The Spinners (soul music)
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The Spinners are an American rhythm and blues vocal group that formed in Ferndale, Michigan, United States, in 1954. They enjoyed a string of hit singles and albums during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly with producer Thom Bell. The group continues to tour, with
Henry Fambrough Henry Lee Fambrough (born May 10, 1938) is an original vocalist and current member of the R&B quintet The Spinners (aka The Detroit Spinners and also The Motown Spinners). He is the last surviving original member of the Spinners. The group ...
as the only original member. The group is also listed as the Detroit Spinners and the Motown Spinners, due to their 1960s recordings with the
Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...
label. These other names were used in the UK to avoid confusion with a British folk group also called The Spinners. On June 30, 1976, they received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
. In 2015, they were nominated for induction into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
.


History

In 1954, Billy Henderson,
Henry Fambrough Henry Lee Fambrough (born May 10, 1938) is an original vocalist and current member of the R&B quintet The Spinners (aka The Detroit Spinners and also The Motown Spinners). He is the last surviving original member of the Spinners. The group ...
, Pervis Jackson,
C. P. Spencer C. P. Spencer (born Crathman Plato Spencer, January 13, 1938 – October 20, 2004) was an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Detroit, Michigan. Best ...
, and James Edwards formed The Domingoes in Ferndale, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit. The friends resided in Detroit's
Herman Gardens Herman Gardens was a public housing project located in the northwest area of Detroit, Michigan. History Built in 1943, Herman Gardens, known locally as "the Gardens", had 2,144 units primarily within two-story multi-family buildings. The 129-uni ...
public housing project and came together to make music. James Edwards remained with the group for a few weeks and was replaced by Bobby Smith, who sang lead on most of the Spinners' early records and their biggest
Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
hits. Spencer left the group shortly after Edwards, and later joined the Voice Masters and the Originals. George Dixon replaced Spencer, and the group renamed themselves the Spinners in 1961.


Early recording years: 1961–71

The Spinners' first single, " That's What Girls Are Made For", was recorded under Harvey Fuqua's Tri-Phi Records. One source stated that Fuqua sang lead vocals on the recording. The single peaked at number 27 on the Top 100 chart in August 1961. Other sources claim that Smith sang lead vocal on this track, coached by Fuqua. The group's follow-up single, "Love (I'm So Glad) I Found You", also featured lead vocals by Smith. This song reached number 91 that November, and was the last Tri-Phi Records' single to reach the Top 100 charts. Sources debate the extent to which Fuqua became a member of the group during its stay at Tri-Phi. Fuqua sang lead on some of the singles and considered himself a Spinner. In the credits on Tri-Phi 1010 and 1024, the artist was credited for the first two singles and listed as "Harvey (Formerly of
the Moonglows The Moonglows were an American Rhythm and blues, R&B group in the 1950s. Their song "Sincerely (song), Sincerely" went to number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, R&B chart and number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Juke Box chart. They wer ...
and the Spinners)". However, most sources do not list him as an official member. James Edwards' brother, Edgar "Chico" Edwards, replaced Dixon in the group in 1963, at which time Tri-Phi and its entire artist roster was bought out by Fuqua's brother-in-law, Berry Gordy of
Motown Records Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmant ...
. In 1964, the Spinners made their debut at the
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and were received with high favor. " I'll Always Love You" hit number 35 in 1965. From 1966 to 1969, the group released one single a year, but only the 1966 single " Truly Yours" peaked on the ''Billboard 100'' R&B chart at number 16. With limited commercial success, Motown assigned the Spinners as road managers, chaperones, and chauffeurs for other groups, and even as shipping clerks.
G. C. Cameron George Curtis Cameron is an American soul and R&B singer who is currently married to singer Linda Dixon Cameron a.k.a. “Lady L.”. Perhaps best known as the lead singer of The Spinners on their 1970 hit " It's a Shame" and for his 1975 hit ...
replaced Edgar "Chico" Edwards in 1967, and in 1969, the group switched to the Motown-owned V.I.P. imprint. In 1970, after a five-year absence, they hit number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with writer-producer
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
's composition, (the G.C. Cameron-led) " It's a Shame" (co-written by Syreeta Wright). They charted again the following year with another Wonder song the composer also produced, "We'll Have It Made" (led by Cameron), from their new album, '' 2nd Time Around''. However, these were their last two singles for V.I.P. Shortly after the release of ''2nd Time Around'', Atlantic Records recording artist
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
suggested the group finish their Motown contract and sign with Atlantic Records. While recording an album that Stevie Wonder was producing for them, their Motown contract expired, leaving the LP unfinished. The group then made the switch, but contractual obligations prevented Cameron from leaving Motown, so he stayed on there as a solo artist. He urged his cousin, singer Philippé Wynne, to join the Spinners in his place as one of the group's three lead singers, with
Henry Fambrough Henry Lee Fambrough (born May 10, 1938) is an original vocalist and current member of the R&B quintet The Spinners (aka The Detroit Spinners and also The Motown Spinners). He is the last surviving original member of the Spinners. The group ...
, and Bobby Smith.


