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The Spinners (U.S. band)
Encyclopedia
The Spinners is a soul music vocal group, active for over 50 years, and with a long run of pop and R&B hits especially during the 1970s. The group, originating from Detroit
, still tours regularly .
The band is also listed occasionally as Detroit Spinners, or Motown Spinners(for their 1960s recordings with the Detroit label). These group names were used in the UK to avoid confusion with a British folk group also called The Spinners
.
public housing projects. Billy Henderson
, Henry Fambrough
, Pervis Jackson
, C. P. Spencer, and James Edwards called themselves The Domingoes, however James Edwards lasted only a few weeks. He was replaced by Bobbie Smith
, who sang lead on most of the Spinners' early records (and many of their biggest Atlantic hits). C. P. Spencer left the group shortly afterwards, and would later go on to be a member of the Voice Masters and The Originals
. He was replaced by George Dixon. The group renamed themselves The Spinners in 1961. This name was chosen after looking at popular car hubcaps and noting how they spun around on a car's wheel.
's Tri-Phi Records, with "That's What Girls Are Made For
," peaking at number 27. Bobby Smith
sang lead vocal on this track, coached by Fuqua. (Some sources report Fuqua sang lead vocal on this track, but both Smith and Fuqua have stated at various times that it was Smith.) The group's followup, "Love (I'm So Glad) I Found You" also featured lead vocals by Smith, although again some sources credit Fuqua. This track would reach number 91 that November, but none of their other Tri-Phi singles charted.
The extent to which Fuqua became a member of the group during their stay at Tri-Phi is debated. Fuqua apparently sang on at least some of the records, and at minimum considered himself a Spinner, as made explicit by the credits on Tri-Phi 1010 and 1024—the artist credit on both these 1962 singles reads "Harvey (Formerly of The Moonglows
and The Spinners)". However most sources, while respecting Fuqua's contributions to the group, do not list him as an official member.
James Edwards' brother, Edgar "Chico" Edwards, would replace Dixon in the group in 1963, at which time Tri-Phi and the entire artist roster was bought out by Fuqua's brother-in-law Berry Gordy
of Motown Records
. The Spinners were then assigned to the Motown label.
In 1964, the Spinners made their debut at the Apollo Theater
and won instant acclaim, a rare feat at the time. But with the exception of "I'll Always Love You
," which hit #35 in 1965, success mostly eluded them during the 1960s. After "I'll Always Love You", they released one single a year from 1966–1969 inclusive, but none charted on the Billboard Hot 100, although their 1966 song "Truly Yours" was a big hit on the Billboard R&B chart.
With commercial success virtually non-existent, during much of this decade the Spinners would be used by Motown as road managers, chaperones and chauffeurs for other groups, and even as shipping clerks. G. C. Cameron
replaced Edgar "Chico" Edwards in 1967, and in 1969, the group switched to the Motown-owned V.I.P. imprint. (The label name is somewhat ironic, given that V.I.P. was generally considered a substandard imprint behind Motown, Gordy, Tamla, and Soul).
In 1970, after a five-year chart absence, they hit #14 with writer/producer Stevie Wonder
's composition, "It's a Shame
" (co-written by Syreeta Wright
), and charted again the following year with another song Wonder wrote and produced, "We'll Have It Made" from their new album 2nd Time Around
. However, these were their last two singles for V.I.P.
Shortly after the release of 2nd Time Around, legend has it that Atlantic Records
recording artist Aretha Franklin
suggested the group finish out their Motown contract and sign with Atlantic. The group made the switch—except for Cameron who elected to leave the group and remain with Motown as a solo artist. Singer Philippé Wynne
(Cameron's cousin), then joined The Spinners as Cameron's replacement and the group's new lead singer. However, original lead singer Bobby Smith
also retained his lead position.
, The Spinners would chart five top 100 singles (and two top tens) from their first post-Motown album, Spinners
(1972), and would go on to become one of the biggest soul groups of the 1970s.
