Digital Video Singles has added five new live performance videos to the iTunes Stores, including great videos from Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Iggy Pop, and the Four Tops.  Information follows…

I SAW HER STANDING THERE 

Paul McCartney is joined by Elton John, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and other music legends at the 1986 Prince’s Trust Rock Gala.   The performance was recorded on June 20, 1986 at Wembley Arena (London).  Running Time is 4:00 minutes.  File size is 51.8 MG.
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LONG TALL SALLY 
Paul McCartney leads Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Elton John and other legendary rock all-stars in this timeless Little Richard tune.  The fans at Wembley Arena go wild in this send-off to the 1986 Prince’s Trust Rock Gala.   Performance recorded on June 20, 1986.  Running Time is 2.55 minutes.  File size is 30 MG.
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THE PASSENGER 
Iggy Pop creates all kinds of trouble for a British TV show in this unedited, over stimulating version of The Passenger, performed in 1977. Complete with the notorious interview that caused all the ruckus, this is a true artifact of music history, and a treasured collectible for Iggy’s fans. Read all about it here. Running Time is 9:45 minutes.  File size is a whopping 118 MG.
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IN THE AIR TONIGHT 
Phil Collins quiets the crowd in this haunting, solo acoustic performance of “In the Air Tonight” at Wembley Arena.  Part of the celebrated Prince’s Trust Rock Gala, performed on June 20, 1986.   Running Times is 5:14 minutes.  File Size is 69.3 MG.
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I CAN’T HELP MYSELF 
At the height of their popularity, in 1970, the Four Tops travelled to London and performed their Number One hit on David Frost’s variety show. The stunningly beautiful color video, recently discovered in a British archive, provides a wonderful keepsake of a joyous moment in pop history.  Performed on the TV show, Frost on Sunday, March 15, 1970.   Running time is 2:56.  File Size is 39.2 MG
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Digital Video Singles released two new videos today for purchase and download on iTunes Stores worldwide:  Iggy Pop’s 1977 performance of The Passenger and The Four Tops 1970 performance of I Can’t Help Myself . This is not as odd a pairing as it may first appear, as Iggy Pop once performed on stage with the Four Tops early  in his career as the session drummer.  Iggy told this story in a recent issue of Mojo, which was part of their cover story “Mojo Goes Motown.” The article is available here.

The article also listed the Top 100 Motown hits, and Iggy Pop was one of the panelists who selected the best songs.  I Can’t Help Myself ranked #47.  Another Four Tops song, Reach Out I’ll Be There, ranked # 3 on the list, and is also available for purchase and sale on iTune stores.

A recently discovered, color video performance of The Four Tops performing “I Can’t Help Myself” (often slated with its subtitle,  ”Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) is now available for download and purchase on iTunes stores worldwide.   The Four Tops were at the height of their popularity when they arrived in London for a series of concerts in March of 1970.  This wonderful performance was recorded on March 15, 1970 for Sir David Frost’s “Frost on Sunday” variety show (yes, the same David Frost who would conduct a series of interviews with Richard Nixon later in the decade).  The song reached Number One on Billboard’s Pop chart, starting June 12, 1965, and was a Number One hit on the UK Pop charts as well.    Written by legendary song-writing team Holland Dozier Holland, “I Can’t Help Myself” is listed at No. 415 on Rolling Stone magazine’s “Greatest Songs of All Time.”

We also have an equally rare performance of The Four Tops singing “Reach Out I’ll Be There” in Paris, which is available for purchase and sale on iTunes. More information on these remarkable videos will be posted soon on our blog.

It’s a truly sad fact that when I get to the chorus of this wonderful song, the lyrics that run through my mind are these: “I can’t help myself…. it’s Duncan Hines and nobody else!”

I guess there aren’t enough talented jingle writers out there for companies to pay for original tunes to sell their products. So instead they pony up the cash for classic songs, and all the memories and associations they carry, and co-opt them to peddle underwear and cake mix. Capitalism at its worse… when everything is for sale, is nothing sacred?

