Express Yourself! Features
THE SPINNERS
By Christopher Rizik
Back in 1971, when the Spinners left Motown for Atlantic Records, it wasn’t exactly an
event that shook the music world. But why would it? The group had toiled in virtual
obscurity for nearly a decade as one of Motown’s “forgotten” groups. While Motown
star groups like the Temptations and Four Tops were headlining shows around the
world and were choosing from the top songs of Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield
and Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Spinners were recording infrequently and charting
even more rarely, working with Motown’s second tier producers and catching opening
act gigs where they could.
Many folks around Hitsville, USA knew that the quintet, consisting of Henry
Fambrough, Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Pervis Jackson and G.C. Cameron, was a
solid vocal group and an entertaining act. But they were in a stable full of prize
winning horses, and getting the attention of the Motown brass was next to impossible.
Without that attention, success appeared equally impossible. And that was the case
until their good friend, Stevie Wonder, wrote a song for them that was so strong, even
Motown’s indifference couldn’t stop it. In the summer of 1970, around the time the
Spinners’ Motown contract expired and almost a year after it was recorded, Wonder’s
“It’s a Shame” became an international smash for the Spinners and gave the world a
glimpse of a future supergroup.
Interestingly, while the Spinners had not garnered much commercial success during
their Motown years, they had earned the interest of a young producer named Thom
Bell, who felt that the Spinners tight harmonies and smooth delivery could be the
perfect vehicle for his brand of sophisticated soul music. Along with Kenny Gamble
and Leon Huff, Bell was the architect of the “Philadelphia Sound,” a new style of
orchestral soul music that borrowed as much from the big bands of the ‘40s and ‘50s
as from the Motown sound of the ‘60s, all wrapped up in exquisite production that
appealed to adults as much as to the teenagers that AM radio targeted. The success of
that sound would ultimately pave the way for a new genre of music – Urban Adult
Contemporary -- that would hit its peak over a decade later with artists such as Luther
Vandross and Anita Baker.
With Bell’s interest secured, the Spinners readied themselves for a fresh start on
Atlantic Records. However, in a strange twist that would define the group for years to
come, G.C. Cameron remained under contract with Motown and was forced to leave
the group. So the Spinners recruited Cameron’s friend, Philippe Wynne, to be their
new lead singer. Wynne – a sly, talkative singer who preached, scatted and joked his
way through material, turning every song into a dynamic story -- was a perfect contrast
to the smooth, understated style of the rest of the group.
The result of the first Bell/Spinners collaboration was historic. “The Spinners,”
released in 1973, was not only a bold statement of a new beginning for the group, it
became one of the most important soul albums ever. Boasting four top 10 hits, “I’ll Be
Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” “One of a Kind” and “Ghetto Child,” the
disc immediately moved the Spinners to the upper echelon of soul music and
established the Philadelphia Sound as the definitive sound of the early ‘70s. The
Spinners, along with the Stylistics, the O’Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes,
among others, shifted the soul music world’s attention from Detroit to Philadelphia,
and kept it there for most of the decade.
Ironically, the success of the first Atlantic album led the group to a nationwide tour as
the opening act for the Temptations. I recall being at their joint concert in Detroit (the
first of four Spinners concerts I attended), where the exuberance, audience
engagement and general clowning around that was the hallmark of a Spinners set
contrasted sharply with the almost mechanistic precision of the Temptations act, and
completely won over the audience. You couldn’t help but feel you were watching a
handing of the mantle from the previous Soul Music kings to the new royalty.
The Spinners/Bell train continued to roll for another seven albums, resulting in such
classic songs as “Mighty Love,” “Games People Play,” “Sadie,” “Then Came You”
(with Dionne Warwick), and “I’m Coming Home.” These were among the decade’s
finest discs, and the group became international stars. However, as the decade wore
on, the hits slowed down and the relationship between Bell, the group and the
mercurial Wynne began to deteriorate. Wynne ultimately left the group in 1977 to
pursue a solo career, teaming with George Clinton and the Parliament/Funkadelic
crew. Sadly, he died in 1984. The group then selected John Edwards as its new lead
singer. If Wynne’s style was that of a sly cat, Edwards was that of a tiger, devouring
songs with a huge voice and multi-octave range. Edwards was clearly a talent, but one
to whom Thom Bell had trouble adjusting his restrained production style. To further
complicate things, Bell began taking a less active writing role in the Spinners albums,
and their collaborations began to sound increasingly formulaic. After the
disappointing “From Here to Eternally,” the Spinners and Bell parted ways.
