I Can't Help Myself: The Four Tops Hit Built on a Supremes Blueprint

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In 1965 the Four Tops released I Can't Help Myself, a song Lamont Dozier later admitted was deliberately built on the same melodic and chord progressions as the Supremes' 1964 number one Where Did Our Love Go. Holland-Dozier-Holland treated the proven formula like a steel frame, moving it from the Supremes' light, breezy delivery to Levi Stubbs' frantic, pleading lead. At Hitsville USA's Studio A, the Funk Brothers' James Jamerson and Benny Benjamin drove the syncopated groove, Mike Terry added baritone saxophone, members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra played strings, and the Andantes sang high harmonies above Duke Fakir, Obie Benson and Lawrence Payton.

Released in April 1965, the record topped the Billboard R&B chart for nine weeks and was named Billboard's biggest R&B single of the year. On the Hot 100 it knocked the Supremes' Back in My Arms Again from number one, lost the spot to the Byrds' Mr. Tambourine Man, reclaimed it a week later, then fell to the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction. The song went on to live in disco, country and rock versions, a 1989 reunion of former Motown singers, and a 2019 Applebee's campaign.

The Supremes recorded their own cover, backed by the Funk Brothers, singing the melody their hit had inspired.
In 1967 the Four Tops cut an Italian-language version of the song.
Bonnie Pointer's 1980 version became a dance chart smash, which the episode ties to the track's proto-disco rhythm.
The country group Billy Hill took the song onto the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1989.
For the 1989 Motor City All-Stars recording, Joe Stubbs called his brother Levi to sing alongside members of the Velvelettes and the Originals.

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