| Spinners | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
| The Spinners studio albums chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  
[1] |
| BBC | (favorable) [2] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A− [3] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | A− [4] |
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.
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." [5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 [6] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 14 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 1 |
- Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US [6] |
US R&B [6] |
US A/C [6] |
UK [7] | ||
| 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 | |
See also
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.
- ^ Hull, Tom (May 31, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
- ^ 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"
- ^ a b c d "US Charts > The Spinners". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
- ^ "UK Charts > Detroit Spinners". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
