Spinners (album)
Spinners is the third studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, produced by Thom Bell and released in April 1973 on the Atlantic label. The album was the group's first for Atlantic after leaving Motown.
Spinners | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 1973 | |||
Recorded | 1972-1973 at Sigma Sound Studios (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 40:14 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Thom Bell | |||
The Spinners chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
BBC | (favorable) [2] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A–[3] |
History
Spinners includes their first American top-ten and R&B number-one hit "I'll Be Around", along with the successful songs "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", "One of a Kind (Love Affair)", "Ghetto Child", and "How Could I Let You Get Away". The album was also the second of fourteen straight studio albums to make the Billboard 200, and their first in the Top-twenty, as it reached #14 on the charts. Additionally, it was their first of three consecutive R&B albums chart-toppers - and the second to hit those charts overall.
Thom Bell created a sound for the group that was "lush" yet gritty. Bell's insistently soulful orchestral arrangements played perfectly to their harmonic strengths. "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" (later a hit for David Grant and Jaki Graham) is the keynote; sung by Smith, it is beautiful, optimistic and upbeat. Often cited as the birth of the Philadelphia Sound, Spinners yielded five American top 100 hits, and two UK chart successes."[4]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Just Can't Get You Out of My Mind" | Vinnie Barrett | 3:42 |
2. | "Just You and Me Baby" | Yvette Davis | 2:56 |
3. | "Don't Let the Green Grass Fool You" | Jerry Akines, Johnny Bellman, Victor Drayton, Reginald Turner | 4:01 |
4. | "I Could Never (Repay Your Love)" | Bruce Hawes | 6:56 |
5. | "I'll Be Around" | Thom Bell, Phil Hurtt | 3:12 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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6. | "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" | Joseph B. Jefferson | 3:31 |
7. | "We Belong Together" | Yvette Davis | 4:12 |
8. | "Ghetto Child" | Linda Creed, Thom Bell | 3:47 |
9. | "How Could I Let You Get Away" | Yvette Davis | 3:46 |
10. | "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" | Mystro & Lyric (Melvin and Mervin Steals) | 4:13 |
Personnel
- Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson – vocals
- Roland Chambers, Norman Harris, Bobby Eli – guitars
- Thom Bell – pianos
- Ronnie Baker – bass guitar
- Don Renaldo – strings
- Earl Young – drums
- Larry Washington – congas, bongos
- Vince Montana – vibes, marimbas
- MFSB – orchestration
- Jack Faith – alto saxophone, flute
- Rocco Bene, Bobby Hartzell – trumpet
- Joe DeAnglis, Robert Martin– French horn
- Freddie Joiner, Bobby Moore, Richie Genevese, Eddie Keskarella – trombone
- Linda Creed, Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson, Yvette Benton – backing vocals
Production
- Thom Bell – producer, arranger, conductor
- Joe Tarsia – recording engineer, re-mix engineer
- Merrill A. Roberts, Jr. – photography
- Loring Eutemey – album design
Charts
Chart (1973) | Peak [5] |
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U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 14 |
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 1 |
- Singles
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
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US [5] |
US R&B [5] |
US A/C [5] |
UK [6] | ||
1972 | "How Could I Let You Get Away" | 77 | 14 | — | — |
"I'll Be Around" | 3 | 1 | 31 | — | |
"Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" | 4 | 1 | 14 | 11 | |
1973 | "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" | 11 | 1 | 19 | — |
"Ghetto Child" | 29 | 4 | 20 | 7 | |
References
- Wynn, Ron. Spinners review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- Easlea, Daryl. "Spinners review". BBC Music. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- BBC Music Review by Daryl Easlea. The album was featured on Trevor Nelson's Radio 2 show, 23 June 2010 when he called it " a brilliant, brilliant album"
- "US Charts > The Spinners". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- "UK Charts > Detroit Spinners". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-09-24.