At the same time, I imagine Duncan Hines paid a pretty penny for the rights to ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ and who am I to judge the song’s owner for accepting that windfall? I wonder if The Four Tops had any say in the matter. It could be that not one Top was consulted.

If I’d written a classic song but later fallen on hard times, and some car, computer or food company offered me a million dollars for the rights, I can’t say for sure that I’d turn them down in the name of artistic integrity. But I like to think I’d at least save my sell-outs for products I enjoy. Coke, but never Pepsi.

On a related note, if any musicians out there would like their work featured as a Song of the Day, e-mail me. $100 for a single day, $450 for a theme week.

Four Tops – “I can’t help myself”. Fruktansvärt bra låt. Går just nu på repeat och volymen är i gränslandet för det ohälsosamma.

Lyssna via Spotify.

Levi Stubbs, componente y vocalista de la banda Four Tops, uno de los hitos más reconocidos de la Motown, falleció el pasado 17 de octubre a los 72 años, tras haber luchado contra una serie de enfermedades, incluido un cáncer y un derrame cerebral, que le obligaron a dejar los escenarios en el año en el año 2000, según indicó en su día la revista Billboard. Su funeral fue celebrado 10 días después, y la Motown todavía lo recuerda con un último adiós de su amigo Berry Gordy, fundador del sello.

La verdad es que me habría gustado rendirle mi particular homenaje a su debido tiempo, hace un mes, pero no me ha dado tiempo, así que aquí está, un poco tarde. Pero cuando he visto que la Motown ha puesto a la venta The Definitive Collection- Four Tops, he decidido que era el momento. Además de la parafernalia de la efemérides, todo esto de sacar compilatorios también es marketing, y no es gratuito que los hayan puesto a la venta un par de meses antes de la Navidad. Pero dejémoslo ahí, y centrémonos sólo en la música, que es lo que nos trae aquí.

“Tenía una de las voces más prolíficas e identificables de la historia americana; es una enorme pérdida, para la familia de la Motown y para el mundo”. Billy Wilson, antiguo miembro de la Motown.

Con la muerte de Stubbs, ya sólo queda un miembro vivo de la mítica banda: Abdul Fakir. Four Tops, se formó en 1954 bajo el nombre de Four Aims y firmó por la Motown nueve años después. Los demás integrantes, Laurence Payton y Renaldo “Obie” Benson, murieron en 1997 y 2005, respectivamente. Stubbs siempre será recordado por éxitos como Baby I Need Your Loving, Bernadette, Reach Out I’ll Be There o I can’t help myself.

Reach out I’ll be there

Now if you feel that you can’t go on
(Can’t go on)
Because all of your hope is gone
(All your hope is gone)
And your life is filled with much confusion
(Much confusion)
Until happiness is just an illusion
(Happiness is just an illusion)
And your world around is crumblin’ down
Darlin’, (reach out) come on, girl
Reach on out for me (reach out)
Reach out for me

Ha! I’ll be there
With a love that will shelter you
I’ll be there
With a love that will see you through

Four Tops son miembros del Rock & Roll Hall of Fame desde 1990 y vendieron más de 50 millones de discos. Otis Williams, miembro del grupo The Temptations, aseguró que con la muerte de Stubbs, los Estados Unidos dicen adiós a su “Frank Sinatra negro”. También diría que “cualquier cosa que cantase Levi lo hacía de forma única, tanto que te quedabas allí mismo asombrado”. Descanse en paz.

With some of the world’s best profile photographers now on board, magazines lining up to interview The Recommender, and visitors arriving in their thousands every day now, you are now part of a blog that’s growing and developing in front of your very eyes. Just another handful of reasons for you lovely people to keep on coming back. Now, back to the real reason for it’s existence  – totally awesome tuneage…

ENFANT TERRIBLE
Landed on my feet here with this super-hot new, unsigned, French band. They approached me via Myspace and kindly dropped me their mp3’s. They are totally superb. I love it when fresh meat discoveries like this pop up and give you goosebumps all over. Their dance-pop-electro-madness sound is somewhere between CSS and Crystal Castles. Remember when you first heard the cute, badly-pronounced lyrics of Lovefoxxx from CSS, mixed over a melody-mad chorus, tinged with the echo of Alice Glass’ vocals and Ethan Kath’s stripped down basics and you’re right on the button. The upbeat backdrops with sharp guitars and an 8-bit, ZX Spectrum keyboard accompaniment, makes you smile broadly. Totally irresistible.

