the four tops- bernadette

[TheRacerbrown]

Motown at it's best, Levi Stubbs, what a great lead singer, WOW!!!

[joyceeslillad]

Growing up in the 60's,how luck were we

[alxmstr]

I want Howard to sing this to Bernadette at their wedding!

[warmlandlass1]

Bernadette, this is my all-time Motown favourite...Happy Halloween, darlin' :0)

[Mikoki101]

Jamie Jamerson caried this whole thing! This fucking guy is the greatset fucking bassis whose never been given the recogecion he deserve's!!!!!!

[dbserious1]

@Mikoki101 Agreed - Funk Brothers were the most talented and influential group of musicians in motown

[TheBassplayer1956]

hughm 7@gmail.com  You got that right

[QueenofGumbo1]

One of my favorites.



[joeyc09]

@conory

my brother used to sing it: burnt to death!!!!!!!!!! lol

[sheltiepaws1]

My husband dedicated this song to me early in our marriage, we had 32 years, very sadly he was a stroke victim taken before his time, I'm so thankful for the time we were given, he was the greatest love of my life.

Thankyou Jerry for loving me so much, I will never forget us.

Thankyou Levi for your beautiful gift of song, I most beautiful voice I've ever heard

R.I.PJerry and Levi

Love you both

[gypsy20001]

Shame they dont still have songs like this anymore..

[nunile18]

I don't think anyone has ever tried to remake this song or even sing this cause nobody else can but Levi R I P

[clyde8her]

4 people are surely shittin' me....they're jokin' right?

[conory]

I always thought it said 'burn again'! :)

[brentjatko121863]

I miss Levi. Still makes me cry remembering him. Broke my heart.

[MarshaR100]

LOVE

[all4musica]

Yeay...Bernadette! Great song~Thanks for posting~

[DAUROIS1]

French version by Claude François.

[salsburysteakjr]

One of the greatest little moments in all of music history, that false ending at 2:39.... then that yell "Bernadette!" with the song crashing back on. My favorite moment.

[MrPrevoz]

les bon tubes des années folles

[1011cents]

I love you Bernadette, this is a classic and your probably a classic

[MoveOnSoulClub]

4 people need lethal injection before they breed

[MrMalgul]

Just started going out with a girl called Bernadette..... Winner!!

[4818632]

Levi, what a voice. May Peace Be With You, My Brother.

[bassplayer4445]

JAMERSON !!!!!

[1011cents]

@bassplayer4445 nough said..Holla

[slightofffist]

@bassplayer4445  A melodic-styled bass line that even McCartney can't touch. Mr. Jamerson

[aereda01]

anyone know when this song was recorded?

[j6282]

@aereda01 1967

[1011cents]

@aereda01 I think this 1972

[bintangtheater1]

Thanx for posting one of the very best tunes ever recorded!

[bigchase28]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[minus996]

You can convert this to an mp3 at audiogetnow..com

[robertpattisonslove]

i love this song!!



[amencorner53]

My name is Bernadette and I just know that this song was written for me........

[hofnerbass24]

james jammerson was a great bass player

[SupernalOne]

when I was a kid i thought they were singing "burnt to death" - made it a creepy song for me XD

[LittlPussi]

A class-act!

[kpix99]

because of this song, I would have married any woman named Bernadette. Never met one though.

[KenpoanBjj]

@kpix99 U R TARD

[kpix99]

@KenpoanBjj

Why would you say that?

[hopki65]

burn a debt

[crackfarm76]

can't get enough of this song, ever

[riqueschill]

These were the days--- pure music

[AirVirginia]

I adore the Four Tops. Motown is music that is absolutely pure. They were true artists in every sense of the word.

[selfie52]

motown gods

[railfan412]

In the 60's I had the good fortune to see the Four Tops at a club called Leo's Casino in Cleveland, Ohio. After a few songs Levi Stubbs announced the Tops were about to do a new number called "Bernadette". 30 seconds into it Levi stopped, saying the group just wasn't ready to perform this number live. These guys made up for it with the rest of their performance. I saw the Temptations, The O'Jays, and other Motown stars live at Leo's. I am 60 years old now, and what memories I have!

[nora22000]

@railfan412 I saw the Motown Revue too, at the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia. We'd go for the matinee, stay for the big show and hang around for the late act. When the Tops did this song, they formed an echo for Levi on the title word. It sent chills all through me--I'll never forget the music of those days.

[stefnjean]

to all bernadettes live life love life classic tune ktf

[foreverashcroft]

just one of the great songs, i grew up with,

[bbrocks1039]

my name is bernadette too i feel they are talking about me

[KenpoanBjj]

@bbrocks1039 LOOSER

[Waldocounty]

@KenpoanBjj "LOOSER" Hmm. "Looser" belt? Pants? Shoes? Your bowels? Or did you mean LOSER, as in, you? Good grief, learn to spell if you want the world to take you seriously.

