"Mighty Love" is a 1973 song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK). The song was co-written by Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes and Charles Simmons and was produced by

Thom Bell Thomas Randolph Bell (January 27th, 1943 – December 22, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, arranger, pianist, and composer known as one of the creators of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. He found success as a producer ...

Background

Recorded at Philly's Sigma Sound Studios, the house band MFSB provided the backing. Bobbie Smith and

Philippé Wynne Philippé Wynne (''aka'' Philippe Escalante Wynn; ''né'' Walker; April 3, 1941 – July 14, 1984) was an American singer, best known for his role as a lead vocalist of The Spinners (a role he shared with fellow group members Bobby Smith and H ...

rotate lead vocals during the first half of the song, with Wynne taking over completely for the final two and half minutes. During live performances by the Spinners, the song was often used to showcase Wynne's exceptional ad-lib ability.

Chart performance

When it was released as the lead single from the album of the same name, the song was split into two parts and "Mighty Love – Pt.1" became another hit for the group, holding the number one spot on the US R&B singles chart for two weeks in March 1974 while also reaching number twenty on the pop singles chart.

Personnel

* Lead vocals by Bobbie Smith and

* Background vocals by Bobbie Smith, Philippé Wynne, Pervis Jackson, Henry Fambrough and Billy Henderson * Additional background vocals by

Linda Creed Linda Diane Creed (December 6, 1948 – April 10, 1986), also known by her married name Linda Epstein, was an American songwriter and lyricist who teamed up with Thom Bell to produce some of the most successful Philadelphia soul groups of the 1 ...

and The Sweethearts of Sigma (

Barbara Ingram Barbara Jane Ingram (February 9, 1947 – October 20, 1994) was an American R&B singer and songwriter who was active throughout the early 1970s until the mid-late 1980s, enjoying modest success as a backup singer for almost two decades. ...

, Carla Benson, and Evette Benton) * Instrumentation by MFSB

Chart history

Cover versions

Todd Rundgren ('' A Cappella'', 1985) and Phil Perry (''A Mighty Love'', 2007) are among artists who have covered the song.

References

1973 singles The Spinners (American group) songs 1973 songs Atlantic Records singles Song recordings produced by Thom Bell {{1970s-R&B-song-stub