SOUND PROJECTIONS
AN ONLINE QUARTERLY MUSIC MAGAZINE
EDITOR: KOFI NATAMBU
WINTER, 2019
VOLUME SIX NUMBER THREE
ANTHONY BRAXTON
Featuring the Musics and Aesthetic Visions of:
ISAAC HAYES
(December 29—January 4)
THOM BELL
(January 5-11)
THE O'JAYS
(January 12-18)
OTIS REDDING
(January 19-25)
BOOKER T. JONES
(January 26-February 1)
THE STYLISTICS
Gary James' Interview With Russell Thompkins Jr. Of The Stylistics
"People Make the World Go Round" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1972, reaching number six on the R&B singles chart, according to All Music. The track lives on in various remakes, though, covered by such diverse artists as the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Milt Jackson, Jerry Garcia, Michael Jackson, and, in recent concerts, Stevie Wonder. While many musicians put their own unique stamp on the song, nothing quite matches the wistfulness and emotional power of the original. Pull the song out of your record collection for a new listen, and marvel at Thompkins' peerless performance and the tune's elaborate, pristine production. Those who have never heard the track will, upon first listen, realize that solid songwriting, a thoughtful arrangement, and a gifted singer will never go out of style.
And what a great interview it was. Mr. Thompkins was gracious with his time and storytelling. I got a lot of historical background information for a chapter in the next volume of The Vinyl Dialogues.
Mr. Thompkins shared the story of the making of the group’s self-titled debut album, released in 1971, which included the hits “Betcha By Golly, Wow” and “You Are Everything.” The stories behind those songs, the making of that album and the early days of creating The Sound of Philadelphia that Mr. Thompkins shared are fascinating and will make for a detailed chapter in The Vinyl Dialogues Volume IV.
The post Still stone in love with the music of The Stylistics appeared first on The Vinyl Dialogues Blog.
https://www.recordnet.com/article/20080131/A_ENTERTAIN/801310301
Harold “Eban” Brown found something to make him feel brand new.
“I never anticipated joining them in a million years,” the singer said of his latest group. “That move just elevated me spiritually and mentally. Ever since then, everything has been wonderful.”
After leaving his post as a vocalist with the Delfonics and taking a break from the music business in the late 1990s, Brown signed on with original members Herbert Murrell and Airrion Love in the Stylistics.
“Don’t get me wrong, (the Delfonics) were great in their own right,” Brown said. “But the Stylistics brought about more of a status to me.”
Indeed, the group that scored four top-10 pop hits from 1971 to 1974 has found ways to remain current, including a new record in the finishing stages. The singers also enjoy keeping in touch with the music and fans who made them international stars, which is why the Stylistics are headlining Friday’s ’70s Soul Jam at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton.
The bill features Brown’s former outfit, the Delfonics (“La-La Means I Love You,” “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)”). The Chi-Lites (“Have You Seen Her,” “Oh Girl”) and Bloodstone (“That’s the Way We Make Our Music”) round out the evening.
The Stylistics and the Delfonics have been crossing paths since both groups helped usher in the Philadelphia sound of the early and mid-’70s. The music stemmed from the collaboration among producers Thom Bell, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The result was a string of perfect pop-R&B hits such as Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones,” Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” and the O’Jays’ “Love Train.”
The Stylistics worked with Bell in producing hits such as “You Are Everything,” “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” “Break up to Make Up” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New.”
“Every producer has their own touch, but there will never be another Thom Bell,” Brown said. “Thom’s music was like having a conversation. All the instruments were talking to each other.
“When I picked up a guitar and played the chords Thom placed, they weren’t hard,” he said. “It was just all in how he placed them.”
The group’s current disc, “That Same Way,” was produced by Bell protégé Preston Glass. While no release date has been set, Brown promises the album will chart new territory for the group while striking familiar chords.
How it fares commercially given the turmoil in the U.S. record industry remains to be seen.
“You know how music constantly changes here in America, but overseas - whether it’s England or Japan or Amsterdam - to them, a song that was recorded in the ’70s is still a hit today,” Brown said. “If you were the man then, you’re still the man today.”
It helps that there is a universal vibe to the best ’70s soul.
“Back in the day, it was more about love,” Brown said. “Even people who have jumped ship to go for the new jack swing are getting hungry for that again. People are hungry for real music, for that old soul.”
Contact Aaron Davis at features@recordnet.com.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stylistics
The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved its greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, consisting of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads characterized by the falsetto of Russell Thompkins Jr. and the production of Thom Bell. During the early 1970s, the group had twelve consecutive R&B top ten hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", and "You Make Me Feel Brand New".[1]
The first song recorded with Bell and his collaborator, lyricist Linda Creed, was "Stop, Look, Listen".[4]
Their hits from this period — distilled from three albums — included "Betcha by Golly, Wow" (U.S. No. 3), "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" (U.S. No. 5), "You Make Me Feel Brand New" featuring Thompkins singing a lead vocal duet with Airrion Love, "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", "You Are Everything", and the Top 20 pop chart hit "Rockin' Roll Baby" (U.S. No. 14). "You Make Me Feel Brand New" was the group's biggest U.S. hit, holding at No. 2 for two weeks in 1974, and was one of the group's five U.S. gold singles.