[KenpoanBjj]

@Waldocounty no I spelled it the way I wanted it read as in looooserrr...emphasis on the "oo" you moron. It was a joke like ur a tard for sayin that...and yes I know it's spelled saying. Douche Bag...Did I spell that correctly? Ha Ha...I am just kidding...If you knew me you would know...Take care.

[Waldocounty]

@KenpoanBjj You understand, of course, that colleges, employers, government agencies, and probation officers regularly check these sites. Exercise due diligence. If I've used big-boy words such as "employers" or "colleges" that you don't understand, there's a thing called a "dictionary" which is in the form of another thing known as a "book," where the Texting Generation can be amazed at how clueless they are. "I know it's spelled saying," you wrote. Looooooser.

[KenpoanBjj]

@Waldocounty You my obtuse friend are not worth the effort.

[BerniB]

My name is Bernadette... & I love this song... I wish someone felt the same way about me :(

[jonkheere1]

R I P Levi, what a voice!

[pavement1993]

lol im 16 years old so this song is way older then me. the first time i heard this song was when i was watchin a movie called madhouse with my family and they played this song. it became a song that instantly i enjoyed

[bernajohn]

'Bernadette'......... Is my name and how lucky i am, what a cool song to have written about, 'Bernadette', Ive never heard this before but ill be playing it to my man and all my friends!!! Bernadette... Is really catchy and now its in my head :-)

[MSBAD777]

You're a Lucky girl!

[strummeresque]

Very lucky girl, indeed!

Eye tell the World!!!!

[sunflowermother]

This is a Masterpiece. Truly a Huge Classic that should never die. Thanks YT for bringing songs like this back to remind us how fortunate we were to have such Amazing music. I hope newer Generations will appreciate & love this music and keep it alive. Thanks for posting this! *)*

[watermerkkkkkkkkkkkk]

wauw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[broozebrothers]

just the bass line tells a story.. james jamerson is the baddest to ever walk the land!!

[Waldocounty]

Not the baddest--the goodest...if we have to use certain fractured  language. Let's be positive. The bass undertone is xcellent; helps Levi, then comes the high trilling chorus. I'll vote Old School every time. And you?

[TheRunner75]

The great James Jamerson played in plenty of Motown recordings... :-)

[szumo1982]

sad but true, given his life addictions & demise. sort of like the city of detroit, itself. hmmm....

[Waldocounty]

Yeah for the "Old School." The sole "oldies" radio station in Wash. DC, where I am, went off-air (that is, changed format) last Thursday 8/27/09 unannounced. So no more Motown or other old-school music is available in the whole National Capital region. Now that's a crime. We all gotta support these products while we can, or they'll disappear forever, like what our parents & grandparents once enjoyed til we ourselves forced it out, to our detriment.

[Zitbam19]

As usual LEVI is BURNING THEM VOCALS UP!!!!!!

[4818632]

Bless Levi. He is burning them vocals.

[brenfen]

This is perfection.

[meowmix1012]

The 60's had the BEST music!

[Ramrod240]

my fav song, and probably the only 11 year old hoo no's this song

[Waldocounty]

Ramrod240: Xcuse me, but "hoo no's?"

If you're 11, you gotta hit the books. Learn the language & grammar & spelling, young son. When you post here, you post for the world, and the world will come back and bite you if you err. Don't set yourself up for ridicule. And why are you posting late on a Tuesday night/Wednesday AM, 11-year-old? Go to bed, or else crack the books!! Cheers.

[mp2611]

Damn Waldocounty, give the kid a break!..

[Waldocounty]

mp2611: He got a break but got the spanky earned.  He won deserved credit for the "old school" discovery, but YouTube is a Wild West site, an untamed venue where you're naked to the world. An 11-yr.-old shouldn't be on YT w/o parental control. Maybe he was, but? Anyway, if an 11-yr.old has a spelling/grammar issue, that person needs to be in bed, based on the time of the post, and should've done double duty on English homework, with parental oversight. There's ZERO excuse for "hoo no's."

[JJCANE2]

I find that no matter what type of music one listens to, the elements of joy, hope and love that were so vital to the 50's & 60's music is now gone.

Most of what I hear today is filled with anger, hatred, whining and hopelessness. That is what I can live without. I realize we live in hard times..but life back then wasn't a bowel of cherries either.