Peak commercial success

When the Spinners signed to Atlantic in 1972, they were a respected but commercially unremarkable singing group who had never had a Top Ten pop hit — despite having been a recording act for over a decade. However, with songwriter Thom Bell at the helm, the Spinners charted five Top 100 singles (and two Top Tens) from their first post-Motown album, '' Spinners'' (1973), and went on to become one of the biggest soul groups of the 1970s. The Bobby Smith-led " I'll Be Around", their first top ten hit, was actually the B-side of their first Atlantic single, the Fambrough and Wynne-led "
How Could I Let You Get Away "How Could I Let You Get Away" is a song recorded by the American vocal group The Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK). Produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Philly's Sigma Sound Studios, the lush, string-augmented production of the ...
". Radio airplay for the B-side led Atlantic to flip the single over, with "I'll Be Around" hitting number 3 and "How Could I Let You Get Away" reaching number 77. "I'll Be Around" was also the Spinners' first million-selling hit single. It was awarded a gold disc by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
on October 30, 1972. The 1973 follow-up singles " Could It Be I'm Falling in Love", (led principally by Smith, with Wynne leading on the tune's fade out), which was another million-seller, "
One of a Kind (Love Affair) "One of a Kind (Love Affair)" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK). It was written by Joseph B. Jefferson and produced by Thom Bell. The Spinners recorded the song at Philly's ...
" (led by Wynne), and "
Ghetto Child "Ghetto Child" is a 1973 song recorded by American R&B music group the Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK) for the Atlantic label. It was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. It was produced by Bell, and recorded at Philly's Sigma So ...
" (led by Fambrough and Wynne) cemented the group's reputation, as well as further that of Bell, a noted Philly soul producer. Following their Atlantic successes, Motown also issued a ''Best of the Spinners'' LP which featured selections from their Motown/V.I.P. recordings. They also remixed and reissued the 1970 B-side "
Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" is a 1967 song co-written by Richard Drapkin and Marty Coleman. In 1968 it was assigned to Artie Fields' Top Dog label in Detroit and issued as a 45 by rhythm and blues singer Joe Towns (Top Dog 105). When ...
" (led by Smith, originally co-led by Cameron) as a 1973 A-side. In the midst of their Atlantic hits, it crawled to number 91 in the US. The group's 1974 follow-up album, ''
Mighty Love ''Mighty Love'' is the fourth studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, released in March 1974 on the Atlantic label. It was the Spinners' second album for Atlantic and, like their breakthrough Atlantic debut '' Spinners'', was ...
'', featured three Top 20 hits, "I'm Coming Home", "Love Don't Love Nobody", and the title track. Their biggest hit of the year, however, was a collaboration with
Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick (; born December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest U.S. hit makers between 1955 and 1999, based on her chart history on ''Billboards Hot 100 pop singles cha ...
, " Then Came You" (led by Smith, Warwick, and Wynne), which hit number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming each act's first chart-topping "Pop" hit. The song also reached the Top 3 of ''Billboard''′s R&B and Easy Listening charts. The Spinners hit the Top 10 twice in the next two years with the Smith and Jackson-led " They Just Can't Stop It (The Games People Play)" (''Billboard'' number 5) and the Wynne-led " The Rubberband Man" (''Billboard'' number 2). " Games People Play" featured guest vocalist Evette L. Benton (though producer Bell disputed this in a UK-based interview, claiming Evette's line was actually group member Henry Fambrough – his voice sped up), and led to the nickname "Mister 12:45" for bass singer Jackson, after his signature vocal line on the song.