The Bobby Smith-led "I'll Be Around", their first top ten hit, was actually the B-side of their first Atlantic single, "How Could I Let You Get Away
". Radio airplay for the B-side led Atlantic to flip the single over, with "I'll Be Around" hitting #3 and "How Could I Let You Get Away" reaching #77. "I'll Be Around" was also The Spinners' 1st million- selling hit single.http://books.google.com/books?id=AXfvmkm-BzEC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=spinners+i'll+be+around++1st+million+seller&source=bl&ots=hrjIkN0K-j&sig=CEXFlh8yiV_SfeBLhrvcYtYQc4Y&hl=en&ei=kyi9SqzQDIHQsgOVx-VR&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false .
The 1973 follow-up singles "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
" (led by Smith), "One of a Kind (Love Affair)
" (led by Wynne), and "Ghetto Child" (led by Wynne) would cement the group's reputation, as well as further that of Bell, a noted Philly soul producer.
Following their Atlantic successes, Motown also issued a "Best of the Spinners" LP which featured selections from their Motown/V.I.P. recordings. They also remixed and reissued the 1970 B-side "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
" as a 1973 A-side. In the midst of their Atlantic hits, it crawled to number #91 US.
The group's 1974 follow-up album, Mighty Love
, featured three Top 20 hits, "I'm Coming Home," "Love Don't Love Nobody," and the title track. Their biggest hit of the year, however, would be a collaboration with Dionne Warwick
, "Then Came You
",(led by Smith and Warwick), which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming each act's first chart-topping 'Pop' hit. The song also reached the Top 3 of Billboard's R&B and Easy Listening
charts.
The Spinners would hit the Top 10 twice in the next two years with the Smith-led "They Just Can't Stop It the (Games People Play)" (Billboard #5) and the Wynne-led "The Rubberband Man
" (Billboard #2). "Games People Play" featured guest vocalist Barbara Ingram
(though producer Bell disputed this in a UK based interview, claiming Barbara's line was actually group member Henry Fambrough – his voice sped up) and would lead to a nickname of "12:45" for bass singer Jackson, after his signature vocal line on the song.
In 1979 Motown released a compilation album on both sides of the Atlantic; "From the Vaults", US Natural Resources
label NR 4014 & in the UK on Tamla Motown STMR 9001, on this Album was The Spinners; "What More Could a Boy Ask For" (Fuqua & Bristol) circa 1965, this Northern Soul
track, only commercially available in this form, reignited existing Motown and Spinners fans.
The group did manage several big hits in 1980, charting with Michael Zager
medleys of "Working My Way Back to You"/"Forgive Me, Girl" (#2 in April, #1 UK) and "Cupid"/"I've Loved You for a Long Time" (#4 in July, #4 UK). The latter title, which contains 8 words, was #8 on the Hot 100 on 8/8/80 for the 8-lettered-name group (according to the record label, the credited name is "Spinners").
The group's last Hot 100 pop hit was a remake of Willie Nelson
's "Funny How Time Slips Away," peaking at #67 in 1983. The following year, the group had their last R&B hit with "Right or Wrong," off the Cross Fire album. They would release a pair of additional albums during the remainder of the 1980s, but neither of them was successful.
After some years spent collaborating with Parliament/Funkadelic and working solo, former Spinners member Philippé Wynne would die of a heart attack while performing in Oakland on July 14, 1984.
After their chart career ended, The Spinners continued touring for decades. Even though their last hits were almost 25 years ago, the bright lights of their 1972–1976 run of the charts continues to provide for the current members. They are big draws on the oldies and nostalgia concert circuits and continue to play the music that made them famous.
In their boxed set
, The Chrome Collection, The Spinners were lauded by David Bowie
and Elvis Costello
. The Spinners were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
in 1999. On July 27, 2006, The Spinners performed on The Late Show With David Letterman.
A voice from their past, G.C. Cameron, would rejoin the group as lead vocalist from 2000 to 2002 (replacing Jonathan Edwards, who left due to a stroke that left him wheelchair-bound), but he left them in 2003 to join The Temptations
. Frank Washington, formerly of The Futures and The Delfonics
, joined for a few years, before being replaced by Charlton Washington (no relation).
