The Very Best of the Spinners

by The Spinners

Overview

The Spinners were rivaled only by the O'Jays as the greatest Philly soul group, and for that matter the greatest vocal group of the '70s. For listeners who don't want to dig as deeply as the excellent double-CD anthology One of a Kind Love Affair, Rhino's The Very Best of the Spinners is a stellar single-disc career summary that offers a concentrated dose of the group's sweet soul magic. It also serves as a primer on the best work of Thom Bell, Philly soul's "other" great producer besides the legendary Gamble & Huff team. Incredibly, every one of the 16 tracks here -- culled from 1970-1980 -- reached the R&B Top Ten, and half went all the way to number one on either the pop or R&B lists. As this collection demonstrates, the Spinners' massive popularity was well-deserved. Built around the magnetic leads of Philippe Wynne, their records were tastefully, elegantly romantic, full of adult heartache and longings as complex as the group's shifting harmonies. The compilers also license the pre-Wynne Motown hit "It's a Shame," co-written by Stevie Wonder, and include two disco-tinged medleys that returned the Spinners to the Top Ten for the last time at the close of the '70s. But the Wynne material is really the backbone of their output, and Thom Bell's gorgeous production frames his voice with just the right amount of sweetness. There's more to discover on One of a Kind Love Affair, but The Very Best of the Spinners is so solid from top to bottom that it's hard to argue with; one or the other is a necessary purchase for anyone even remotely interested in '70s soul. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	04/20/1993
Label:	Rhino
UPC:	0081227121327
Rank:	16657

Tracks

1. It's a Shame
2. I'll Be Around
3. How Could I Let You Get Away
4. Could It Be I'm Falling in Love
5. One of a Kind (Love Affair)
6. Ghetto Child
7. Mighty Love, Pt. 1
8. I'm Coming Home
9. Then Came You
10. Love Don't Love Nobody, Pt. 1
11. Living a Little, Laughing a Little
12. Sadie
13. They Just Can't Stop It (The Games People Play)
14. The Rubberband Man
15. Working My Way Back to You/Forgive Me, Girl
16. Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Spinners   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dionne Warwick   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Vocals
Michael Zager   Conductor
Vince Montana   Vibraphone
John Gatchell   Trumpet
Thom Bell   Keyboards,Piano,Conductor
Pervis Jackson   Vocals
Henry Fambrough   Vocals
Ronnie Baker   Guitar (Bass)
Steve Love   Guitar
Allan Schwartzberg   Drums
Linda Creed   Vocals (Background)
Norman Harris   Guitar
Pat Rebillot   Keyboards
Gerry Niewood   Sax (Alto)
Bobbie Smith   Vocals
Barbara Ingram   Vocals (Background)
Eddie Keskarella   Trombone
Carla Benton   Vocals (Background)
Joe DeAnglis   French Horn
Robert Millikan   Trumpet
Rocco Bene   Trumpet
Freddy Joiner   Trombone
Yvette Benson   Vocals (Background)
Lenny Hambro   Sax (Tenor)
Gerald Chamberlain   Trombone
Bob Moore   Trombone
Alan Ralph   Trombone
Bobby Hartzell   Trumpet
Richie Genevese   Trombone
Robert Martin   French Horn
Bobby Eli   Guitar
Francisco Centeno   Guitar (Bass)
Billy Henderson   Vocals
Jack Faith   Flute,Sax (Alto)
Larry Washington   Percussion
Danny Cahn   Trumpet
Cliff Morris   Guitar
Earl Young   Drums
Warren Covington   Trombone
Roland Chambers   Guitar
Philippe Wynne   Vocals
Rubens Bassini   Percussion

Technical Credits

Sam Cooke   Composer
Alec Wilder   Composer
Yvette Davis   Composer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Bruce Hawes   Composer
Maurice King   Arranger
Syreeta Wright   Composer
Sherman Marshall   Composer
Charles B. Simmons   Composer
Joseph B. Jefferson   Composer
S. Wright   Composer
Linda Creed   Composer
Philip T. Pugh   Composer
Charles Simmons   Composer
Phillip Pugh   Composer
Mervin Steals   Composer
Lee Garrett   Composer
Denny Randell   Composer
Sandy Linzer   Composer
Phil Hurtt   Composer
Melvin Steals   Composer
Michael Zager   Composer,Producer
Thom Bell   Arranger,Composer,Producer