The Stylistics' also found a path on to adult contemporary airwaves, and the group made Billboard magazine's Easy Listening singles chart twelve times from 1971 to 1976, with three entries ("Betcha by Golly, Wow", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)") reaching the Top 10. Every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit, and several — "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly Wow!", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" — were also Top Ten pop chart hits.[1] The group also enjoyed commercial success with hits with this material throughout Europe.
The Stylistics switched record labels during this period as Avco Records transitioned into H&L Records in 1976.[1] Notwithstanding this, the band began to struggle with increasingly weak material, and although the singles and albums came out as before, by 1978 chart success had vanished. A move to Mercury in 1978 for two albums produced by Teddy Randazzo failed to produce any major success. Russell Thompkins Jr. wrote (in the sleevenotes for the re-issue of the 1976 album, Fabulous) that the group began to feel that the music they were recording was becoming dated, and not in keeping with the popular disco sound of the late 1970s.
In 1979, they had a small part in the movie Hair, directed by Miloš Forman, where they play conservative army officers. They double Nell Carter in singing a song called "White Boys".
Both James Dunn and James Smith departed in 1980 due to conflicts over the direction of the group.[6] The group continued, recruiting new member Raymond Johnson. They also reunited with Thom Bell and sign with Philadelphia International Records subsidiary, TSOP Records in 1980. They released the single, "Hurry Up This Way Again",
that year which brought them back into the R&B Top 20 (peaking at
No. 18). Johnson departed in 1985, leaving the group a trio. Love, Murrell, and Thompkins continued to tour until 2000, when Russell Thompkins, Jr. left the group.
Love and Murrell brought in two new members from one set of the Delfonics – (Harold) Eban Brown as lead singer, and tenor singer Van Fields who also sang with an a cappella group called A Perfect Blend. In 2011, Fields departed from the group due to creative differences and was replaced by Jason Sharp (formerly with the band Heatwave). The group, prior to Fields' departure, was featured live on the DVD The Stylistics Live at the Convocation Center (2006), as well as with other artists of the 1970s on the DVD, 70s Soul Jam. They recorded their latest album, That Same Way, in 2008.
Russell Thompkins, Jr. launched his own group in 2004, the New Stylistics, with the returning Raymond Johnson, plus James Ranton and Jonathan Buckson. They were featured on the DVD Old School Soul Party Live!, which was part of the PBS My Music series.
In 2006 their hit single, "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)", was used as the base for a Japanese advertisement campaign by Gatsby, to launch their new male hair styling product, 'Moving Rubber'. The campaign was successful and featured Takuya Kimura of the pop group SMAP. They were also featured guests on SMAP's television show, SMAP×SMAP, to promote the 'Moving Rubber' product.
In October 2009, they featured on the UK BBC One television program, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.
Their song, "People Make the World Go Round", was used by Spike Lee in the soundtrack for 1994 film Crooklyn, as performed by Marc Dorsey.
In January 2018, Eban Brown announced his departure to concentrate on his solo career.[7] He was initially replaced by Michael Muse, formerly of Rare Essence[8]; but by July 2018[9] had been replaced by former Temptation Barrington "Bo" Henderson.[10]
Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Stylistics". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 169. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
Jackson, John A (2004). A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-514972-2.
[1] Archived February 11, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 537. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
Taylor, Marc (1996). A Touch of Classic Soul of the Early 1970s, Jamaica, N.Y., Aloiv Publications, ISBN 0-9652328-4-0
"Mysite". Ebanbrownmusic.net. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
"Michael Muse becomes the new lead singer of The Stylistics". Soultracks.com. April 9, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
"Wvon Stylistics 2018". Youtube.com. July 29, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
"The Stylistics | Official Home Of The Stylistics". Thestylistics.org. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-stylistics-bio-and-discography-2522042
The Stylistics Profile
R&B
THE MUSIC OF THE STYLISTICS: AN EXTENSIVE VIDEO OVERVIEW, A CROSS SECTION OF RECORDINGS, MUSICAL ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY, PLUS VARIOUS INTERVIEWS WITH THE STYLISTICS:
(January 26-February 1)
THE STYLISTICS
(February 2-8)
THE STAPLE SINGERS
(February 9-15)
OTIS RUSH
(February 16-22)
ERROLL GARNER
(February 23-March 1)
EARL HINES
(March 2-8)
BO DIDDLEY
(March 9–15)
BIG BILL BROONZY
(March 16–22)The Stylistics
(1968-Present)
Artist Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
After the Spinners and the O'Jays, 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," "I'm 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 "You're 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 Bell's 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," "I'm 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 group's 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), "Can't Give You Anything" (1975), and "Can't 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.
