The Spinners

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
 
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 bands 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 label never gave the group much consideration. Its 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 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. With his assistance, the Spinners developed a distinctive sound, one that relied on Wynnes breathtaking falsetto and the groups intricate vocal harmonies. 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 Bell recorded a number of soul classics, including Ill Be Around, Could It Be Im 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.
 
Originally, called the Domingoes, the Spinners formed when the quintet were high school students in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale in 1957. At the time, the group featured Bobbie Smith, Pervis Jackson, George W. Dixon, Billy Henderson, and Henry Fambrough. Four years later, they came to the attention of producer Harvey Fuqua, who began recording the group — who were now called the Spinners — for his Tri-Phi Records. The bands first single, Thats What Girls Are Made For, became a Top Ten R&B hit upon its 1961 release and featured Smith on vocals. Following its release, Dixon was replaced by Edgar Chico Edwards. Over the next few years, the group released a series of failed singles, and when Tri-Phi was bought out by Motown in the mid-60s, the Spinners became part of the larger companys roster. By that time, Edwards had been replaced by G.C. Cameron.
 
Though the Spinners had some R&B hits at Motown during the late 60s, including Ill Always Love You and Truly Yours, they didnt have a genuine crossover success until 1970, when Stevie Wonder gave the group Its a Shame. Motown never concentrated on the Spinners, and they let the group go in 1972. Before the band signed with Atlantic Records, Phillipe Wynne replaced Cameron as the groups lead vocalist. Wynne had previously sung with Catfish and Bootsy Collins.
 
At Atlantic Records, the Spinners worked with producer Thom Bell, who gave the group a lush, seductive sound, complete with sighing strings, a tight rhythm section, sultry horns, and a slight funk underpinning. Wynne quickly emerged as a first-rate soul singer, and the combination of the groups harmonies, Wynnes soaring leads, and Bells meticulous production made the Spinners the most popular soul group of the 70s. Once the group signed with Atlantic, they became a veritable hit machine, topping the R&B and pop charts with songs like Ill Be Around, Could It Be Im Falling in Love, One of a Kind (Love Affair), Ghetto Child, Rubberband Man, and Youre Throwing a Good Love Away. Not only were their singles hits, but their albums constantly went gold and charted in the Top 20.
 
Wynne left the band to pursue a solo career in 1977; he was replaced by John Edwards. Though none of Wynnes solo records were big hits, his tours with Parliament-Funkadelic were well-received, as were his solo concerts. In October 1984, he died of a heart attack during a concert in Oakland, CA. The Spinners, meanwhile, had a number of minor hits in the late 70s, highlighted by their disco covers of Working My Way Back to You and the medley Cupid/Ive Loved You for a Long Time. During the early 80s, they had several minor hits before fading away from the charts and entering the oldies circuit, reprising their earlier material for 1999s new studio effort At Their Best.