The Stylistics

小简介    继Spinners乐队和O'Jays乐队之后，the Stylistics再度成为由Thom Bell成功包装的费城风格的乐队。70年期间，乐队共有12首单曲打入排行榜前十名，其中包括：You Are Everything，Betcha by Golly Wow，I'm Stone in Love With You，Break up to Make up和You Make Me Fell Brand New等。the Stylistics是70年代词曲最流畅和最甜美的乐队之一。所有的上榜歌曲均为情歌，经Russel Thompkins Jr.的假声的演绎后，歌声变得无比的优美和昂扬。这也是the Stylistics作品的印记。这些歌曲是Thom  Bell的最优美的作品，也正是这些作品使the Stylistics成为了60年代末70年代初最成功的乐队之一。乐队至今已推出了22张专辑。
   the Stylistics成立于1968年。当时，费城主流乐队的君王乐队（the Monarchs)中的Russel Thompkins Jr.、James Smith和Airrion Love以及敲击乐队（the Percussions)的James Dunn和Herbie Murrell在各自的乐队解散之后，便组成了新的the Stylistics乐队。1970年，乐队录制了一首由他们的铺路者Marty Bryant和Slims and the Boys乐队的吉它手Robert Douglas合写的一首情歌You're a Big Girl Now,该曲很快地区的热门歌曲，继而在1971年初，爬升到排行榜的第7位。
     不久，the Stylistics与实力雄厚Avco唱片公司签了约。一入到Avco,the Stylistics便与著名的集作曲、制作与配器于一身的音乐人Thom Bell和作词家Linda Creed合作。Bell对the Stylistics情有独钟，专门针对Thomkins的假声写了一系列的作品。这些歌曲很快就流行起来。每一首由Bell制作的单曲都进入了排行榜的前十名。而其中的You Are Everything、Betcha by Golly Wow、I'm Stone in Love With You、Break up to Make up和You Make Me Fell Brand New均是榜首精品。成为70年代布鲁斯音乐的经典。
     1974年春完成了“You Make Me Fell Brand New”之后，the Stylistics离开了Thom Bell继而和Van McCoy合作，Van使乐队转向了一种轻柔、悠闲的风格。1976年，乐队转与H&L唱片公司签约后，唱片销量一直下降。但他们在欧洲，特别是英国，仍然很受欢迎。此间的“Sing Baby Sing"(1975)、“Na Na Is the Saddest Word"(1975)、"Can't Give You Anything"(1975)以及“Can't Help Fallin in Love"(1976)均进入到英国排行榜的前五名。70年代后期，the Stylistics继续录制唱片和进行巡回演出，但乐队已开始走下坡路。1980年，Dunn由于健康的原因退出了乐队，第二年，Smith也步了Dunn的后尘。剩下的成员还在继续进行翻唱旧作品的三重唱直到90年代。by Stephen Thomas ErlewineAfter the Spinners and the OJays, the Stylistics were the leading Philly soul group produced by Thom Bell. During the early 70s, the band had 12 straight Top Ten hits, including You Are Everything, Betcha by Golly, Wow, Im Stone in Love With You, Break Up to Make Up, and You Make Me Feel Brand New. Of all their peers, the Stylistics were one of the smoothest and sweetest soul groups of their era. All of their hits were ballads, graced by the soaring falsetto of Russell Thompkins, Jr. and the lush yet graceful productions of Bell, which helped make the Stylistics one of the most successful soul groups of the first half of the 70s.The Stylistics formed in 1968, when members of the Philadelphia soul groups the Monarchs and the Percussions joined forces after their respective band dissolved. Thompkins, James Smith, and Airrion Love hailed from the Monarchs; James Dunn and Herbie Murrell were from the Percussions. In 1970, the group recorded Youre a Big Girl Now, a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote with Robert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and single eventually climbed to number seven in early 1971.Once they were on Avco, the Stylistics began working with producer/songwriter Thom Bell, who had previously worked with the Delfonics. The Stylistics became Bells pet project and with lyricist Linda Creed, he crafted a series of hit singles that relied as much on the intricately arranged and lush production as they did on Thompkins falsetto. Every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit, and several — You Are Everything, Betcha by Golly, Wow, Im Stone in Love With You, Break Up to Make Up, and You Make Me Feel Brand New — were also Top Ten pop hits.Following You Make Me Feel Brand New in the spring of 1974, the Stylistics broke away from Bell and began working with Van McCoy, who helped move the group towards a softer, easy listening style. In 1976, they left Avco and signed with H&L. The groups American record sales declined, yet they remained popular in Europe, particularly in Great Britain, where Sing Baby Sing (1975), Na Na Is the Saddest Word (1975), Cant Give You Anything (1975), and Cant Help Falling in Love (1976) were all Top Five hits. The Stylistics continued to tour and record throughout the latter half of the 70s, as their popularity steadily declined. In 1980, Dunn left the group because of poor health, and he was followed later that year by Smith. The remaining Stylistics continued performing as a trio on oldies shows into the 90s.