Gary James' Interview With Russell Thompkins Jr. Of The Stylistics
There's The Stylistics and then there's The New Stylistics. Russell
Thompkins Jr. is the original lead singer of The Stylistics on all their
biggest hits, including "Betcha By Golly Wow", "Stoned In Love With
You", "You Make Me Feel Brand New" and so many more! The Stylistics
racked up seven Gold albums, five Gold singles, two Double Gold singles,
eight Platinum albums, one Double Platinum album, four Platinum
singles, along with a Grammy nomination in 1974 for "You Make Me Feel
Brand New" and a plaque on the Walk Of Fame in 1994, in Center City,
Philadelphia. In May 2004, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall
Of Fame. Russell left The Stylistics in April 2000 and went on to form
The New Stylistics. We talked to Russell about that decision as well as
the history of the group.
Q - Russell, not The Stylistics, but The New Stylistics? Is it because the members are not the same? Why'd you go with that name?
A - Well, all the way up to
the year 2000 I was with the original group, The Stylistics. After that I
left the group. Then three years later I wanted to come back out, but I
did not want to work with the same guys I worked with before. So, I was
going to use The Stylistics' name. Then there was a big argument and we
decided they would not use my voice or my image on anything else that
they would do, which they still do to promote themselves, and I would
use the name Russell Thompkins Jr. And The New Stylistics for my guys.
But, one of the guys that's in The New Stylistics was in The Stylistics
also. That name is Raymond Johnson.
Q - So, now we have The Stylistics and The New Stylistics?
A - Yes. Two members that I used to sing with.
Q - You are the guy who sang lead on all the hit records!
A - You got that right.
Q - If you are a booker, you have to pay close attention.
A - Well, it's been 10 years
now and every year it gets easier and easier for people to get the
original guy they hear on the records. At first it's a little difficult
because the other two guys, their manager is a booking agent and it's
one of the biggest booking agencies in the country. They've been trying
to underhand, under man me. My lawyers say just hang in there, cream
will come to the top. Every year it gets better and better.
Q - Thom Bell and Linda
Creed were writing the hit songs for The Stylistics with the exception
of "You Make Me Feel Brand New", which was written by Airrion Love.
A - He did not write that.
It was just Thom Bell and Linda Creed. Airrion Love never wrote any
songs on those first three albums and, he also sang on two of Thommy
Bell's songs on that album. One was a dual lead with myself on "You Make
Me Feel Brand New" and he did a harmony part with me on "You Are
Everything". He sang on "You're A Big Girl Now", but every other song he
did not participate.
Q - Were you discouraged from writing your own songs?
A - No, not at all. I was
very new in the business when I started with them. When I started with
Thommy, I think I was 19 years old. I had only been working locally and a
couple of gigs on the road a few years before that. I started working
local clubs my last year in high school here in Philly (Philadelphia).
By the time I was 19 I had just put out my first local record that was
"You're A Big Girl Now". After Embassy Records picked "You're A Big Girl
Now" up and sent it nationwide, that became a success and they wanted
to pair us with some new writers and that's when they got Thommy Bell.
They told me to meet Thommy Bell. One Monday they said go downtown. They
gave me an address. I met Thommy Bell and we started working together
from there.
Q - Was Embassy Records your first big break then, or meeting Thom Bell?
A - See, I never looked at
it as a big break. It was just another process in the music business for
me. I started when I was 17. I never thought about recording until we
met some guys here in Philly and they said "Come inside and record." I
took the same attitude when I went to Thommy Bell. I'm just going down
to do some more recording. Nobody knew that the records were going to be
a success. I just went there to do some recordings and it just happened
that the records took off. Since they took off, I guess you could call
it a break, but I never looked at it that way.
Q - Is it true that when you
auditioned for Thom Bell, he wasn't very impressed with The Stylistics
as a group, but he did like your voice and he said "We'll take the songs
and build them around your voice"?
A - Now see, that's a myth also.
Q - I'm glad we're doing this interview and setting things straight.
A - Yes. Thommy Bell might
call it an audition, but I didn't. It's the same thing I just told you.
It was another process in me going down to meet somebody to work with
them. Either I was going to work with them or I wasn't. Now, Thommy
might say it was an audition, but to me it was not. Thommy knew and
heard of the other guys in the group. They might have seen us 'live' and
when that meeting was called on, he just wanted me there. I went down
there and started working. He didn't want anybody else in the group. It
took a long time, but at that time me and Airrion Love were very close
friends. I tried to convince Thommy into bringing Airrion in to do some
recording. Thommy let him come in and do the harmony on "You Are
Everything" and he let him sing lead on "You Make Me Feel Brand New".
Now, that's from my perspective.
Q - Let's say Thom Bell just used you on the records. When the record was released, what name would it have been released under?
A - I went back and had a
meeting with the other guys 'cause like I said, we were very close at
the time. I sat down with all of them and I said, "Look you all, I'm
going to go ahead and record all the songs, but I'm going to work with
the organization. Everybody is going to get paid. Everybody is going to
make some money out of this. We can keep on working like we're doing
right now, on the road or whatever, but I'm going to do the recordings
under the name The Stylistics.
Q - Who thought of that name, The Stylistics? You or Thom Bell?