As 1979 arrived, the group found itself without a producer and three years removed
from its last major hit. With the disco craze in full swing, the Spinners, with their more
traditional sound, appeared anything but relevant. The group then surprised the music
industry by putting its fate for the first post-Bell album in the hands of Michael Zager, a
moderately successful dance producer whose style was as straightforward and blunt
as Bell’s was subtle and sophisticated. Their first Zager collaboration, the
disappointing “Dancin’ and Lovin’,” stalled on the charts for several months until the
album’s second single, an unlikely dance remake of the Four Seasons’ “Working My
Way Back to You,” hit the radio and zoomed to the top of the charts. This led to a
smash remake of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” in 1980. While Zager was more workmanlike
than dynamic on these songs, they were a success in large part because Edwards was
able to unleash his monster voice, something that rarely happened under Bell’s more
stifling production. The group continued recording for Atlantic for another five years
with multiple producers (and generally weaker songs), but never again scored a major
hit. A couple of additional albums on minor labels in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s found
the quintet in fine voice but working with uneven material. Throughout these latter
years, the Spinners managed to make even mediocre material sound better than it
deserved, and made good songs (such as 1989’s sadly ignored “Memories of Allison”)
downright inspiring.
The Spinners have remained active, touring regularly and occasionally recording, most
recently in 1999 with the solid “At Their Best.” Unfortunately, lead singer John
Edwards has been ill this year, leading the Spinners to go full circle, making an
unexpected call to former lead G.C. Cameron to rejoin the group after more than 30
years. Edwards is recovering and the Spinners hope to record again soon – now as a
six member group. The Spinners have left a legacy of wonderful music in their more
than 40 years together. Their terrific harmonies and stage presence are a joy to
experience now as much as ever, and have made them one of the Soul Music’s
greatest treasures.
You can reach Christopher by e-mail at: chris@soultracks.com
By Christopher Rizik
Back in 1971, when the Spinners left Motown for Atlantic Records, it wasn’t exactly an
event that shook the music world. But why would it? The group had toiled in virtual
obscurity for nearly a decade as one of Motown’s “forgotten” groups. While Motown
star groups like the Temptations and Four Tops were headlining shows around the
world and were choosing from the top songs of Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield
and Holland-Dozier-Holland, the Spinners were recording infrequently and charting
even more rarely, working with Motown’s second tier producers and catching opening
act gigs where they could.
Many folks around Hitsville, USA knew that the quintet, consisting of Henry
Fambrough, Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Pervis Jackson and G.C. Cameron, was a
solid vocal group and an entertaining act. But they were in a stable full of prize
winning horses, and getting the attention of the Motown brass was next to impossible.
Without that attention, success appeared equally impossible. And that was the case
until their good friend, Stevie Wonder, wrote a song for them that was so strong, even
Motown’s indifference couldn’t stop it. In the summer of 1970, around the time the
Spinners’ Motown contract expired and almost a year after it was recorded, Wonder’s
“It’s a Shame” became an international smash for the Spinners and gave the world a
glimpse of a future supergroup.
Interestingly, while the Spinners had not garnered much commercial success during
their Motown years, they had earned the interest of a young producer named Thom
Bell, who felt that the Spinners tight harmonies and smooth delivery could be the
perfect vehicle for his brand of sophisticated soul music. Along with Kenny Gamble
and Leon Huff, Bell was the architect of the “Philadelphia Sound,” a new style of
orchestral soul music that borrowed as much from the big bands of the ‘40s and ‘50s
as from the Motown sound of the ‘60s, all wrapped up in exquisite production that
appealed to adults as much as to the teenagers that AM radio targeted. The success of
that sound would ultimately pave the way for a new genre of music – Urban Adult
Contemporary -- that would hit its peak over a decade later with artists such as Luther
Vandross and Anita Baker.
