The Spinners were the greatest soul group of the early
'70s, creating a body of work that defined the lush, seductive sound of Philly
Soul. Ironically, the band's roots lay in Detroit, where they formed as a
doo-wop group during the late '50s. Throughout the '60s, the Spinners tried to
land a hit by adapting to the shifting fashions of R&B and pop. By the mid-'60s,
they had signed with Motown Records, but the level never gave the group much
consideration. "It's a Shame" became a hit in 1970, but the label continued to
ignore the group, and dropped the band two years later. Unsigned and featuring a
new lead singer Phillipe Wynne, the Spinners seemed destined to never break into
the big-leagues, but they managed to sign with Atlantic Records, where they
began working with producer Thom Bell. Bell provided the group with an
appropriately detailed production, creating a detailed web of horns, strings,
backing vocals, and lightly funky rhythms.
Between 1972 and 1977, the Spinners and Thom Bell recorded a
number of soul classics, including "I'll Be Around," "Could It Be I'm Fallin in
Love," "Mighty Love," "Ghetto Child," "Then Came You," "Games People Play" and
"The Rubberband Man." Wynne left in 1977 and the Spinners had hits for a few
years after his departure, but the group will always be remembered for its
classic mid-'70s work. It should come as no surprise that The Spinners have
always made music that is at once timeless and utterly in tune with the times.
A classic group sound and approach which never loses its
universal appeal. More remarkable is the fact that The Spinners, in the 90's are
more popular. The Spinners are one of the few groups who can boast of four (4)
lead singers: John Edwards, Bobbie Smith, Henry Fambrough and Pervis Jackson,
with Billy Henderson making up the quintet. In the past years they have acquired
twelve gold records with their hits climbing to the top of both the pop and R&B
charts.
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