Four Tops, Still Water (Love) | Throwback Vibez

In the 63rd edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Still Water (Love)” by the iconic Motown quartet, Four Tops.   

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez ! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils ! All genres of music are welcome. In the 63^rd edition of Throwback Vibez ️ (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Still Water (Love)” performed by Four Tops.

Four words: “Still waters run deep.” Notably, Still Waters Run Deep is the name of the iconic soul quartet Four Tops’ 1970 album.  Technically, the opener, “Still Water (Love)”, is the title track. “Water” barely missed the top 10 on the pop charts, reaching number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. Frank Wilson and Smokey Robinson penned this chill, easygoing track. Wilson produced it. It is a marvelous record that separates itself from other songs in the Four Tops catalog.

From an instrumental perspective, “Still Water (Love)” is a surefire vibe.  It features a robust bass line, cool keys, a soulful percussive groove, and sweet guitar riffs (Marv Tarplin). There are also the orchestral touches, a key component of the soul of the late 1960s into the 1970s. Beyond the few but thoughtful lyrics, the Four Tops excel in their “doo(s)” and “ooh(s).” The chill vibe ‘vibes’ from the onset.  Even though it is chill, this record still packs a mean punch.  The harmonic progression during the chorus is one of its biggest selling points.  It is ear-catching.  “Still Water” (Love)” also thrives because of the fabulous lead vocals by the one-and-only Levi Stubbs (1936 – 2008). “If I don’t brag or toast / Click my glass and say a toast / About my love for you,” he sings in the first verse, continuing, “How it runs so deep and true / And yet it’s so / ‘Cause you don’t know, oh no / Still waters run deep.” The titular lyric is repeated a lot throughout the song. The magnificence of “Still Water (Love)” speaks for itself.  No extensive analysis is necessary to dub this song as a soul masterpiece.

Four Tops // Still Waters Run Deep // Motown // 1970

Four Tops, Still Water (Love): Throwback Vibez ️ No. 63 (2025) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Motown; AcatXlo, OpenClipart-Vectors, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Speedy McVroom from Pixabay]