Etc...

We'll see you some other time

When the Four Tops were at the height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, their No. 1 hit song was "(Reach Out) I'll Be There." Today, only one of the smooth-singing quartet from Detroit is still performing. But at least one knockoff ensemble, Viscount Oliver's Legendary Four Tops (VOLFT), is – you should pardon the expression – getting a lot of mileage out of their rhythm and blues style that helped to define the Motown Sound. In fact, VOLFT have made more than 70 appearances this year in England alone, often at venues that charge a premium for tickets and still sell out. One such gig was booked for Nov. 27 at Cheltenham Town Hall, and the place was packed as showtime arrived. But the disappointed audience went home without hearing "I'll Be There" because the singers weren't ... there. They did, however, check in by phone – from Chelmsford, 140 miles away, a distance that would have taken at least an hour and a half to drive. And they were, as tour manager Alan Frazer put it, "very upset to let down their fans." Yes, there's an explanation: Apparently, their driver entered the wrong destination into the vehicle's satellite navigation system. The ticket-holders were offered refunds, and Cheltenham is looking into "alternative arrangements for a future concert" with, once again, the expectation that the four will be there.