A - Neither one of us. At
the time we had a guitar player by the name of Robert Douglas. Robert
Douglas and Marty Bryan wrote our very first record, "You're A Big Girl
Now". Robert Douglas had the idea to call the group The Stylistics. But
before that we were two different groups. We were The Monarchs and The
Percussions. When we graduated from high school, both groups lost
members. So, the English teacher that was in the high school where most
of the guys went to at the time, had the idea of merging the two groups.
Myself and Airrion Love and James Smith were in The Monarchs. Herb
Murrell and James Dunn were in a group called The Percussions, but The
Percussions' band members were Robert Douglas and his brother Clarence.
That's how we all got together.
Q - How smart teachers were back in the day!
A - Oh, yeah. Before we
started singing in nightclubs or anything like that, we were doing the
talent shows. So, the teachers were the first ones to discover our
talents. I had been singing in talent shows from the time I was in
elementary school, junior high school, all the way through. If it wasn't
for teachers, I wouldn't have ever been in the music business. I
probably wouldn't even have thought of singing professionally or in
choirs or anything like that. I had a teacher in junior high school by
the name of Miss Minard. We had a talent show in junior high school and I
went on stage as a joke. After she heard me, she told me at lunch time
she wanted to see me on the fifth floor in the music room. I went up
there and that's how my singing, my learning and all of that first
started. She put me in the City Choir. I sang in two choirs in the
school and I started to learn from there.
Q - What did you do immediately after you graduated high school? I know you said you recorded your first song when you were 19.
A - When I came out of high
school, I went back to school. I went to a technical school and was
studying to repair musical instruments. Then, at that time, that's when I
started working in nightclubs. Repairing musical instruments was going
to be a long task. I had to stay in school for two years and then I had
to go under an apprenticeship with someone for another four years. A lot
of things happened that summer. I got out of school. That made it so
that I had to start making some money.
Q - When the hits started coming, how did life change for you?
A - Things started very
slow, but we started getting more work. We started out branching out in
New Jersey and New York, the Apollo Theater, the clubs in New York, the
clubs in New Jersey, Washington DC, Baltimore. It started to spread out
as "You're A Big Girl Now" started to become more famous. But we got our
big break as far as the country seeing us when management and the
agency who were booking James Brown at the time and they put us on tour
with James Brown. We went on a 35, one nighters with James Brown all
over the country and people got a chance to see us. That helped bookings
and everything after that. At that time, James was working everywhere,
all the time. James took us to Africa and all over the United States. He
really was very instrumental in The Stylistics being seen and heard.
Q - Speaking of heard, your songs really fit the Top 40 radio format.
A - That was phenomenal!
(Laughs). To this day I don't understand what the records did then and
what they are doing now. At one time, someone said every five seconds
there was a Stylistics record played somewhere in the world. And it went
international. We started working all over the world.
Q - How many people do you take with you on the road?
A - There's 14 of us that travel together.
Q - What kind of venues are you playing today?
A - Anything and everything.
We work anywhere at any type of job. Weddings. Birthdays. Clubs.
Theaters. We work all types of jobs.
Q - You have to be rich to have The New Stylistics perform at your wedding party.
A - I got one we just signed
for. As you said, you must be rich. The agent hooked us up, so I don't
know who the people are until I get there. But the night before the
wedding at the pre-wedding party, they have us and The Manhattans and
then the night afterwards at the wedding party they have Frankie Valli.
There doing something really big.
Q - I guess so.
A - I've been in that
situation before. And I've worked with Frankie Valli on a wedding
before. I'm a big fan also. I grew up listening to him. That's when I
found out I could sing like that, by listening to him.
Q - Do you have any new material that's been recorded?
A - Well, I recorded my
first solo album in 2003 and I've been recording ever since, but it has
not been released. This year (2014) I will probably put out my second
solo album and I'm also working on some music from some people I worked
with before.
Official Website: www.RussellThompkinsJr.com
The Stylistics' "People Make the World Go Round" : Philadelphia Soul at Its Best
Written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed,
the song appeared on the Stylistics' self-titled debut album. The disc
became a massive hit, thanks to tracks like "Betcha By Golly, Wow," "You
Are Everything," and "Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart)," but Bell and
Creed departed from these overtly romantic songs by assuming a
political tone with "People Make the World Go Round." The biting words
are cushioned with lovely strings, but the meaning shines through:
Trash men didn't get my trash today
Oh, why, because they want more pay
Buses on strike, wanna raise in fare
So they can help pollute the air
Oh, why, because they want more pay
Buses on strike, wanna raise in fare
So they can help pollute the air
The bass and keyboard creep in the
background, adding to the uneasy tone and downbeat themes. Yet
Thompkins' soaring voice manages to convey some hope, that the "up and
down, the carousel" means better times may be ahead. "People make the
world go round," he sings, precisely hitting every difficult note, as
the song fades. Due to its mournful strings, words, and Thompkins'
perfect performance, the song remains with the listener long after the
fadeout. In essence, the tune showed the Stylistics' sophistication and
ability to tackle subjects other than love. Interestingly, though the
song is credited to the Stylistics, only Thompkins appears on the track.