In 2004, original member Billy Henderson was dismissed from the group after suing the group's corporation and business manager to obtain financial records. He was replaced by Harold "Spike" Bonhart. Henderson died due to complications from diabetes
on February 2, 2007 at the age of 67. Another early member, C.P. Spencer had already died from a heart attack
on October 20, 2004.
The group lost another member from their starting days when Pervis Jackson
, who was still touring as a member of the group, died of cancer on August 18, 2008. The group continued for a short time as a quartet before Jessie Robert Peck (born in Queens, New York, December 17, 1968) was recruited as the group's new bass vocalist in February 2009. In the Summer of 2009, Harold "Spike Deleon" Bonhart left the Spinners and was replaced by vocalist Marvin Taylor.
The group is actively touring with two of its surviving original members (Fambrough and Smith), Charlton Washington, Jessie Peck, and Marvin Taylor.
In September 2011, 57 years after forming in Detroit, and 50 years after "That's What Girls Are Made For
", the group was announced as one of 15 final nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, their first nomination.
at the Philadelphia studios. One had all of the Spinners, the other with only lead singer Phillipe Wynne on backing vocals. Elton John wasn't happy with the mixes and sat on the tapes for a year before asking for them to be re-mixed to give them an easier on the ear sound. Finally in 1979, the Phillipe Wynne version was released as a single but it only made it to number 42 in the UK.
The track was then remixed by Ashley Beedle from Xpress-2 in 2003 after becoming a fixture in the Balearic nightclubs and being used by Sky Sports
for an advertisement. It then went to number 1 in the singles chart after being released on DJ Fatboy Slim
's Southern Fried record label.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, still tours regularly .
The band is also listed occasionally as Detroit Spinners, or Motown Spinners(for their 1960s recordings with the Detroit label). These group names were used in the UK to avoid confusion with a British folk group also called The Spinners
The Spinners (UK band)
The Spinners were a 1960s folk group from Liverpool, England formed in September 1958. They consisted of:* Hughie Jones...
.
History
In 1954, a group of friends who grew up together in Royal Oak Township, Michigan, just outside Detroit, came together to make music. For a time, several of the band members resided in Detroit's Herman GardensHerman Gardens
Herman Gardens was a public housing project located in the northwest area of Detroit, Michigan.-History:First built in the year of 1943, Herman Gardens, known as "the Gardens", had 2,144 units of mostly two-story multi-family buildings...
public housing projects. Billy Henderson
Billy Henderson (American singer)
Billy Henderson was an African-American singer. He was an original member and founder of The Spinners, a soul vocal group....
, Henry Fambrough
Henry Fambrough
Henry Fambrough is an original vocalist and current member of the R&B quintet The Spinners . He is one of two active original members of the Spinners...
, Pervis Jackson
Pervis Jackson
Pervis Jackson was an American R&B singer, noted as the bass singer for The Spinners, and was one of the group's original members.-Life and career:...
, C. P. Spencer, and James Edwards called themselves The Domingoes, however James Edwards lasted only a few weeks. He was replaced by Bobbie Smith
Bobby Smith (R&B singer)
Robert "Bobby" Smith is an American R&B singer, noted as the principal lead singer of the soul vocal group, The Spinners, also known as the Detroit Spinners or the Motown Spinners....
, who sang lead on most of the Spinners' early records (and many of their biggest Atlantic hits). C. P. Spencer left the group shortly afterwards, and would later go on to be a member of the Voice Masters and The Originals
The Originals
The Originals were a successful Motown R&B and soul group during the late 1960s and the 1970s, most notable for the hits "Baby I'm For Real", "The Bells" and the disco classic, "Down to Love Town"...
. He was replaced by George Dixon. The group renamed themselves The Spinners in 1961. This name was chosen after looking at popular car hubcaps and noting how they spun around on a car's wheel.
