jeudi 12 février 2026
mercredi 11 février 2026
It's a Beautiful Thing (1982)
Stepping out of the clubs, Nightingale spent the early '70s in theater, exploring her vocal development through roles in the era's hottest musical stage shows, including Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, and Godspell, as well as the well-received London play Savages, before pairing with the songwriter/production team J. Vincent Edwards and Pierre Tubbs in 1975. They proved to be the perfect pair to showcase her outstanding vocals, and after she signed to United Artists and debuted with their "Right Back Where We Started From," she found herself with a Top Ten U.K. hit in November 1975. The song was even more popular in the States, where it reached number two on the Hot 100 in early 1976.
Backed by an assortment of session musicians and continually partnered with songwriters who were able to best direct her voice, Nightingale's 1976 debut LP, Right Back Where We Started From, also proved to be a hit in the United States, although, oddly, it fell far short of expectations in England. With four singles, including the title track and fellow chartmate "Gotta Be the One," the album reached number 65 in the U.S. The following year brought the Denny Diante-produced Night Life album, which placed "Love Hit Me" (another U.K. hit) and a cover of the Delfonics' "Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time" into heavy club rotation. Lead Me On followed in 1979, bringing her another U.S. chart appearance, this time at number five with the title single, released on Windsong. The Bittersweet LP followed the next year, leaving room for a fine compilation, It's a Beautiful Thing, to round up all the hits in 1982. That same year also saw Nightingale reach further peaks when she paired with R&B singer Jimmy Ruffin, best known for his 1966 standard "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," for the tender duet "Turn to Me." The song never registered on the pop charts, but in November gave Nightingale her first R&B Top 20 debut.
Nightingale subsequently ceased recording solo albums and focused on jazz-oriented performances. Throughout the early 2010s, she sporadically toured across the planet and occasionally recorded, as on Supertramp drummer Steve Reid's 2001 album Dream Scapes.
Bittersweet (1980)
Born in November 1952 in the West London suburb of Wembley, England, Maxine Nightingale was just 16 years old when she began singing in her school band. Enjoying the spotlight so much, she swiftly made the transition to singing in a more professional capacity, appearing in a handful of local clubs and ultimately coming to the attention of Pye Records. Signing with the label, she recorded a handful of singles, including "Do Not Push Me Baby" and 1971's "Love on Borrowed Time." While neither song became a commercial hotshot, the experience only furthered the young singer's drive to succeed in her field.
Love Lines / Lead Me On (1979)
Lead Me On is the third studio album by British singer Maxine Nightingale.[2] It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and at number 35 on the R&B albums chart. In the UK, the album had a different track listing and was titled Love Lines.
Night Life (1977)
Night Life is the second album by British R&B and soul music singer Maxine Nightingale. She is best known for her hits in the 1970s, with the million-seller "Right Back Where We Started From" (1975, U.K. & 1976, U.S.), "Love Hit Me" (Track 3 of this album), and "Lead Me On" (1979)
Right Back Where We Started From (1976)
Right Back Where We Started From is the debut album by British R&B and soul music singer Maxine Nightingale, recorded and released in 1976 by United Artists.
The title track was released as a single in the summer of 1975 reaching No. 8 in the UK: subsequent to its year-end US release the track would reach #5 in Adult Contemporary, #9 in Dance Music/Club Play, #46 in R&B singles and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Nightingale, spending time with her husband in Japan at the time her single gained popularity, ignored advisements from United Artists that she return to London to cut an album, accepting that advice only as the single moved up the upper half of the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1976.[1][2]
The initial recording of the "Right Back Where We Started From" single had been in a session at Central Sound, a small demo studio on Denmark Street in Camden: the basic track had then been augmented at London studios Olympic Sound, Morgan Studios, and Basing Street Studios. The tracks to complete the Right Back Where We Started From album were recorded at Eden Studios in Chiswick. (Maxine Nightingale quote:)"The ...album had to be completed in two weeks – - they wanted to rush release it in America. I chose all the songs but I would have made a few production changes had I been there all the time.
Christmas Here with You (1995)
Christmas Here with You is the twenty-fourth studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released on Motown. It would be the final album by the group before the death of member Lawrence Payton in June 1997.
Indestructible (1988)
Indestructible is the twenty-third studio album by American soul music vocal group the Four Tops. The album was released on August 25, 1988, their sole release on Arista Records.
Four Tops joined Motown in the mid-1960s and had several hits before leaving the following decade and experiencing a period of commercial and critical decline. After performing on the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever and collaborating with fellow Motown artists The Temptations on a subsequent tour, the Tops resigned to their first label.[1][2] They were also able to reunite songwriting team Holland–Dozier–Holland to produce one of their 1980s Motown albums and worked with other 1960s collaborators like Willie Hutch and Smokey Robinson.[3] The group re-entered the studio in 1986 with producer David Wolfert, who had previously produced them in many non-Motown releases.[4] Despite working on the release for several months[5] and issuing the single "Hot Nights" in July,[6] the sessions did not result in a new album and the group signed to Arista Records in 1987.[7] This would be the only album the group released with Arista; the song "Loco in Acapulco" appeared on the soundtrack to the film Buster and the group dueted with Aretha Franklin on her album Through the Storm on this label.
