"Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" is a song written by Holland–Dozier–Holland and released as a single in 1964 by the Motown singing group The Four Tops as the second single from their self-titled debut album, Four Tops. The group would later cover the song with The Supremes.
| "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Four Tops | ||||
| from the album Four Tops | ||||
| B-side | "Love Has Gone" | |||
| Released | 1964 | |||
| Recorded | Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); 1964 | |||
| Genre | Pop, R&B, soul | |||
| Label | Motown | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Holland–Dozier–Holland | |||
| Producer(s) | Brian Holland Lamont Dozier | |||
| Four Tops singles chronology | ||||
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| "Without the One You Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by The Supremes and Four Tops | ||||
| from the album The Magnificent 7 | ||||
| B-side | "Let's Make Love Now" | |||
| Released | May 1972 | |||
| Recorded | Hitsville U.S.A.; 1970 | |||
| Genre | Pop, R&B, soul | |||
| Label | Tamla Motown | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Holland–Dozier–Holland | |||
| Producer(s) | Nickolas Ashford Valerie Simpson Frank Wilson | |||
| The Supremes singles chronology | ||||
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| Four Tops singles chronology | ||||
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Lyrics and music
edit"Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" was the follow-up to the Four Tops' prior hit "Baby I Need Your Loving," and was designed to sound similar, with a similar theme, similar tempo and similar sound.[1] The bass harmony similarly uses a subdominant progression.[2] The opening lyrics essentially repeat the title of the earlier song.[1] Author Sharon Davis claims that the song was "hastily written and released" to capitalize on the success of "Baby, I Need Your Loving."[3]
Reception
editAfter the near-Top 10 success of the Tops' first hit, "Baby I Need Your Loving", "Without the One You Love" proved to be a commercial disappointment, failing to reach the Billboard Top 40,charting at No. 43. The song did better on the Cashbox R&B Chart, reaching the Top 20, charting at No. 17 (Billboard did not show R&B Chart listings during this time).
Cash Box described "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" as "a feelingful jump'er" which is done "in very commercial fashion" and which it expected to repeat the success of "Baby, I Need Your Loving."[4] Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann attributes its relative lack of chart success to a number of factors. One is that the title is too long.[1] He also believes that the song is "overproduced," particularly by giving the many backup singers too prominent a role, including singing the opening lines, at the expense of lead singer Levi Stubbs.[1] Nonetheless, fellow Allmusic critic Ron Wynn considers the song to be "marvelously sung."[5] Author Bill Dahl describes the song as "moving."[6] Charlie Gillett claims that the song produces an effect of "irresistible excitement."[7]
Chart positions
edit| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 43 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100[9] | 58 |
| U.S. Cash Box R&B Singles | 17[10] |
Personnel
edit- Renaldo Benson – vocals
- Abdul "Duke" Fakir – vocals
- Lawrence Payton – keyboard, vocals
- Levi Stubbs – lead vocals
- The Andantes – background vocals
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
The Supremes and Four Tops version
editA cover version of the original Four Tops song was done for The Magnificent 7 album by The Supremes and Four Tops in September 1970. Lead vocals were provided by the group's lead singers, Jean Terrell and Levi Stubbs. Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson and Frank Wilson produced the H-D-H written song, and its album.
A single was released in the UK by Tamla Motown in May 1972, titled "Without the One You Love" b/w "Let's Make Love Now".
Personnel
editThe Supremes
- Jean Terrell – vocals
- Mary Wilson – vocals
- Cindy Birdsong – vocals
Four Tops
- Levi Stubbs – vocals
- Abdul "Duke" Fakir – vocals
- Lawrence Payton – vocals
- Renaldo Benson – vocals
Charts
edit| Chart (1972) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Bangkok (Billboard)[11] | 17 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Ruhlmann, W. "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
- ^ Waters, K. (2011). The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet, 1965–68. Oxford University Press. pp. 96–97. ISBN 9780199830169.
- ^ Davis, S. (2012). Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Sixties. Random House. ISBN 9781780574165.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 21, 1964. p. 30. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ Wynn. R. "The Four Tops". Allmusic. Retrieved 2014-09-12.
- ^ Dahl, B. (2011). Motown: The Golden Years: More than 100 rare photographs. Krause. p. 48. ISBN 9781440227837.
- ^ Gillett, C. (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll. Da Capo. p. 215. ISBN 9780306806834.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Pop Singles: 1955–2006. Record Research.
- ^ "CashBox Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box. December 19, 1964. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 212.
- ^ "Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD" (PDF). Billboard. 29 July 1972. p. 48.