Early recording years: 1961–1971
The Spinners first hit the charts in August 1961 on Harvey FuquaHarvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua, was an African-American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, record producer, and record label executive.Fuqua founded the seminal R&B/doo-wop group the Moonglows in the 1950s...
's Tri-Phi Records, with "That's What Girls Are Made For
That's What Girls Are Made For
"That's What Girls Are Made For" is the debuting single for the American R&B/Soul vocal group The Spinners, released on Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi Records label in 1961....
," peaking at number 27. Bobby Smith
Bobby Smith (R&B singer)
Robert "Bobby" Smith is an American R&B singer, noted as the principal lead singer of the soul vocal group, The Spinners, also known as the Detroit Spinners or the Motown Spinners....
sang lead vocal on this track, coached by Fuqua. (Some sources report Fuqua sang lead vocal on this track, but both Smith and Fuqua have stated at various times that it was Smith.) The group's followup, "Love (I'm So Glad) I Found You" also featured lead vocals by Smith, although again some sources credit Fuqua. This track would reach number 91 that November, but none of their other Tri-Phi singles charted.
The extent to which Fuqua became a member of the group during their stay at Tri-Phi is debated. Fuqua apparently sang on at least some of the records, and at minimum considered himself a Spinner, as made explicit by the credits on Tri-Phi 1010 and 1024—the artist credit on both these 1962 singles reads "Harvey (Formerly of The Moonglows
The Moonglows
The Moonglows were an American R&B and doo-wop group based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Early years:Originally formed in their native Louisville, Kentucky as the Crazy Sounds, the group moved to Cleveland, where disc jockey Alan Freed renamed them 'the Moonglows'...
and The Spinners)". However most sources, while respecting Fuqua's contributions to the group, do not list him as an official member.
James Edwards' brother, Edgar "Chico" Edwards, would replace Dixon in the group in 1963, at which time Tri-Phi and the entire artist roster was bought out by Fuqua's brother-in-law Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
of Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
. The Spinners were then assigned to the Motown label.
In 1964, the Spinners made their debut at the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
and won instant acclaim, a rare feat at the time. But with the exception of "I'll Always Love You
I'll Always Love You (The Spinners song)
"I'll Always Love You" is a song co-written by William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter and produced by Stevenson and Hunter as a single for The Spinners on the Motown Records label. The single became the Detroit-reared group's first charting single on the Motown Records company since they had...
," which hit #35 in 1965, success mostly eluded them during the 1960s. After "I'll Always Love You", they released one single a year from 1966–1969 inclusive, but none charted on the Billboard Hot 100, although their 1966 song "Truly Yours" was a big hit on the Billboard R&B chart.
With commercial success virtually non-existent, during much of this decade the Spinners would be used by Motown as road managers, chaperones and chauffeurs for other groups, and even as shipping clerks. G. C. Cameron
G. C. Cameron
George Curtis "G.C." Cameron is an American soul and R&B singer. G.C. is credited with having "six different voices."-The Spinners:...
replaced Edgar "Chico" Edwards in 1967, and in 1969, the group switched to the Motown-owned V.I.P. imprint. (The label name is somewhat ironic, given that V.I.P. was generally considered a substandard imprint behind Motown, Gordy, Tamla, and Soul).
In 1970, after a five-year chart absence, they hit #14 with writer/producer Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
's composition, "It's a Shame
It's a Shame (The Spinners song)
"It's a Shame" is a song co-written by Stevie Wonder, Syreeta Wright and Lee Garrett and produced by Wonder as a single for The Spinners on Motown's V.I.P. Records label. The single became the Detroit-reared group's biggest single on the Motown Records company since they had signed with the company...
" (co-written by Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright
Syreeta Wright , who recorded professionally under the single name Syreeta, was a Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter most notably known for her work with Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston.-Early life and career:...
), and charted again the following year with another song Wonder wrote and produced, "We'll Have It Made" from their new album 2nd Time Around
2nd Time Around
2nd Time Around is a studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, released in October 1970 on Motown's V.I.P. label . This is their only album that featured member G. C. Cameron...
. However, these were their last two singles for V.I.P.
