Spinners is the third studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, produced by Thom Bell and released in March 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.
Reception
BBC Radio's Trevor Nelson said producer 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."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"
Track listing
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 Vincent Montana Jr. – 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)PeakU.S. Billboard Top LPs14U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs1
Singles Year Single Peak chart positions US USR&B USA/C UK1972 "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 111973 "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" 11 1 19 — "Ghetto Child" 29 4 20 7
See also List of number-one R&B albums of 1973 (U.S.)
References
External links