The Four Tops - Ask The Lonely [Strings Instrumental]

[nicodagger]

Very very beautiful

[cookietwosweet]

In oldies I always listen out for the string arrangement. There are some beautiful runs.

[smid0777638]

Quite Amazing Really .. What a Beautiful Session from the Funk Bros ..xx

[idfsense]

what's not to like!!!!@

[jamesgoya]

How totally AWESOME!! THANX for sharing this .... (got goose bumps everywhere!!).

[tavistockdoc]

A most exquisitely beautiful song, even without the incomparable Four Tops. Many thanks for posting it, never heard this version before.

[jazzy3one]

ANDY...YOU SMOKED THIS ONE...GREAT STRINGS SMOOTH CLASSIC MOTOWN SOUND !! THANKS FOR THE FLASHBACK...

[njezan1]

The more I get older, the more I like this song.

[MrRankamateur1]

Required listening for anyone who wants to learn music production.  Thanks.

[ginelea26]

This is fantastic... great music we all need a trip back in time every so often . thank you for taking me back if only for a few minutes..

[thefotoguy2009]

This is the best song they ever did in my opinion. Levi Stubbs used to live not far from me in Southfield Mi. he was the best and such a nice man. I miss him

[blkjp]

For me' Ask The Lonely' and the Temptations' ' My Girl' are the best examples of the Motown Sound.

The song writing,the powerful vocals and those awesome' Strings', this is Motown at its best!!!

Your vid is appreciated &*****

[myjeepred5]

you can hear flo ballard singing like an angel in the backup-and when levi sings lead the man sung like he was ON FIRE!!!! god bless them all

[MotownConnoisseur30]

Florence Ballard/Supremes aren't singing on this. I think you're thinking of The Andantes

[theboyfromxtown]

Can you do a strings mix of Shake Me Wake Me?

[tomovox]

this song is one of the first songs I locked onto when I was gearing up my Motown addiction. it seemed to come completely out of left field- it had that Motown sound to it, and yet it sounded unlike anything else, until I bought the lp this was on. The whole thing is so damn elegant and soulful and pop and shades of Sinatra/Cole Coolness filtered through the always-astoundingly innovative Motown Funk Brothers. Thanks so much for this mix highlighting the strings and Andantes- sheer excellence

[mysterytrax]

I ran out of characters on the previous comment, but wanted to thank

AndyMM2008 for this rare and splendid

track only of one of the greatest musical masterpieces in MOTOWN history.

This was really special; great audio too.

Splendid work. Here, you can really pick out the "nuts & bolts and workings" of a great hit record.

[mysterytrax]

You make a strong and valid point

WAZSCOOLJAZZ about the lack of multiple, charismatic lead singers in the TOPS; compared to David, Paul, Eddie, Dennis and so on down the timeline for the TEMPS. But in my opinion, LEVI could stand toe to toe with ANY past vocalists

that the Temptations ever put on a stage or sang on a recording. I feel that

"ASK THE LONELY" proves my point.

I do agree that the Temptations had more

interesting harmony arrangements on most songs; Melvin holding the bottom.

[WAZSCOOLJAZZ]

Thanks for posting. To me, because of the string arrangements, this was the most beautiful song from that era in Motown history. Nevertheless, as great as The Andantes were, I prefered hearing The Four Tops sing this live w/o them; using this instrumental studio track. The Four Tops "harmony" was very under-rated because of the use of The Andantes. Their members couldn't lead songs like each of The Temptations, However, they were second to them with their harmony.

[topsmaniac]

@WAZSCOOLJAZZ To really appreciate the Tops' harmony a listener has to move away from most of their mainstream hits. Like you I prefered the Tops w/o The Andantes

The song Tonight off of the same titled CD is a great example of how superb their harmony was. Listen to it Live on their box set. Another wonderful example is their

Breaking Through CD. Most of the public has never heard the Tops' harmony like

this. I'm glad I have !!!!

[tropicalpancake56]

Still lovin' it, Andy...you're the man...

[metromonthly]

The Andantes and the strings make me tear up every time.

[COLETTEDAVE]

My No.1 from the Tops.

Thanks for this version.

x

[tropicalpancake56]

BEAUTIFUL...my friend...just beautiful!