Bernadette (Four Tops song)
| "Bernadette" | ||||
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| Single by Four Tops | ||||
| from the album Reach Out | ||||
| B-side | "Something About You" or "I've Got a Feeling" | |||
| Released | February 16, 1967 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Recorded | Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A) Detroit, Michigan; 1966 |
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| Genre | Soul, pop | |||
| Length | 3:00 | |||
| Label | Motown M 1104 |
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| Writer(s) | Holland–Dozier–Holland | |||
| Producer(s) | Brian Holland Lamont Dozier |
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| Four Tops singles chronology | ||||
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"Bernadette" is a 1967 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written, composed, and produced by Motown's main production team, the Brian Holland-Lamont Dozier-Eddie Holland partnership.
The song's lyrics depict a man's excessive desire for and jealousy over his girlfriend.
The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was The Four Tops's final Top 10 hit of the 1960s.[1] On the soul chart, "Bernadette" went to number three.[2] It also reached #8 in the UK on its first release and was a hit again in 1972, reaching #23.[3]
The song is notable for its false ending, where the instruments drop out and the background singers hold a chord. The lead singer then shouts "Bernadette" and the song resumes, ending in a fade-out. Critic Maury Dean described the effectiveness of Stubb's shout of "BERNADETTE!!!" as being the key ingredient in getting listeners to buy the record, even if Bernadette herself may not have heard him.[4]
Allmusic critic John Bush calls it "dramatic" and "impassioned."[5]
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Levi Stubbs
- Background vocals by Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Lawrence Payton, and The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
- Written and composed by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr.
- Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier
Notes and references
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External links
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| Studio albums |
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| Albums with The Supremes |
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| Other albums |
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| Singles (US/UK Top Ten singles) |
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| Related topics | |
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Four Tops singles discography
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| 1960s |
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| 1970s |
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| 1980s |
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