[bhackett777]

my favorite song from the motown era

[Waldocounty]

Damanik and irvine: Thx for your defenses, friends, but I'm unconvinced. The entire genre is too hopelessly infected with anti-social, destructive, misogynist, angry content. Nothing produced today will ever match, let alone surpass, the Tops or the rest of Motown, and that's very sad, IMO. I'd gladly play Tops hits for my grandkids, but would never mention even the names of hip-hoppers to them lest they discover the hateful slime they've recorded as alleged "music." I'm Old School.

[skinny12331]

James Jamerson was the best, poor guy died broke and broken hearted.

[reekfishy]

AWESOME!

[thehoundz1]

Al Kooper's favorite song ....FREE CONCERT AL KOOPER AND THE FUNKY FACULTY ....8/9/09 LANC PA ...LONGS PARK

[Waldocounty]

layoutzz says (c)rap, hip-hop, gansta, etc., is a "natural progession" from an earlier era. I reject that. If Sir Duke, the Count, and Levi (R.I.P) .could speak from the grave, they'd be outraged at how ethnic "music" has plunged into hateful screeds about 'ho's, crime, bitches, guns, materialism and the like.

"Bernadette" is a well done classic love song. So sad we don't hear more of the same from the community.

[Damanik3]

first of all, hip hop isnt ho's,crime,bitches,guns and materialism. im not saying no one raps about it but it isnt and second all these jazz/soul figures which u mention would be happy to see it i reckon.

[layoutzz]

Damanik3, I suggest you don't waste your keystrokes. Waldo's not looking for a debate (nor discussion) on music. His issues are with race. His language (Yes we can, the community, ethnic music) says it all. Do as you please, of course, but I think the smart move is to leave him to his misery.

[Waldocounty]

R.I.P., Levi Stubbs.

How sad that (c)rap and hip-hop and "gangsta" garbage have overthrown the MoTown sound. Sad, sad, sad.

[layoutzz]

Get over it. People used to say the same thing about Ray Charles' song "Baby, What I Say." It was banned from many radio stations because people thought the moaning and groaning was "garbage." You know nothing. Rap, hip-hop and gangster is a natural progression from 1960s and 1970s soul music. Just because you can't get with Mos Def, Outkast, Roots, Talib, and so many more good artists, doesn't mean their music is garbage.

[Waldocounty]

layoutzz: Well, it is. It speaks for itself, and thus condemns its genre. It IS garbage, a downhill regression. Sorry if the truth hurts. Today can't compare to "Bernadette" and the rest of the Tops' output.

[Damanik3]

your just listening to the wrong hip hop. ofcourse if your listening to shit like 50 cent or Lil Wayne or soulja boy there aint gonna be much to listen to. but u cant say a whole genre of music is crap

[Waldocounty]

Damanik3: "Yes we can" say it. There IS a whole genre that's crap with no redeeming social value (in the words of the Supreme Court). Fiddy Cint, Lil Wayne, you-name-'em, they're all worthless. Fortunately, (c)rap and hip-hop will play themselves out b/c their front men are either dead, in jail, under indictment, or on the lam.

So what does that tell us about the genre? IMHO, it's a criminal conspiracy. It's a cancer on the minority community, a stain blotting out what went before,

[irvine117]

I agree with the other guys. You cant just condemn a whole genre of music because it is not to your liking. There are very inspirational and poetic rap/hip hop songs. They tell stories and such and not just talk about bitches and ho's. Keep an open mind man.

[AirVirginia]

Motown is music at it's absolute best and purest. Motown was the original music Hall of Fame. What talents....Just amazing...

[johhnydamage]

I'm 23 years old an white. I get some funny looks driving down the road listening to this. Gotta love motown.

[thunderfox10]

grew up on the sweet sounds of soul - thanks to my pops who passed away 08.08.08

[hellskitchennews]

Levi is totally off the hook on this song!

[whoisbrit78]

My mommas name is Bernadette!

[PaBasser]

Man, what a great tune. I still have all my Motown 45's. Love the Four Tops and The Temptations. This is Soul Music at it's best.

[forestgumpaed]

soul pure soul.enough said.

[Waldocounty]

I saw the 4 Tops and 4 Seasons in a joint concert 20+ years ago. What a treat.

RIP Levii Stubbs.

[BashirH]

this is one of the many songs i'd hear back when i was younger on the days my dad would just go through his albums all day.

[msjiles1]

This is my very favorite sooong by The Tops. That Levi was tooo cold. Although i wasn't born when this came out, i'm sure every women wanted to be Bernadette after hearing this man pouring out his soul in song. I've never heard such passionate lyrics. WOW. It's the TOPS, not the TEMPS!! What!!

[Waldocounty]

msjiles1: Such a shame that 2day's so-called "music" only refers to "bitches" and "ho's." Such a shame that African-American pop/rock music has tumbled from the iconic "Bernadette" worshipful love song to total woman-hating, sexploitation, dissing misogyny.