With Bell’s interest secured, the Spinners readied themselves for a fresh start on
Atlantic Records. However, in a strange twist that would define the group for years to
come, G.C. Cameron remained under contract with Motown and was forced to leave
the group. So the Spinners recruited Cameron’s friend, Philippe Wynne, to be their
new lead singer. Wynne – a sly, talkative singer who preached, scatted and joked his
way through material, turning every song into a dynamic story -- was a perfect contrast
to the smooth, understated style of the rest of the group.
The result of the first Bell/Spinners collaboration was historic. “The Spinners,”
released in 1973, was not only a bold statement of a new beginning for the group, it
became one of the most important soul albums ever. Boasting four top 10 hits, “I’ll Be
Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” “One of a Kind” and “Ghetto Child,” the
disc immediately moved the Spinners to the upper echelon of soul music and
established the Philadelphia Sound as the definitive sound of the early ‘70s. The
Spinners, along with the Stylistics, the O’Jays and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes,
among others, shifted the soul music world’s attention from Detroit to Philadelphia,
and kept it there for most of the decade.
Ironically, the success of the first Atlantic album led the group to a nationwide tour as
the opening act for the Temptations. I recall being at their joint concert in Detroit (the
first of four Spinners concerts I attended), where the exuberance, audience
engagement and general clowning around that was the hallmark of a Spinners set
contrasted sharply with the almost mechanistic precision of the Temptations act, and
completely won over the audience. You couldn’t help but feel you were watching a
handing of the mantle from the previous Soul Music kings to the new royalty.
The Spinners/Bell train continued to roll for another seven albums, resulting in such
classic songs as “Mighty Love,” “Games People Play,” “Sadie,” “Then Came You”
(with Dionne Warwick), and “I’m Coming Home.” These were among the decade’s
finest discs, and the group became international stars. However, as the decade wore
on, the hits slowed down and the relationship between Bell, the group and the
mercurial Wynne began to deteriorate. Wynne ultimately left the group in 1977 to
pursue a solo career, teaming with George Clinton and the Parliament/Funkadelic
crew. Sadly, he died in 1984. The group then selected John Edwards as its new lead
singer. If Wynne’s style was that of a sly cat, Edwards was that of a tiger, devouring
songs with a huge voice and multi-octave range. Edwards was clearly a talent, but one
to whom Thom Bell had trouble adjusting his restrained production style. To further
complicate things, Bell began taking a less active writing role in the Spinners albums,
and their collaborations began to sound increasingly formulaic. After the
disappointing “From Here to Eternally,” the Spinners and Bell parted ways.
As 1979 arrived, the group found itself without a producer and three years removed
from its last major hit. With the disco craze in full swing, the Spinners, with their more
traditional sound, appeared anything but relevant. The group then surprised the music
industry by putting its fate for the first post-Bell album in the hands of Michael Zager, a
moderately successful dance producer whose style was as straightforward and blunt
as Bell’s was subtle and sophisticated. Their first Zager collaboration, the
disappointing “Dancin’ and Lovin’,” stalled on the charts for several months until the
album’s second single, an unlikely dance remake of the Four Seasons’ “Working My
Way Back to You,” hit the radio and zoomed to the top of the charts. This led to a
smash remake of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” in 1980. While Zager was more workmanlike
than dynamic on these songs, they were a success in large part because Edwards was
able to unleash his monster voice, something that rarely happened under Bell’s more
stifling production. The group continued recording for Atlantic for another five years
with multiple producers (and generally weaker songs), but never again scored a major
hit. A couple of additional albums on minor labels in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s found
the quintet in fine voice but working with uneven material. Throughout these latter
years, the Spinners managed to make even mediocre material sound better than it
deserved, and made good songs (such as 1989’s sadly ignored “Memories of Allison”)
downright inspiring.
The Spinners have remained active, touring regularly and occasionally recording, most
recently in 1999 with the solid “At Their Best.” Unfortunately, lead singer John
Edwards has been ill this year, leading the Spinners to go full circle, making an
unexpected call to former lead G.C. Cameron to rejoin the group after more than 30
years. Edwards is recovering and the Spinners hope to record again soon – now as a
six member group. The Spinners have left a legacy of wonderful music in their more
than 40 years together. Their terrific harmonies and stage presence are a joy to
experience now as much as ever, and have made them one of the Soul Music’s
greatest treasures.
You can reach Christopher by e-mail at: chris@soultracks.com
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