The collaboration between producer Thom
Bell and Spinners in the 1970s was the very definition of “lightning in a
bottle.” Their string of massive hit
singles didn’t last forever (in fact, only about 3 years), but man was it fun
while it lasted. There are ten songs on
this album – “I’ll Be Around,” “How Could I Let You Get Away,” “One of a Kind
(Love Affair),” “Mighty Love,” “Ghetto Child,” “Then Came You” (with Dionne
Warwick), “Sadie,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “Games People Play,” and
“The Rubberband Man” – and every single one is a great, great song. I can still remember how exciting it was in
the Fall of 1972 to hear the first strains of “I’ll Be Around” coming out of
the radio, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
I’m still not sure that Bell gets the
due he deserves today. He was the Burt
Bacharach of his day, not just a brilliant producer and arranger but also a terrific
songwriter. And give credit to the
members of Spinners as well – all great vocalists, with three singers (Henry
Fambrough, Phillipe Wynne, Bobby Smith) capable of handling the lead. Together with Bell, they made magic together.
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