"People Make the World Go Round" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1972, reaching number six on the R&B singles chart, according to All Music. The track lives on in various remakes, though, covered by such diverse artists as the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Milt Jackson, Jerry Garcia, Michael Jackson, and, in recent concerts, Stevie Wonder. While many musicians put their own unique stamp on the song, nothing quite matches the wistfulness and emotional power of the original. Pull the song out of your record collection for a new listen, and marvel at Thompkins' peerless performance and the tune's elaborate, pristine production. Those who have never heard the track will, upon first listen, realize that solid songwriting, a thoughtful arrangement, and a gifted singer will never go out of style.
Russell
Thompkins Jr., the original lead singer of The Stylistics, performed at
the Festival of Soul Nov. 25, 2016, at the New Jersey Performing Arts
Center in Newark, N.J. (Photo by Mike Morsch)
It
was pretty exciting when my dad got me a cassette tape recorder and a
handful of blank tapes. Given the audio technology of the times, my plan
in 1972 as a 13-year-old eighth-grader was to record my favorite songs
off the radio onto the blank tapes and create my own music library.
Recording
songs off the radio wasn’t an exact science. Growing up in central
Illinois, I was listening to WLS out of Chicago. If the disc jockey
didn’t give the listeners an advance heads up as to what songs were
going to be played, one had to be able to recognize a song from the
first fews notes, then simultaneously push “play” and “record” on the
recorder.
I
wasn’t very good at that. And I didn’t want to start the tape during
the commercials because I didn’t want the ads messing up my music. Thus,
I had entire tapes of songs that were missing the first few notes
and/or words because I just wasn’t quick enough on the play/record draw.
That
was frustrating. Certainly I could have gone out and bought the records
or 8-track tapes, but with no means of income, that wasn’t a
possibility. (You’d think that someone who ended up being a career
newspaperman might have started out with a newspaper route, but I didn’t
have that much ambition then.)
The
one song that I wanted to have a full and pristine copy of was “I’m
Stone in Love With You” by The Stylistics. I was enamored with that song
and the beautiful falsetto voice of the group’s lead singer, Russell
Thompkins Jr.
I didn’t
know it at the time – and of course I could not have anticipated at
such a young age that I would someday move to suburban Philadelphia –
but The Stylistics were one of the groups that were helping establish
what we now know as Philly soul, or TSOP – The Sound of Philadelphia –
in the early 1970s.
Russell Thompkins Jr.
and The New Stylistics performed at the Festival of Soul. (Photo by Mike Morsch)
and The New Stylistics performed at the Festival of Soul. (Photo by Mike Morsch)
But
I became a fan of The Stylistics and their songs. And what great songs
they are: “You Are Everything,” “Betcha By Golly, Wow,” “Break Up to
Make Up,” “Rockin’ Roll Baby” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” All
written or co-written by the great songwriting team of Thom Bell and
Linda Creed.
When I
began writing The Vinyl Dialogues series, I wanted The Stylistics – and
in particular the voice on all those great songs, Russell Thompkins Jr. –
to be included. But through the first three volumes, I couldn’t make
connections with Mr. Thompkins for an interview.
The
opportunity to interview him finally presented itself with the Festival
of Soul, scheduled for Nov. 25, 2016, at the New Jersey Performing Arts
Center in Newark, N.J. In addition to The Stylistics, the show featured
other early Philly soul artists Ted Wizard Mills, original lead singer
of Blue Magic, and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes as well as The Dramatics
featuring LJ Reynolds and the Jones Girls featuring Shirley Jones. (The
NJPAC is an absolutely first-rate concert venue, by the way.)
And what a great interview it was. Mr. Thompkins was gracious with his time and storytelling. I got a lot of historical background information for a chapter in the next volume of The Vinyl Dialogues.
Mr. Thompkins shared the story of the making of the group’s self-titled debut album, released in 1971, which included the hits “Betcha By Golly, Wow” and “You Are Everything.” The stories behind those songs, the making of that album and the early days of creating The Sound of Philadelphia that Mr. Thompkins shared are fascinating and will make for a detailed chapter in The Vinyl Dialogues Volume IV.
Russell Thompkins Jr. (Photo by
Mike Morsch)
And
the Festival of Soul concert itself was fabulous. It was the first time
I had the opportunity to see The Stylistics live. Mr. Thompkins is the
only original member in the group that’s now billed as Russell Tompkins
Jr. and The New Stylistics. (There is another group that still performs
as The Stylistics that includes original members Airrion Love and Herb
Murrell.)
And it was
fabulous. I had waited a long time to hear Mr. Thompkins sing all those
Stylistics hits – from the opening note, which was very much unlike all
those incomplete songs I recorded on those cassette tapes I made when I
was a kid.
When he
broke into the opening verses of “I’m Stone in Love With You,” it took
me right back to 1972 and the radio in my bedroom, me waiting with my
fingers on “play” and “record” of the tape recorder hoping the get the
entire song.
It was worth the wait. And it was worth reliving the wonderful memory.