Shortly after the release of 2nd Time Around, legend has it that Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
recording artist Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
suggested the group finish out their Motown contract and sign with Atlantic. The group made the switch—except for Cameron who elected to leave the group and remain with Motown as a solo artist. Singer Philippé Wynne
Philippe Wynne
Philippé Wynne , born Phillip Walker, was an American R&B singer. Best known for his role as the lead singer of The Spinners , Wynne scored notable hits such as "How Could I Let You Get Away", "The Rubberband Man",and "One of a Kind ",...
(Cameron's cousin), then joined The Spinners as Cameron's replacement and the group's new lead singer. However, original lead singer Bobby Smith
Bobby Smith (R&B singer)
Robert "Bobby" Smith is an American R&B singer, noted as the principal lead singer of the soul vocal group, The Spinners, also known as the Detroit Spinners or the Motown Spinners....
also retained his lead position.
The hit years with Philippé Wynne
When The Spinners signed to Atlantic in 1972, they were a respected but commercially unremarkable singing group who had never had a top-ten pop hit—despite having been a recording act for over a decade. However, under the helm of producer and songwriter Thom BellThom Bell
Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...
, The Spinners would chart five top 100 singles (and two top tens) from their first post-Motown album, Spinners
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...
(1972), and would go on to become one of the biggest soul groups of the 1970s.
The Bobby Smith-led "I'll Be Around", their first top ten hit, was actually the B-side of their first Atlantic single, "How Could I Let You Get Away
How Could I Let You Get Away
"How Could I Let You Get Away" is a song recorded by the American vocal group The Spinners and produced by Thom Bell. The lush, string-augmented production of the song drew comparisons to another Bell - produced group, The Stylistics. The song was recorded for inclusion on the group's 1972...
". Radio airplay for the B-side led Atlantic to flip the single over, with "I'll Be Around" hitting #3 and "How Could I Let You Get Away" reaching #77. "I'll Be Around" was also The Spinners' 1st million- selling hit single.http://books.google.com/books?id=AXfvmkm-BzEC&pg=PA141&lpg=PA141&dq=spinners+i'll+be+around++1st+million+seller&source=bl&ots=hrjIkN0K-j&sig=CEXFlh8yiV_SfeBLhrvcYtYQc4Y&hl=en&ei=kyi9SqzQDIHQsgOVx-VR&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false .
The 1973 follow-up singles "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
"Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" is a 1972 song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners . The song was co-written by Melvin and Mervin Steals who were two songwriter brothers working for Atlantic, who were sometimes credited as "Mystro and Lyric." It was produced by Thom Bell...
" (led by Smith), "One of a Kind (Love Affair)
One of a Kind (Love Affair)
"One of a Kind " is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners . The song was...
" (led by Wynne), and "Ghetto Child" (led by Wynne) would cement the group's reputation, as well as further that of Bell, a noted Philly soul producer.
Following their Atlantic successes, Motown also issued a "Best of the Spinners" LP which featured selections from their Motown/V.I.P. recordings. They also remixed and reissued the 1970 B-side "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
"Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" is a song co-written by Richard Drapkin and Marty Coleman and produced by Clay McMurray as two singles for The Spinners, first as the B-Side of "It's a Shame" on Motown's V.I.P. Records label, then three years later as a single for the main Motown label itself...
" as a 1973 A-side. In the midst of their Atlantic hits, it crawled to number #91 US.
The group's 1974 follow-up album, Mighty Love
Mighty Love
-Personnel:*Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson – vocals*Linda Creed, Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson, Evette Benton – backing vocals*MFSB – instrumentation-Charts:AlbumSingles...
, featured three Top 20 hits, "I'm Coming Home," "Love Don't Love Nobody," and the title track. Their biggest hit of the year, however, would be a collaboration with Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, "Then Came You
Then Came You (song)
"Then Came You" is a 1974 Grammy-nominated hit for American soul singer Dionne Warwick and American R&B group The Spinners, and credited to Dionne Warwicke and Spinners . The track was written by Sherman Marshall and Phillip T...