Find them here:   Myspace

Hear them here:  ENFANT TERRIBLE – I CAN’T HELP MYSELF

THE BIG PINK
This two-piece from London came wafting by my ears when I located them on the fantastic website, Styleslut. Milo and Robbie also seem to pair up on occasion with a third member who plays the drums for them; the crazy but gorgeous Akiko Matsuura, from the bands Pre and Comanechi. The Big Pink seem to hark back to a day when Manchester sold us every album going. There’s definitely a Primal Scream flavour to them, which is a fantastic thing, but it drops the guitaring for a psychedelic bass rumble. It’s not too retro as they are definitely pushing that sound in a brilliant, modern direction. It’s almost more Chemical Brothers, were they to mash up ‘One Too Many Mornings’ with ‘Life is Sweet’. It’s totally enchanting and will have you hooked.

Find them here:     Myspace

Hear them here:    THE BIG PINK – TOO YOUNG TO LOVE

THE GOLDEN FILTER
About time I did a post on this, following their Gig List posting. They describe themselves as secretive and so we don’t know what they look like or any specific info on them as people, apart from that they hail from New York, which leaves us the bare bones to pick over – the music. Thank fuck it’s this good then. An electric-pop sound, sometimes very danceable indeed, sometimes of a slower pace, flows behind the sexy, irresistible vocals. Singing this pure and lovely simply must be from a woman that I imagine to be stunningly beautiful! It’s like Division Kent or St.Etienne having the French DJ Danger jamming behind them. Light and gorgeous. Instantly loveable. The blogs – Big Stereo and Discodust - grabbed them first back in the summer, but as The Golden Filter turn up to play in my town of Brighton in the coming weeks it was time to turn my attention to them. I’m glad I did as it’s solid gold stuff.

Find them here:     Myspace    Last.fm

Hear them here:     THE GOLDEN FILTER – SOLID GOLD

Hope this helped shove a couple more fresh bands down your musical gullets. Return here for more lovingly plucked highlights from the world’s music real soon. Got the ‘Best Of 2008′  list being drafted as we speak, so that’s going to be ram-jammed full of lovelies.

Mike

I failed to note the passing of Levi Stubbs last Friday and I can’t let it go by.  This man made The Four Tops work and he was loyal – perhaps to a fault.  He had many opportunities to “make it” on his own but wouldn’t leave his buds. In this song, “I Can’t Help Myself”, Stubbs takes a lyric that leave quite a bit to be desired and makes it sound almost like the Blues – the rawness of his voice makes his “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch” sound like pure wound in the face of desire destined to last, forever unfulfilled.  Rest peacefully Levi.

Levi Stubbles (Stubbs) the lead vocalist for the Four Tops passed away Friday the 17th of October.  The legend sang lead on just about every Four Tops song you ever heard of, he was the groups answer to Paul Williams and David Ruffin of the Temps.  His Soulfull voice was the reason for the Four Tops success which was rivalled only by  the Temptations for the crown of Motown Soul Music.

I Got A FeelingA classic live performance of  Baby I Need Your Lovin circa 1965 

John McCain said Thursday that the real winner of this week’s presidential debate was Joe the Plumber. New polls confirmed this opinion by projecting that Joe the Plumber will get fifty-three more electoral votes than McCain.

Joe Biden said Monday that John McCain might regret attacking Barack Obama on issues like race and terrorism for the rest of his life. McCain replied that he could easily live with the regret for those two or three weeks.

Dick Cheney was treated on Wednesday for an abnormal heartbeat. To avoid further cardiac problems, doctors advised Cheney to stop trying to steal Christmas from Whoville while his heart is two sizes too small.