Magic (1985)
Magic is the twenty-second studio album recorded by the Four Tops, released in 1985 on Motown Records.[1] The album reached No. 23 on the Blues & Soul Top British Soul Albums chart and No. 33 on the Billboard Top US R&B Albums chart.
Half of the Magic album was produced by Reggie Lucas, which was the idea of Iris Gordy, who felt his work on the debut double-platinum Madonna album reminded her of an updated Holland-Dozier-Holland sound. The other half was handled by Willie Hutch.[4]
Reggie Lucas produced the song "Maybe Tomorrow", a duet between Levi Stubbs and Phyllis Hyman, which received substantial urban contemporary airplay.
"Sexy Ways" peaked at No. 21 on the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.
Back Where I Belong (1983)
Back Where I Belong is the twenty-first studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released on October 6, 1983, by Motown.
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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] 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.
One More Mountain (1982)
One More Mountain is the twentieth studio album by American soul music vocal group, Four Tops, released by Casablanca Records. This was the second and final album the group recorded for this label before rejoining their long-time home Motown.
Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release 1.5 out of five stars, with reviewer Andrew Hamilton calling it a "sedate effort".[1] The 1992 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide rated this release two out of five stars.
Tonight! (1981)
Tonight! is the nineteenth studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released by Casablanca Records. This was the first album the group recorded for this label followed a short period of commercial a decline in the 1970s, as well as a failed experiment at recording with former Motown associates Holland–Dozier–Holland.[2] This release resulted in much higher chart performance than Four Tops had experienced in several years and the hit single "When She Was My Girl".
A brief review of this album for Billboard recommended this album to retailers on the strength of "When She Was My Girl" and Levi Stubbs' vocals.[3] Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release 2.5 out of five stars, with reviewer Richie Unterberger noting the commercial and critical decline of the band in the 1970s and criticizing this album as, "fairly faceless early-'80s R&B... due much more to the material and arrangements than the singing" with production that is "lush in a very dated way".[1] The 1992 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide rated this release three out of five stars.
At the Top (1978)
At the Top is the eighteenth studio album by American soul music vocal group, Four Tops, released by ABC Records. The album was the last the group recorded for ABC and was followed by a brief hiatus from recording. Four Tops had experienced a decline in their album sales in the 1970s and also had difficulty booking touring dates, so they initially planned to team up with former Motown associates Holland–Dozier–Holland, but they instead recorded this album with Philadelphia soul producer Norman Harris at his Sigma Sound Studios.
Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release three out of five stars, with reviewer Andrew Hamilton characterizing release as "a quality Four Tops album", but "the songs, productions, and singing deserved a better fate", with "lightweight promotion" from ABC.[1] The 1992 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide rated this release two out of five stars.
The Show Must Go On (1977)
The Show Must Go On is the seventeenth studio album by American soul music vocal group, Four Tops, released by ABC Records.
A brief review in Billboard recommended this release to retailers for the "tight, strong vocal harmony offering a bigger than usual sound".[2]Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release 2.5 out of five stars, with reviewer Ed Hogan praising the title track and the songs written by Ronnie McNeir.[1] The 1992 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide rated this release two out of five stars.
Catfish (1976)
Catfish is the sixteenth studio album by American soul music vocal group, Four Tops, released by ABC Records.
Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release three out of five stars, with reviewer Andrew Hamilton praising the title track as "one of the Four Tops' most entrancing numbers", but complaining that "the rest is strictly second-rate songwriter-workshop stuff".[1] The 1992 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide also rated this release two out of five stars.
Night Lights Harmony (1975)
Night Lights Harmony is the fifteenth studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released by ABC Records.
Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release two out of five stars.[1] The 1992 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide also rated this release two out of five stars.[2] In Portraying Performer Image in Record Album Cover Art , art critic Ken Bielen suggests that the cover painting—a departure from most Four Tops albums that feature photographs of the performers—shows the harmony that group's vocals can give listeners by combining the busy cityscape of Times Square along with the exotic birds meeting in the sky.
Meeting of the Minds (1974)
Meeting of the Minds is the fourteenth studio album by American soul music vocal group Four Tops, released by Dunhill Records.
Editors at AllMusic Guide scored this release three out of five stars, with reviewer Jason Elias criticizing that the "production failed to capitalize on the group's chemistry, offering songs that were formulaic and stale", but also noting that there are a few good tracks, particularly "Tell Me You Love Me (Love Sounds)"
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