",(led by Smith and Warwick), which hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming each act's first chart-topping 'Pop' hit. The song also reached the Top 3 of Billboard's R&B and Easy Listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
charts.
The Spinners would hit the Top 10 twice in the next two years with the Smith-led "They Just Can't Stop It the (Games People Play)" (Billboard #5) and the Wynne-led "The Rubberband Man
The Rubberband Man
"The Rubberband Man" is a song recorded by the American vocal group The Spinners .The song, written by producer Thom Bell and Linda Creed, was about Bell's son, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight...
" (Billboard #2). "Games People Play" featured guest vocalist Barbara Ingram
Barbara Ingram
Barbara Jane Ingram was an American R&B singer-songwriter, who was active throughout the early 1970s until the mid-late 1980s, enjoying modest success a backup singer for almost two decades.-Career:...
(though producer Bell disputed this in a UK based interview, claiming Barbara's line was actually group member Henry Fambrough – his voice sped up) and would lead to a nickname of "12:45" for bass singer Jackson, after his signature vocal line on the song.
The post-Wynne years
Wynne left the group in January 1977 to be replaced by John Edwards. Though this version of the group had minor hits from 1977–79, they failed to hit the pop Top 40 for two years and parted ways with producer Bell.In 1979 Motown released a compilation album on both sides of the Atlantic; "From the Vaults", US Natural Resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
label NR 4014 & in the UK on Tamla Motown STMR 9001, on this Album was The Spinners; "What More Could a Boy Ask For" (Fuqua & Bristol) circa 1965, this Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
track, only commercially available in this form, reignited existing Motown and Spinners fans.
The group did manage several big hits in 1980, charting with Michael Zager
Michael Zager
Michael Zager has produced, composed, and/or arranged original music in a wide range of musical idioms, including commercials, albums, network television, and as a source for theme music for films....
medleys of "Working My Way Back to You"/"Forgive Me, Girl" (#2 in April, #1 UK) and "Cupid"/"I've Loved You for a Long Time" (#4 in July, #4 UK). The latter title, which contains 8 words, was #8 on the Hot 100 on 8/8/80 for the 8-lettered-name group (according to the record label, the credited name is "Spinners").
The group's last Hot 100 pop hit was a remake of Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
's "Funny How Time Slips Away," peaking at #67 in 1983. The following year, the group had their last R&B hit with "Right or Wrong," off the Cross Fire album. They would release a pair of additional albums during the remainder of the 1980s, but neither of them was successful.
After some years spent collaborating with Parliament/Funkadelic and working solo, former Spinners member Philippé Wynne would die of a heart attack while performing in Oakland on July 14, 1984.
The Spinners now
In their boxed set
Boxed set
A box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...
, The Chrome Collection, The Spinners were lauded by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
. The Spinners were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame was organized to honor outstanding vocal groups throughout the world. It is headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, United States. It includes a theater and a museum....
in 1999. On July 27, 2006, The Spinners performed on The Late Show With David Letterman.
A voice from their past, G.C. Cameron, would rejoin the group as lead vocalist from 2000 to 2002 (replacing Jonathan Edwards, who left due to a stroke that left him wheelchair-bound), but he left them in 2003 to join The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
. Frank Washington, formerly of The Futures and The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
, joined for a few years, before being replaced by Charlton Washington (no relation).
In 2004, original member Billy Henderson was dismissed from the group after suing the group's corporation and business manager to obtain financial records. He was replaced by Harold "Spike" Bonhart. Henderson died due to complications from diabetes
Diabetes mellitus
Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced...
on February 2, 2007 at the age of 67. Another early member, C.P. Spencer had already died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on October 20, 2004.
The group lost another member from their starting days when Pervis Jackson
Pervis Jackson
Pervis Jackson was an American R&B singer, noted as the bass singer for The Spinners, and was one of the group's original members.-Life and career:...
