"Reach Out I'll Be There" (also rendered as "Reach Out (I'll Be There)") is a song recorded by the American vocal quartet the Four Tops. Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, it is one of the most notable Motown hits of the 1960s.

Released as a single on August 18, 1966, it was the number one song on the Rhythm & Blues chart for two weeks and on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in October 1966. The track also reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for three weeks beginning on October 27, 1966, becoming Motown's second UK chart-topper after the Supremes' "Baby Love" (1964). It was ranked the number five hit of 1966 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. In July 1967, it was included on the group's fourth studio album, Reach Out.

Rolling Stone later ranked "Reach Out" number 206 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2022, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Writing and recording In 1966, the Motown songwriting and production team Holland–Dozier–Holland were writing new songs for the Four Tops to record for an album. Lamont Dozier said that he wanted to write "a journey of emotions with sustained tension, like a bolero. To get this across, I alternated the keys, from a minor, Russian feel in the verse to a major, gospel feel in the chorus." He developed the lyrics with Eddie Holland, aiming for them to sound "as though they were being thrown down vocally." Dozier said that they were strongly influenced by Bob Dylan at the time: "We wanted [Four Tops frontman] Levi [Stubbs] to shout-sing the lyrics... as a shout-out to Dylan."

According to Four Tops backing vocalist Duke Fakir, the writers and producers intentionally put Stubbs at the top of his vocal range, "to make sure he'd have that cry and hunger and wailing in his voice." Arranger Paul Riser overdubbed instruments including a piccolo and flute in the intro, as well as a drum pattern played with timpani mallets on a tambourine head. After the recording was completed, the group begged Motown head Berry Gordy not to release it; according to Fakir, "for us, the song felt a little odd." However, Gordy insisted that it be issued as a single.

Style Levi Stubbs delivers much of the song in a tone that straddles the line between singing and shouting, as he did on the group's 1965 hit "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)". AllMusic critic Ed Hogan praises Stubbs' vocals, as well as the song's "rock-solid groove" and "dramatic, semi-operatic tension and release." Critic Martin Charles Strong calls the song "a soul symphony of epic proportions that remains [the Four Tops'] signature tune."

In 2014, Fakir stated in an interview with The Guardian:

Reception Cash Box called the song "a hard-driving, pulsating pop-r&b romancer about a very-much-in-love guy who claims that he'll always be at his gal's beck-and-call."

In 1988, Jon Wilde of Melody Maker called it the third-best UK number one single to date, stating: "The bit that sounds like a horse galloping at the beginning is fairly unbeatable but, when Levi starts up, I swear it's one of the finest sights in the solar system."

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1966–1967)Peakposition Argentina (CAPIF)1Australia (Kent Music Report)62New Zealand (Listener)11Spain (Cash Box)1US Billboard Hot 1001US Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles (Billboard)1US Cash Box Top 1001US Record World Top 1002

+1988 RemixChart (1988)Peakposition

+Michael Bolton with the Four TopsChart (1993)PeakpositionEurope (European Hit Radio)31UK Airplay (Music Week)38

Year-end charts Chart (1966)PositionBelgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)67Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)47US Billboard Hot 1004US Cash Box Top 10038

Chart (1993)PositionCanada Adult Contemporary (RPM)33

Certifications

Legacy In 1998, the original Four Tops version of the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2022.

Joe Biden used the song during his 2020 presidential campaign.

Many artists have covered the song, including the Jaded Hearts Club in 2020.

Diana Ross version

American singer Diana Ross covered "Reach Out, I'll Be There" in 1971. Her version was released by Motown from her third album, Surrender (1971). It was produced by Ashford & Simpson, and reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 in Canada.

Charts Chart (1971)PeakpositionUS Billboard Hot 10029US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)17US Easy Listening (Billboard)16US Cash Box Top 10019

Gloria Gaynor version

"Reach Out, I'll Be There" was covered by American singer Gloria Gaynor in 1975. It was the third of three singles released by MGM from her debut album, Never Can Say Goodbye (1975). It peaked at number 60 in the US, number 16 in Canada, number 14 in the UK, and number five in West Germany.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1975)PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)35South Africa (Springbok Radio)11US Billboard Hot 10060US Disco Singles (Billboard)3US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard)56US Cash Box Top 10060

Year-end charts Chart (1975)RankBelgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)30Canada Top Singles (RPM)138Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)58Netherlands (Single Top 100)70US (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)361West Germany (Official German Charts)25

See also Reach Out: The Motown Record List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1966 List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1966 List of number-one R&B singles of 1966 (U.S.) List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1960s

References