The post Still stone in love with the music of The Stylistics appeared first on The Vinyl Dialogues Blog.
https://www.recordnet.com/article/20080131/A_ENTERTAIN/801310301
Entertainment
Stylistics and former Delfonics singer embraces sweet ’70s soul
Harold “Eban” Brown found something to make him feel brand new.
“I never anticipated joining them in a million years,” the singer said of his latest group. “That move just elevated me spiritually and mentally. Ever since then, everything has been wonderful.”
After leaving his post as a vocalist with the Delfonics and taking a break from the music business in the late 1990s, Brown signed on with original members Herbert Murrell and Airrion Love in the Stylistics.
“Don’t get me wrong, (the Delfonics) were great in their own right,” Brown said. “But the Stylistics brought about more of a status to me.”
Indeed, the group that scored four top-10 pop hits from 1971 to 1974 has found ways to remain current, including a new record in the finishing stages. The singers also enjoy keeping in touch with the music and fans who made them international stars, which is why the Stylistics are headlining Friday’s ’70s Soul Jam at the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton.
The bill features Brown’s former outfit, the Delfonics (“La-La Means I Love You,” “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)”). The Chi-Lites (“Have You Seen Her,” “Oh Girl”) and Bloodstone (“That’s the Way We Make Our Music”) round out the evening.
The Stylistics and the Delfonics have been crossing paths since both groups helped usher in the Philadelphia sound of the early and mid-’70s. The music stemmed from the collaboration among producers Thom Bell, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. The result was a string of perfect pop-R&B hits such as Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones,” Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ “If You Don’t Know Me by Now” and the O’Jays’ “Love Train.”
The Stylistics worked with Bell in producing hits such as “You Are Everything,” “Betcha by Golly, Wow,” “Break up to Make Up” and “You Make Me Feel Brand New.”
“Every producer has their own touch, but there will never be another Thom Bell,” Brown said. “Thom’s music was like having a conversation. All the instruments were talking to each other.
“When I picked up a guitar and played the chords Thom placed, they weren’t hard,” he said. “It was just all in how he placed them.”
The group’s current disc, “That Same Way,” was produced by Bell protégé Preston Glass. While no release date has been set, Brown promises the album will chart new territory for the group while striking familiar chords.
How it fares commercially given the turmoil in the U.S. record industry remains to be seen.
“You know how music constantly changes here in America, but overseas - whether it’s England or Japan or Amsterdam - to them, a song that was recorded in the ’70s is still a hit today,” Brown said. “If you were the man then, you’re still the man today.”
It helps that there is a universal vibe to the best ’70s soul.
“Back in the day, it was more about love,” Brown said. “Even people who have jumped ship to go for the new jack swing are getting hungry for that again. People are hungry for real music, for that old soul.”
Contact Aaron Davis at features@recordnet.com.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stylistics
The Stylistics
The Stylistics are an American, Philadelphia soul group that achieved its greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, consisting of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads characterized by the falsetto of Russell Thompkins Jr. and the production of Thom Bell. During the early 1970s, the group had twelve consecutive R&B top ten hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", and "You Make Me Feel Brand New".[1]
Career
Early years
The Stylistics were created from two Philadelphia groups, The Percussions and The Monarchs.[2] Russell Thompkins Jr., James Smith, and Airrion Love came from the Monarchs, and James Dunn and Herbie Murrell came from the Percussions. In 1970, the group recorded "You're 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.[1] Producer Bill Perry spent $400 to record the song in the Virtue Studios in Philadelphia. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and the single eventually climbed to No. 7 on the US Billboard R&B chart in early 1971.[1]
Success: The Bell/Creed years
After signing to Avco, the record label approached producer Thom Bell, who had already produced a catalogue of hits for The Delfonics, to work with the group.[3] The Stylistics auditioned for Bell, but he was initially unimpressed.[3] He ultimately agreed to produce the group because he believed in the potential of lead singer, Russell Thompkins, Jr.'s distinctive, nasal high tenor and falsetto voice.[3] Avco gave Bell complete creative control over the Stylistics and he proceeded to focus the group's sound exclusively around Thompkins's voice.[3] On most of the group hits, Bell would have Thompkins sing virtually solo.[3]
The first song recorded with Bell and his collaborator, lyricist Linda Creed, was "Stop, Look, Listen".[4]
Their hits from this period — distilled from three albums — included "Betcha by Golly, Wow" (U.S. No. 3), "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" (U.S. No. 5), "You Make Me Feel Brand New" featuring Thompkins singing a lead vocal duet with Airrion Love, "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", "You Are Everything", and the Top 20 pop chart hit "Rockin' Roll Baby" (U.S. No. 14). "You Make Me Feel Brand New" was the group's biggest U.S. hit, holding at No. 2 for two weeks in 1974, and was one of the group's five U.S. gold singles.
The Stylistics' also found a path on to adult contemporary airwaves, and the group made Billboard magazine's Easy Listening singles chart twelve times from 1971 to 1976, with three entries ("Betcha by Golly, Wow", "You Make Me Feel Brand New", and "You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart)") reaching the Top 10. Every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit, and several — "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly Wow!", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" — were also Top Ten pop chart hits.[1] The group also enjoyed commercial success with hits with this material throughout Europe.
