brian Potter)
Arranged by Dennis Lambert and Don Hockett
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs

Too Little, Too Late
(Dennis Lambert / Brian Potter)
Rhythm arranged by Dennis Lambert
Strings and Horns arranged by Jimmie Haskell
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs

Peace of Mind
(Abdul Fakir / Renaldo Benson / Huey Davis)
Arranged by Gil Askey and Jimmie Haskell
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs

One Woman Man
(Len Perry / Phil Townsend)
Arranged by Gil Askey
Lead Vocal: Lawrence Payton, Jr.

Main Street People
(Dennis Lambert / Brian Potter)
Rhythm arranged by Dennis Lambert
Strings and Horns arranged by Jimmie Haskell
Lead Vocal: Levi Stubbs

Produced by: Steve Barri, Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter

Recording Engineers: Phil Kaye, Howard Gale

Mixing Engineers: Phil Kaye, Steve Barri

Recorded at: ABC Recording Studios, Inc., Studio A, Los Angeles, California

Arranged by: Jimmie Haskell, Gil Askey, Dennis Lambert, Don Hockett

All vocal by the Four Tops: Levi Stubbs, Lawrence Payton, Jr., Renaldo "O.B." Benson, Abdul "Duke" Fakir

Musical Coordination: Lawrence Payton, Jr.

Musicians include:

Drums: Paul Humphrey
Bass: Wilton Felder
Guitars: Larry Carlton, Ben Benay, David T. Walker, Joe Smith
Keyboards: Michael Omartian, Chip Crawford, Michael Wofford, Dennis Lambert

Percussion: King Errisson, Gary Coleman

Concert Master: Sid Sharp

From left to right: Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert, Steve Barri, Levi Stubbs and Lawrence Payton, 1972

The following playbacks of "Am I My Brother's Keeper" and "One Woman Man" were performed by the Four Tops for the American musical variety TV show Soul Train; they were broadcasted on April 20, 1974 and are available courtesy of YouTube. "One Woman Man" features solely Lawrence Payton.

More information about "Main Street People", Lambert & Potter and the Four Tops is available here:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/main-street-people-mw0000845920

http://www.soulstrut.com/index.php/reviews/indepth/Main%20Street%20People/

http://mallsandwaterfalls.blogspot.it/2009/03/main-street-people-by-four-tops.html

http://www.examiner.com/review/the-four-tops-enjoy-life-after-motown

http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/four_tops/main_street_people/

http://www.dustygroove.com/item/47118

http://www.discogs.com/Four-Tops-Main-Street-People/master/36419

http://www.discogs.com/Four-Tops-Are-You-Man-Enough-/master/164563

http://www.discogs.com/Four-Tops-I-Just-Cant-Get-You-Out-Of-My-Mind-Am-I-My-Brothers-Keeper/master/192778

http://www.discogs.com/Four-Tops-Sweet-Understanding-Love/master/177229

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Man_Enough_%28Four_Tops_song%29

http://991.com/Buy/ProductInformation.aspx?StockNumber=573125&PrinterFriendly=1

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070679/

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dennis-lambert-mn0000818714

http://www.answers.com/topic/dennis-lambert

http://www.bignoisenow.com/dennislambert.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Potter_%28musician%29

http://www.answers.com/topic/brian-potter-musician

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/brian-potter-mn0000623246

http://www.discogs.com/artist/Dennis+Lambert+%26+Brian+Potter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Tops

http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Four%20Tops.html

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-four-tops-mn0000071812

http://rockhall.com/inductees/the-four-tops/bio/

http://www.soultracks.com/fourtops.htm

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/the-four-tops/biography

http://www.vocalhalloffame.com/inductees/the_four_tops.html

http://www.warr.org/fourtops.html

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/levi-stubbs-mn0000256831

http://tsort.info/music/7tkq0a.htm

http://tsort.info/music/7anj49.htm

http://www.45cat.com/artist/four-tops/us

http://www.45cat.com/artist/four-tops/uk

http://www.whosampled.com/sampled/Four%20Tops/?sp=1

If you have any other useful information about the Four Tops and "Main Street People" - especially corrections and improvements to this post - or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!

DICK JENSEN AT THE OCEANIA EMPIRE ROOM (AUGUST 1973)

"The Oceania floating restaurant is moored at Pier 6 in Honolulu Harbor along palm-lined Ala Moana Boulevard, minutes from Waikiki, adiacent to vibrant donwtown Honolulu. Built in Hong Kong, the Oceania is 280 feet overall, has a 60 foot beam and draws 16 feet. She boasts a crew of 225 and can accomodate some 2,000 persons at a single sitting. Chinese artworks and carvings aboard are worth nearly one million dollars."

The Oceania, was brought with great fanfare to Honolulu Harbor in 1972 and remained in business for nearly two decades, I could not find out what happened to her...

The Oceania floating restaurant in the early '70s

One of the things that I am most pleased about this blog is the contribution of visitors who decide to get in touch and offer some kind of help.

In particular, with regard to Dick Jensen, I often receive messages from people who have had the good fortune to know him or to see him performing one of his shows. The enthusiasm of these fans is simply touching and it's great to learn that he is so well remembered.

The following images were sent to me by Carol Mitchell, who was lucky enough to attend a Dick Jensen performance at The Oceania back in August 1973 during her trip to Hawaii.

She kindly offered some details about the picture that appears on the 1982 brochure I posted here, and then she sent me scans of the pictures she took during the show and the accompaining drink menu... Thank you Carol for sharing your precious souvenirs with us!

The Oceania Empire Room drink menu - front (1973)

The Oceania Empire Room drink menu - back (1973)

Dick Jensen performing at The Oceania Empire Room, August 1973

Dick Jensen performing at The Oceania Empire Room, August 1973

A collage by Carol Mitchell that includes the Dick Jensen picture featured on The Oceania floating restaurant 1973 brochure

More information about Dick Jensen is available here:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2006/06/22/news/story02.html

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Jun/22/il/FP606220304.html

http://www.oahuislandnews.com/May05/Home.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Jensen

I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.

I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.

Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.

All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.

If you have any useful information about Dick Jensen,or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!