Later years

Conflict and egos began emerging in the group when member Philippé Wynne wanted the group's name changed to Philippe Wynne and the Spinners. When this was not done, Wynne left the group in January 1977 and was replaced by John Edwards, who had recorded a number of R&B hits as a solo singer. The group continued recording and scored some minor hits in 1977 and 1978. Thom Bell and the group parted ways. They contributed two songs to Bell's film '' The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh'' and appeared in the film as a band. In 1979, Motown released a compilation album on both sides of the Atlantic. ''From the Vaults'', (US Natural Resources label NR 4014 and in the UK on Tamla Motown STMR 9001), included the song "What More Could a Boy Ask For" (Fuqua & Bristol), which was recorded circa 1965. The group scored two major hits at the dawning of the new decade, obtaining hits in 1980 with " Working My Way Back to You"/"Forgive Me, Girl" (number two in March–April, number one UK) and "
Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...
"/"I've Loved You for a Long Time" (number four in July–August, number four UK). The group's last US Hot 100 hit was a remake of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away", which peaked at number 67 in 1983. In 1984, the group had their last R&B hit with "Right or Wrong", from that year's ''Cross Fire'' album. They would go on to release a pair of albums, in addition to performing the title track to the
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hit film ''
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'', during the latter half of the 1980s. In 1983, the group guest starred as themselves on the TV sitcom, '' Laverne and Shirley''. After some years spent collaborating with Parliament/Funkadelic and working solo, Wynne died of a heart attack while performing in Oakland, California on July 14, 1984. In a 2014 interview, Henry Fambrough, the group's last surviving original member, stated: "Bobby (Smith) was ''always'' our ''major'' lead singer for all those years. Had ''always'' been. Always ''will'' be."Tom Meros
"The Spinners' Henry Fambrough talks to Tom about their history"
YouTube. November 12, 2014.
Fambrough has led on several Spinners songs on which he sang or shared lead vocals, including: "I Don't Want to Lose You", "Ghetto Child", "Living a Little, Laughing a Little", "Ain't No Price on Happiness", "Smile We Have Each Other", "Just as Long as We Have Love", (a second Spinners duet with Dionne Warwick) and "Now That We're Together".