, who was still touring as a member of the group, died of cancer on August 18, 2008. The group continued for a short time as a quartet before Jessie Robert Peck (born in Queens, New York, December 17, 1968) was recruited as the group's new bass vocalist in February 2009. In the Summer of 2009, Harold "Spike Deleon" Bonhart left the Spinners and was replaced by vocalist Marvin Taylor.
The group is actively touring with two of its surviving original members (Fambrough and Smith), Charlton Washington, Jessie Peck, and Marvin Taylor.
In September 2011, 57 years after forming in Detroit, and 50 years after "That's What Girls Are Made For
That's What Girls Are Made For
"That's What Girls Are Made For" is the debuting single for the American R&B/Soul vocal group The Spinners, released on Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi Records label in 1961....
", the group was announced as one of 15 final nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, their first nomination.
Are You Ready For Love?
The Spinners were put into the limelight again in 2003 when an Elton John track was re-issued featuring them on backing vocals. In 1977, The Spinners had recorded two versions of Are You Ready For LoveAre You Ready for Love
"Are You Ready for Love" is a song recorded by Elton John in 1977, and was first released in the UK in 1979 on the EP The Thom Bell Sessions. It was written by Leroy Bell, Thom Bell and Casey James, and was originally produced in Philadelphia by Thom Bell...
at the Philadelphia studios. One had all of the Spinners, the other with only lead singer Phillipe Wynne on backing vocals. Elton John wasn't happy with the mixes and sat on the tapes for a year before asking for them to be re-mixed to give them an easier on the ear sound. Finally in 1979, the Phillipe Wynne version was released as a single but it only made it to number 42 in the UK.
The track was then remixed by Ashley Beedle from Xpress-2 in 2003 after becoming a fixture in the Balearic nightclubs and being used by Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
for an advertisement. It then went to number 1 in the singles chart after being released on DJ Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
's Southern Fried record label.
Personnel
Original Members ***- Henry FambroughHenry FambroughHenry Fambrough is an original vocalist and current member of the R&B quintet The Spinners . He is one of two active original members of the Spinners...
(1954 to present)*** - William "Billy" HendersonBilly Henderson (American singer)Billy Henderson was an African-American singer. He was an original member and founder of The Spinners, a soul vocal group....
(1954 to 2004)*** - Pervis JacksonPervis JacksonPervis Jackson was an American R&B singer, noted as the bass singer for The Spinners, and was one of the group's original members.-Life and career:...
(1954 to 2008)*** - James Edwards (1954)***
- Robert "Bobby" SmithBobby Smith (R&B singer)Robert "Bobby" Smith is an American R&B singer, noted as the principal lead singer of the soul vocal group, The Spinners, also known as the Detroit Spinners or the Motown Spinners....
(1954 to present)*** - Crathman "C.P." Spencer (1954 to 1956)***
- Edgar "Chico" Edwards (1956 to 1958; 1962 to 1967)
- George Dixon (1958 to 1963)
- Joe Stubbs (1962)
- George "G.C." Cameron (1967 to 1972; & 2000 to 2003)
- Philippé WynnePhilippe WynnePhilippé Wynne , born Phillip Walker, was an American R&B singer. Best known for his role as the lead singer of The Spinners , Wynne scored notable hits such as "How Could I Let You Get Away", "The Rubberband Man",and "One of a Kind ",...
(1972 to 1977) - Jonathan Edwards (1977 to 2000)
- Frank Washington (2003 to 2009)
- Harold "Spike" Bonhart (2004 to 2009)
- Charlton Washington (2009 to present)
- Jessie Robert Peck (2009 to present)
- Marvin Taylor (2009 to present)
External links
- The Spinners official website
- The Spinners interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' 02/09
- 'The Spinners' Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
- The Spinners biography and update at SoulTracks.com
- Yahoo! News: Spinners singer Billy Henderson dies – February 3, 2007
- Detroit Free Press: Spinners singer Pervis Jackson dies – August 19, 2008
- An interview with a new bass singer for the Spinners, Jessie Peck, at Soul Express – February 24, 2009
- A July 2009 interview with a new member, Marvin Taylor, at Soul Express – August 28, 2009