The Spinners
Use the Booking Entertainment.com agency to book The Spinners for your corporate event, private party, fundraiser, college, fair or festival. Submit an Entertainment Request Form and an agent will reply within 24 hours.
The Spinners are the greatest soul group of the early '70s,
creating a body of work that defined the lush, seductive sound of Philly soul.
Ironically, the band's roots lay in Detroit, where they formed as a doo wop
group during the late '50s. Throughout the '60s, the Spinners tried to land a
hit by adapting to the shifting fashions of R&B and pop. By the mid-'60s, they
signed with Motown Records, but the label never gave the group much
consideration. "It's a Shame" became a hit in 1970, but the label continued to
ignore the group, and dropped the band two years later. Unsigned and featuring
new lead singer Phillipe Wynne, the Spinners seemed destined to never break into
the big leagues, but they managed to sign with Atlantic Records, where they
began working with producer Thom Bell.
The Spinners developed a distinctive sound with the help of Bell, one that
relied on Wynne's breathtaking falsetto and the group's intricate vocal
harmonies. Bell provided the group with an appropriately detailed production,
creating a detailed web of horns, strings, backing vocals, and lightly funky
rhythms. Between 1972 and 1977, the Spinners and Bell recorded a number of soul
classics, including "I'll Be Around," "Could It Be I'm Fallin in Love," "Mighty
Love," "Ghetto Child," "Then Came You," "Games People Play," and "The Rubberband
Man." Wynne left in 1977 and the Spinners had hits for a few years after his
departure, but the group will always be remembered for its classic mid-'70s
work.
The Spinners were originally called the Domingoes when the quintet were high
school students in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale in 1957. At the time, the
group featured Bobbie Smith, Pervis Jackson, George W. Dixon, Billy Henderson,
and Henry Fambrough. Four years later, they came to the attention of producer
Harvey Fuqua, who began recording the group — who were now called the Spinners —
for his Tri-Phi Records.
The Spinners’ first single, "That's What Girls Are Made For," became a Top Ten
R&B hit upon its 1961 release and featured Smith on vocals. Following its
release, Dixon was replaced by Edgar "Chico" Edwards. Over the next few years,
the group released a series of failed singles, and when Tri-Phi was bought out
by Motown in the mid-'60s, the Spinners became part of the larger company's
roster. By that time, Edwards had been replaced by G.C. Cameron.
Though the Spinners had some R&B hits at Motown during the late '60s, including
"I'll Always Love You" and "Truly Yours," they didn't have a genuine crossover
success until 1970, when Stevie Wonder
gave the group "It's a Shame." Motown
never concentrated on the Spinners, and they let the group go in 1972. Before
the band signed with Atlantic Records, Phillipe Wynne replaced Cameron as the
group's lead vocalist. Wynne had previously sung with Catfish and Bootsy
Collins.
The Spinners, at Atlantic Records, worked with producer Thom Bell, who gave the
group a lush, seductive sound, complete with sighing strings, a tight rhythm
section, sultry horns, and a slight funk underpinning. Wynne quickly emerged as
a first-rate soul singer, and the combination of the group's harmonies, Wynne's
soaring leads, and Bell's meticulous production made the Spinners the most
popular soul group of the '70s. Once the group signed with Atlantic, they became
a veritable hit machine, topping the R&B and pop charts with songs like "I'll Be
Around," "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love," "One of a Kind (Love Affair),"
"Ghetto Child," "Rubberband Man," and "You're Throwing a Good Love Away." Not
only were their singles hits, but their albums constantly went gold and charted
in the Top 20.
The Spinners’ Wynne left the band to pursue a solo career in 1977; he was
replaced by John Edwards. Though none of Wynne's solo records were big hits, his
tours with Parliament-Funkadelic were well-received, as were his solo concerts.
In October 1984, he died of a heart attack during a concert in Oakland, CA. The
Spinners, meanwhile, had a number of minor hits in the late '70s, highlighted by
their disco covers of "Working My Way Back to You" and the medley "Cupid/I've
Loved You for a Long Time." During the early '80s, they had several minor hits
before fading away from the charts and entering the oldies circuit, reprising
their earlier material for 1999's new studio effort At Their Best.
The Spinners triumph. Even though their last hits were over 20 years ago, the
bright lights of their 1972–1976 run of the charts continues to provide for the
current members. They are big draws on the oldies and nostalgia concert
circuits, and continue to play the music that made them famous.
The Spinners get their props. In their recently released box set The Chrome
Collection, The Spinners were lauded by David Bowie and Elvis Costello.
1-800-4ENTERTAINMENT
Phone: (212) 645-0555 Fax: (212) 645-0333275 Madison Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10016
© 1996-2008 BookingEntertainment.com All Rights Reserved.
Pop Artist(s) & Popular Musicians | Country Music Artist(s) | Disco | R&B / Soul Artist(s)
Blues / Jazz Artist(s) & Bands | Corporate Entertainment | Private Parties | Fundraising Events