Nancy Reagan was released from the hospital Friday after treatment for a broken pelvis suffered after a fall in her home. Reagan fell when she attempted to just say no to gravity.

Hillary Clinton said Monday that it was heartbreaking to see the U.S. in an economic crisis eight years after Democrats left the nation in sound fiscal shape. She added that the most heartbreaking part was seeing the economy have an affair with an intern.

Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has purchased advertisements in nine video games. Not to be outdone, John McCain has purchased ads on nine shuffle-board courts.

Levi Stubbs, lead singer of the Four Tops, died Friday at age seventy-two following a long bout with cancer and diabetes. Stubbs succumbed to complications from eating too many sugar pies and honey bunches.

Madonna announced Wednesday that she and Guy Ritchie are divorcing. The biggest issue remaining in the couple’s property settlement is whether Madonna gets to keep the British accent.

Ringo Starr has asked people to stop sending letters to him requesting autographs. Starr got tired of having his mailbox cluttered with the three fan letters he receives each decade.

The production of “Lethal Weapon 5” has been cancelled after Mel Gibson turned down the script. And because he found out all the film’s producers are Jewish.

Gale Harold, who plays Teri Hatcher’s love interest on “Desperate Housewives,” was critically injured in a motorcycle accident on Tuesday. The crash was the actor’s most painful experience since having to act opposite Teri Hatcher.

Mark Wahlberg says a recent “SNL” sketch with an imitation of him was “not funny.” Wahlberg pointed out that as the producer of “Entourage,” he knows a thing or two about not being funny.

Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia on “The Brady Bunch,” has released a memoir in which she admits trading sex for drugs. Unfortunately for Maureen, the only one willing to make the trade was Ann B. Davis.

Despite rumors to the contrary, Stevie Wonder said on Thursday that his home in Southern California was unharmed during the recent wildfires. At least that’s what people are telling him.

Jon Bon Jovi asked John McCain’s campaign to stop using his band’s music at campaign rallies. Bon Jovi also insisted that Sarah Palin stop referring to herself as “Slippery When Wet.”

General Motors announced they are laying off 1,600 employees over the next month. In response, Toyota announced they would lay off 1,600 better, more affordable employees at a much faster rate.

Mesa State football player Trevor Wikre had his pinkie finger amputated this week in order to avoid surgery which would have cost him the rest of his senior season. Unfortunately, Witke required more surgery after his first game back, where he injured his groin.

Boxer Vitali Klitschko has admitted to wrapping his post-fight fists in his son’s urine-soaked diapers because it keeps the swelling down. Sadly, his son is seventeen years old.

A team of scientists at UCLA has found that internet use among the middle aged stimulates certain sections of the brain. Visiting the proper websites can also stimulate certain sections of the boner.

The NFL has suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones for at least four games. Pacman was suspended after testing positive for power pills.

And finally, composer Neal Hefti, who wrote the themes to “Batman” and “The Odd Couple,” has died at the age of eighty-five. Hilarity will ensue at the funeral when Hefti’s tidy casket will be buried in the same grave as a very messy casket.

Levi Stubbs, the lead singer of The Four Tops, passed away on October 17 at the age of 72.

Click here to watch a recent tribute to him (while he was already confined to a wheelchair) by Aretha Franklin and The Four Tops.

Here’s a link to Entertainment Weekly’s PopWatch Blog article “Remembering Levi Stubbs.”

Below, some of the legendary group’s performances.

It’s The Same Old Song

Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)

Reach Out (I’ll Be There)/Shadows of Love Medley

Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)

I Can’t Help Myself

Standing In The Shadows Of Love

Baby I Need Your Loving

When She Was My Girl

Bernadette

When She Was My Girl is my favorite Four Tops song. Vote for yours below!

The Temptations

The Four Tops

If you’re in New York City – these legendary groups are doing their thing at Carnegie Hall tonight!

Click below…

Temptations and Four Tops Battle of the Bands