The Spinners today

After their chart career ended, the Spinners continued touring for decades. They are big draws on the oldies and nostalgia concert circuits, playing the music that made them famous. In their
box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
, ''The Chrome Collection'', the Spinners were lauded by David Bowie and
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...
. They were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. On July 27, 2006, the Spinners performed on the ''
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''. G. C. Cameron rejoined the group as lead vocalist from 2000 to 2002 (replacing John Edwards, who left due to a stroke), but he left them in 2003 to join The Temptations. Frank Washington, formerly of The Futures and The Delfonics, joined for a few years, before being replaced by Charlton Washington (no relation). In 2004, original member Billy Henderson was dismissed from the group after suing the group's corporation and business manager to obtain financial records. He was replaced by Harold "Spike" Bonhart. Henderson died due to complications from diabetes on February 2, 2007, at the age of 67. Another early member, C. P. Spencer, had already died from a heart attack on October 20, 2004; and another, George Dixon, died in 1994. Original member Pervis Jackson, who was still touring as a member of the group, died from cancer on August 18, 2008. The group continued for a short time as a quartet before Jessie Robert Peck (born in Queens, New York, December 17, 1968) was recruited as the group's new bass vocalist in February 2009. In 2009, Bonhart left the Spinners and was replaced by vocalist Marvin Taylor. The group lost another member from their early days, when Edgar "Chico" Edwards died on December 3, 2011. The Spinners were put into the limelight again in 2003 when an
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
track was re-issued featuring them on backing vocals. In 1977, the Spinners had recorded two versions of " Are You Ready for Love" at the Philadelphia studios. One had all of the Spinners, the other with only lead singer Philippé Wynne on backing vocals. Elton John was not happy with the mixes and sat on the tapes for a year before asking for them to be remixed, so they would sound easier on the ear. Finally, in 1979, the Wynne version was released as a single, but it only made it to number 42 in the UK. The track was then remixed by Ashley Beedle from
Xpress-2 X-Press 2 are an English electronic dance music duo. The members are DJ Diesel (Darren House) and DJ Rocky (Darren Rock). Ashley Beedle left to pursue solo projects in 2009. They were DJ Award winners in 2002 and Ivor Novello winners in 20 ...
in 2003 after becoming a fixture in the Balearic nightclubs, and being used by Sky Sports for an advertisement. It then went to number one on the UK Singles Chart after being released on DJ
Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist f ...
's
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. In September 2011, 57 years after forming in Detroit and 50 years after " That's What Girls Are Made For", the group was announced as one of 15 final nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, their first nomination, they were also nominated in 2014 and 2015. Lead singer Bobby Smith died on March 16, 2013. The group, which still tours actively, consists of Henry Fambrough (the only surviving original member), C. J. Jefferson, Jessie Peck, Marvin Taylor and Ronnie Moss. In 2017, the Spinners were inducted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. Charlton Washington left the group in 2020 to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by C.J. Jefferson. After years without new music, The Spinners released on August 27, 2021 the album 'Round The Block And Back Again, the first with the current line-up. The album had three singles, "Cliché", "In Holy Matrimony" and "Vivid Memories".


Personnel

;Current members *
Henry Fambrough Henry Lee Fambrough (born May 10, 1938) is an original vocalist and current member of the R&B quintet The Spinners (aka The Detroit Spinners and also The Motown Spinners). He is the last surviving original member of the Spinners. The group ...
– baritone (1954–present) *Jessie Robert Peck – bass (2009–present) *Marvin Taylor – tenor/baritone (2009–present) *Ronnie Moss – co-lead tenor (2013–present) *C.J. Jefferson – lead tenor (2020–present) ;Former members * Pervis Jackson – bass (1954–2008; died 2008) * Billy Henderson – tenor/baritone (1954–2004; died 2007) *
C. P. Spencer C. P. Spencer (born Crathman Plato Spencer, January 13, 1938 – October 20, 2004) was an American musician, singer, songwriter and record producer for the Motown label in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was a native of Detroit, Michigan. Best ...
– lead tenor (1954–56; died 2004) *James Edwards – tenor (1954) * Bobby Smith – co-lead tenor (1954–2013; died 2013) *George Dixon – lead tenor (1956–63; died 1994) *Edgar "Chico" Edwards – lead tenor (1963–67; died 2011) *
G. C. Cameron George Curtis Cameron is an American soul and R&B singer who is currently married to singer Linda Dixon Cameron a.k.a. “Lady L.”. Perhaps best known as the lead singer of The Spinners on their 1970 hit " It's a Shame" and for his 1975 hit ...
– lead tenor (1967–72, 2000–03) * Philippé Wynne – lead tenor (1972–77; died 1984) * John Edwards – lead tenor (1977–2000) *Frank Washington – lead tenor (2003–07) *Harold "Spike" Bonhart – tenor/baritone (2004–09) *Charlton Washington – lead tenor (2007-2020)


Discography


Top forty singles

The following singles reached the top 40 on the US or UK charts.


References


External links


The Spinners Official Website
*
"Spinners singer Billy Henderson dies"
Yahoo! News, February 3, 2007
"Spinners singer Pervis Jackson dies"
''Detroit Free Press'', August 19, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Spinners Vocal quintets American soul musical groups Atlantic Records artists Musical groups from Detroit Motown artists Smash Records artists Musical groups established in 1954