Changing style: Continuing international success
Thom Bell stopped working with the Stylistics in 1974,[1] and the split proved commercially difficult for the group in the U.S. They struggled to find the right material although their partnership with label owners Hugo & Luigi as producers and arranger Van McCoy started well with "Let's Put It All Together" (No. 18 pop, No. 8 R&B) and "Heavy Fallin' Out" (No. 4 R&B, No. 41 pop). Following singles were notably less successful, but as U.S. success began to wane, their popularity in Europe, and especially the United Kingdom, increased.[1] Indeed, the lighter 'pop' sound fashioned by McCoy and Hugo & Luigi gave the group a UK No. 1 in 1975 with "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)".[1][5] Further successes with "Sing Baby Sing", "Na Na Is The Saddest Word", "Funky Weekend" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" consolidated the group's European popularity.[1][5] They are one of the few U.S. acts to have two chart-topping greatest hits albums in the UK.[5]
The Stylistics switched record labels during this period as Avco Records transitioned into H&L Records in 1976.[1] Notwithstanding this, the band began to struggle with increasingly weak material, and although the singles and albums came out as before, by 1978 chart success had vanished. A move to Mercury in 1978 for two albums produced by Teddy Randazzo failed to produce any major success. Russell Thompkins Jr. wrote (in the sleevenotes for the re-issue of the 1976 album, Fabulous) that the group began to feel that the music they were recording was becoming dated, and not in keeping with the popular disco sound of the late 1970s.
In 1979, they had a small part in the movie Hair, directed by Miloš Forman, where they play conservative army officers. They double Nell Carter in singing a song called "White Boys".
Later years
Love and Murrell brought in two new members from one set of the Delfonics – (Harold) Eban Brown as lead singer, and tenor singer Van Fields who also sang with an a cappella group called A Perfect Blend. In 2011, Fields departed from the group due to creative differences and was replaced by Jason Sharp (formerly with the band Heatwave). The group, prior to Fields' departure, was featured live on the DVD The Stylistics Live at the Convocation Center (2006), as well as with other artists of the 1970s on the DVD, 70s Soul Jam. They recorded their latest album, That Same Way, in 2008.
Russell Thompkins, Jr. launched his own group in 2004, the New Stylistics, with the returning Raymond Johnson, plus James Ranton and Jonathan Buckson. They were featured on the DVD Old School Soul Party Live!, which was part of the PBS My Music series.
In 2006 their hit single, "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)", was used as the base for a Japanese advertisement campaign by Gatsby, to launch their new male hair styling product, 'Moving Rubber'. The campaign was successful and featured Takuya Kimura of the pop group SMAP. They were also featured guests on SMAP's television show, SMAP×SMAP, to promote the 'Moving Rubber' product.
In October 2009, they featured on the UK BBC One television program, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.
Their song, "People Make the World Go Round", was used by Spike Lee in the soundtrack for 1994 film Crooklyn, as performed by Marc Dorsey.
In January 2018, Eban Brown announced his departure to concentrate on his solo career.[7] He was initially replaced by Michael Muse, formerly of Rare Essence[8]; but by July 2018[9] had been replaced by former Temptation Barrington "Bo" Henderson.[10]
Personnel
- Current members
- Airrion Love – born October 8, 1949, Philadelphia (1968–present)
- Herb Murrell – born April 27, 1949, Lane, South Carolina (1968–present)
- Jason Sharp – Baltimore, Maryland (2011–present)
- Barrington "Bo" Henderson - born June 10, 1956, Washington, Pennsylvania (2018-present)
- Former members
- Russell Thompkins, Jr. – born March 21, 1951, Philadelphia (1968–2000)
- James Dunn – born February 4, 1950, Philadelphia (1968–1980)
- James Smith – born June 16, 1950, New York City (1968–1980)
- Raymond Johnson (1980–1986)
- Van Fields – born November 12, 1952, Philadelphia (2000–2011)
- Eban Brown – born June 14, 1972, Newark, New Jersey (2000–2018)
- Michael Muse – Washington, D.C.[11] (2018)
Discography
- The Stylistics (1971)
- Round 2 (1972)
- Rockin' Roll Baby (1973)
- Let's Put It All Together (1974)
- Thank You Baby (1975)
Awards and recognition
- The Stylistics were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
See also
 |
- List of soul musicians
- List of R&B musicians
- List of disco artists (S-Z)
- List of people from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Music of Philadelphia
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of guests appearing on The Midnight Special
- List of performers on Top of the Pops
References
- "Michael Muse". Facebook.com. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
External links
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-stylistics-bio-and-discography-2522042
The Stylistics Profile
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Formed from the twin cores of two Philadelphia high-school vocal
groups, the Percussions, and the Monarchs, the Stylistics consisted of
all members not drafted or moving on to college. Encouraged by their
English teacher to continue under a new name, they soon garnered the
attention of local producer Bill Perry, who had them record a song
co-written by their tour manager and their guitarist called "You're A
Big Girl Now." Different in style from the lavish productions they would
be known for, it made a sizable regional impression—but Perry and his
Sebring Records didn't have the money to get it noticed nationally.