Where and when did it all go wrong?

[Waldocounty]

So sorry! I meant a thumbs up on your comment; hit the wrong "thumbs down" icon. Like your comment. What a worship by a man, regardless of race.

BTW, one of the other Tops wrote this song about his girlfriend (Bernadette is a real person) at the time, who was being pursued by another man. What in the world has gone wrong with relationships since???

[oldiesfan52]

Levi Stubbs + James Jamerson. It doesn't get any better than that!

[DocOfAreaology]

Damn straight!

[spiritladysoul]

thanks for the share anita. still miss the late great levi stubbs.

[spendy]

One of my favorites from their catalog. Nice groove to it.

[Zambrano632]

MY mom name is Bernadette!

[jimmiearm]

my four door sedan was a cadillac!!

[jimmiearm]

i had a 1973 four door sedan & i named her after this song!

[musicmytruelove]

This song is so strong, and beautiful!!! The first time I heard this song was when I was 7 or 8, in a movie called Panther. It's a movie about the Black Panther Party. Still my favorite movie. I know almost every line. Hahaha.

[JacRab25]

I saw the movie you're talking about-I thought the lady at the bus stop could had easily been the "Bernadette" of this song. :)

[musicmytruelove]

YEP! I thought the same.

[nakedboialex]

CKLW~The MOTOWN SOUND! My mother STIll sings this song ~ I guess it's implanted in her brain from having to listen to me play the 45 over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. WHO else remembers CKLW?...OMG! TOO MUCH! lol. Thanks!

[AvlDao]

By far the greatest song ever written and most powerful tune recorded to celebrate stalking and being overwhelmed by an absolutely single-minded goal to possess all of someone else.

Beyond the great words, the sheer power from the jamming musician delivers the madness wracking his mind and heart. At 1:47 he cracks via a killer break! Wow!!

One could write a film screenplay from just this 3 minute record.

[Blackmace]

WAT!!! this is truly a great song but better than You and I-stevie wonder, joy takes over me or maybe aint no sunshine? it's great but I feel these are equally great

[rheumaticback]

One of the best bridges in a soul song. Great stuff.

[lollysoul]

One of their best... well if I can pick one out!! They were the best Motown group IMO!! ...Always will be, back from 1970 when I was 11, and I am now almost 50!!

[TheDominosDoubleSix]

I cant stop listening to this song the bassline grabs me and doesnt let me go!!!!

Wish they made music like this now

[spareaxe]

who the hell was bernadette...she or he?

[Jibbie49]

Bernadette is the name of a Catholic Saint. I knew two Catholic girls with the name.

I love this song, since it is so powerful.

[spareaxe]

Kool...

[possumtail]

Lets not forget the musicians on this cut, the Funk Brothers - Motown records' studio players. Listen to that groovy, funky bass...If Levi didn't sing, Jamerson's bass would have almost sufficed.

[MichellePV]

...For the only joy in life is to be loved!

[mscojr]

miss you bernadette.

[itsme2find]

I'll tell the world you're the Soul of me !!

[itsme2find]

people are searching for the kid of love that we posess !!

[itsme2find]

people are search for the kind of love we posess !!!

[itsme2find]

people are for the kind of love that we posess !!!!!!

[VenusBlue4u]

THANKS for sharing I love, love, love this song...

[coverofnite]

Truly Levi's best Song it hit's hard. We lost a great voice, hail to the Voice of the motor city !

[garvin80]

awesome song!

[tustles]

Oh I Haven't heard this in years Great share Motown And Great post Terkomusic Thanks God Bless KTF

[santamara]

Fabulous! Great post!

Thank you & to Motown250 Bob for sharing!

[djdeitch]

One of The Tops very best 45`s,.ktf.

[AirVirginia]

I wore out a cassette listening to their greatest hits, especially this one. Just amazing stuff...

[tropicalpancake56]

Thanks Bob...been looking for this one for a long, long time! Thanks to you, as well, Terkomusic. I see that you have good taste in music...

[motown250]

motown gold the voice of god levi stubbs

[cornerstone1019]

RIP Levi Stubbs. RIP James Jamerson on the bass. Classic Motown sound..great recording.

[potters78]

fuckin love this music it puts a tingle up ur spine and a tear in ur eye and its good to dance to

[grlblu73]

I hear you. This song made me wish my name was Bernadette - LOL

[AirVirginia]

You listen to this song, or any song by the Four Tops, and you marvel at how beautiful their music is. Absolutely timeless-like all of Motown...Never gets old.

[BabyGirl09]

I agree!!

[toneyman1]

r.i.p. levi.