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1965 single by Four Tops

"Something About You" is a song written by Holland-Dozier-Holland and was first released by the Four Tops on their 1965 album Four Tops` Second Album.

History

"Something About You" was released as the third single from the Four Tops` Second Album, following "I Can`t Help Myself" and "It`s the Same Old Song". The song reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the Billboard R&B chart.[1][2] The B-side of the single was "Darling I Hum Our Song."[3] "Something About You" has appeared on numerous compilation albums, including The Ultimate Collection.[4]

"Something About You" is unusual for a Motown song in that a guitar riff is prominent.[5] The Temptations` "My Girl" is one of the few other examples.[5] The guitar riff in "Something About You" is similar to that in the Rolling Stones` "(I Can`t Get No) Satisfaction," although Rikky Rooksby claims that the guitar sound in the Four Tops` song is "cleaner."[5] David A. Carson also remarks on the clean lead guitar at the beginning of the song.[6] Robert White of the Funk Brothers played the guitar part on "Something About You," as he did on "My Girl."[6]

Reception

Billboard said that the Four Tops had a "rhythm winner here with even more exciting sounds than their `It`s the Same Old Song` smash! "[7] Cash Box described it as a "rollicking, fast-moving, romantic rocker about a lucky lad who is on cloud number nine since he met the girl of his dreams."[8] Record World said that "something about `Something About You` will rocket it high."[9] Allmusic critic Ron Wynn praises the song as being "a great uptempo shouter."[10] Wynn also praises its "vocal authority" and "production genius."[10] Author Bill Dahl praised the song`s "crackling shuffle rhythm" and the way lead singer Levi Stubbs emotes "over punchy horns and low-end guitar."[11] Rolling Stone Magazine critic Dave Marsh rated "Something About You" to be one of the top 1001 singles of all time.[12] Marsh praised the song`s sense of urgency, claiming that rhythm and blues is about "the kind of emotional expansiveness that erupts from these grooves, the pure tension between Motown formula and Levi`s [lead singer Levi Stubbs`] uncontrollable passions."[12]

Covers

Dave Edmunds covered the song on his 1984 album Riff Raff, the song hit #16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.[13] Other covers were released on albums by Phil Collins, Frankie Miller, Quincy Jones, Graham Bonnet, The Grass Roots, Leblanc and Carr and Cilla Black.

Personnel

• Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs
• Backing vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Lawrence Payton, and Renaldo Benson
• Additional backing vocals by The Andantes
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
  • Mike Terry: baritone saxophone