Success
The Avco label, knowing a hit when it heard one, bought the record
for $10,000 (all of which Berry supposedly pocketed) and turned it into a
Top Ten R&B hit in 1971. Avco producer Thom Bell developed the
group, crafting several ballads—most written by Linda Creed, a white
female—in the style he'd already perfected with the Delfonics of "La La
Means I Love You" fame. The group's first album yielded no less than
three hit singles, including "Stop, Look and Listen (To Your Heart),"
their next R&B smash, and their crossover to pop, the improbably
titled "Betcha By Golly, Wow."
Later Years
The Stylistics ruled the pop (and especially R&B) charts in the
Seventies, but a fallout with Avco and Bell over royalties left the
group high and dry by 1974. They soldiered on with new producers Hugo
and Luigi, Avco execs who'd made their mark with Sam Cooke's pop
smashes, and this new lighter approach got them chart success in the UK.
They were even semi-successful in the burgeoning disco market that
"Philly Soul" had spawned. By the early Eighties, however, there were no
more hits. Thompkins, Love, and Murrell kept touring under the
Stylistics name; Thompkins, citing years of vocal strain, left in 2000.
Formed
1966 (Philadelphia, PA)
Genres
Philly Soul, Soul, Pop-Soul, R&B
Original Members
Russell Thompkins Jr. (b. March 21, 1951, Philadelphia, PA): vocals (falsetto)
Airrion Love (b. August 8, 1949, Philadelphia, PA): vocals (tenor)
James Smith (b. June 16, 1950, New York, NY): vocals (bass)
Herbie Murrell (b. April 27, 1949, Lane, SC): vocals (baritone)
James Dunn (b. February 4, 1950, Philadelphia, PA): vocals (baritone)
Airrion Love (b. August 8, 1949, Philadelphia, PA): vocals (tenor)
James Smith (b. June 16, 1950, New York, NY): vocals (bass)
Herbie Murrell (b. April 27, 1949, Lane, SC): vocals (baritone)
James Dunn (b. February 4, 1950, Philadelphia, PA): vocals (baritone)
Contributions to Music
- Largely responsible for the popularization of the genre known as "Philly Soul"
- Lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr. possesses one of the great falsettos in soul music
- An inestimable influence on the soul music genre and modern R&B in particular
- The most romantic of the Philly Soulsters, a very romantic group on record
- Their more pop-oriented tracks let them cross over to the adult contemporary chart, and, later, to the UK
- Their ultra-romantic style has endeared them to generations of Latinos particularly
Other Facts
- Other members have included Raymond Johnson, Eban Brown and Van Fields
- Thompkins formed the "Three Tenors Of Soul" with the Delfonics' Will Hart and Ted Mills of Blue Magic, both vets of the Philly Soul scene
- "You Make Me Feel Brand New" was nominated for a Grammy in 1974 but lost out to Paul McCartney and Wings' "Band On The Run"
- "Brand New" is the only Stylistics song on which Thompkins and Love share the lead vocal
Awards/Honors
- Vocal Group Hall of Fame (2004)
- Philadelphia Walk of Fame (1994)
Top 10 Hits
Pop
- "Betcha By Golly, Wow" (1972)
- "I'm Stone In Love With You" (1972)
- "You Are Everything" (1972)
- "Break Up To Make Up" (1973)
- "You Make Me Feel Brand New" (1974)
R&B
- "You're A Big Girl Now" (1971)
- "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" (1971)
- "Betcha By Golly, Wow" (1972)
- "I'm Stone In Love With You" (1972)
- "People Make The World Go Round" (1972)
- "You Are Everything" (1972)
- "Break Up To Make Up" (1973)
- "Rockin' Roll Baby" (1973)
- "You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" (1973)
- "Heavy Fallin' Out" (1974)
- "Let's Put It All Together" (1974)
- "You Make Me Feel Brand New" (1974)
- "Thank You Baby" (1975)
Top 10 Albums
Pop
- The Stylistics (1972)
- Round 2: The Stylistics (1973)
- Heavy (1974)
- Let's Put It All Together (1974)
- Rockin' Roll Baby (1974)
- Thank You Baby (1974)
Other
Important Recordings
"Sing Baby Sing," "Na Na Is The Saddest Word," "7000 Dollars and You," "Peek-A-Boo," "Sixteen Bars," "Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)," "Funky Weekend," "Hey Girl, Come And Get It," "Star On A TV Show," "Because I Love You, Girl," "Can't Help Falling In Love," "You Are Beautiful," "Hurry Up This Way Again," "Children Of The Night," "First Impressions," "Love At First Sight," "Hurry Up This Way Again," "Love Talk"
Covered By
Prince, Marvin Gaye, Rod Stewart, Aaron Neville, Stanley Jordan, David Sanborn, Michael Jackson, Simply Red, Ramsey Lewis, The Beautiful South, Angela Bofill, Hall, and Oates, Cassandra Wilson
