7 Rooms of Gloom explained

7 Rooms of Gloom
Cover:Four-tops-7rooms-of-gloom-tamla-motown.jpg
Type:single
Artist:Four Tops
Album:Reach Out
B-Side:I'll Turn to Stone
Released:May 2, 1967
Recorded:Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); 1967
Genre:Soul, pop
Length:2:46
Label:Motown
Producer:Brian Holland
Lamont Dozier
Prev Title:Bernadette
Prev Year:1967
Next Title:You Keep Running Away
Next Year:1967

"7 Rooms of Gloom" is a song originally recorded by the Motown Records vocal quartet the Four Tops. It was released as a single in 1967 on the Motown label and reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100,[1] and was a Top 10 R&B Hit, charting at #10. It was also a hit in the UK, their seventh, staying for nine weeks in the UK Singles Charts and reaching #12[2] and in the Netherlands where it made #23 in the Dutch Top 40.[3]

Described as "throbbing with dread over a racing minor key dominated arrangement"[4] it was written by Holland–Dozier–Holland. The single's B-side was "I'll Turn to Stone"[5] also written by Holland-Dozier-Holland with R Dean Taylor.[6] That song made a separate chart entry, and peaked at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #50 on the R&B Charts.

Cash Box called it a "thumping, fast-moving, blues-oriented rocker" that is a "real powerhouse."[7] Record World called it "Top notch wailing from the Detroit group."[8]

The song begins with Levi Stubbs doing a spoken recitation, which gets repeated twice with alterations.

In 1985, Pat Benatar covered the song on her album, Seven the Hard Way. Bruce Springsteen covered the song in his 2022 studio album, Only the Strong Survive.[9]

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Four Tops – Awards . Allmusic . 14 July 2013.
  2. Web site: Official Charts – Four Tops . www.officialcharts.com . 14 July 2013.
  3. Web site: The Four Tops – 7 Rooms Of Gloom . www.top40.nl . 14 July 2013.
  4. Book: Motown The Golden Years . registration . 50 . four tops 7 rooms. . 2001 . 14 July 2013 . Dahl, Bill. 9780873492867 .
  5. Web site: Four Tops – 7 Rooms Of Gloom / I'll Turn To Stone. 4 May 1967 . Discogs. 13 July 2013.
  6. Web site: I'll Turn to Stone . Allmusic . 14 July 2013.
  7. CashBox Record Reviews . May 20, 1967 . 24 . 2022-01-12 . Cash Box.
  8. Singles Reviews. Record World. May 20, 1967. 6. 2023-07-11.
  9. Web site: 7 Rooms Of Gloom . Bruce Springsteen . 12 June 2024.