Spinners

Spinners, The, long-lived Detroit-based black vocal group. Membership: Robert Smith, lead and ten. voc. (b. Detroit, April 10, 1937); George W. Dixon, lead and ten. voc; Billy Henderson, ten. voc. (b. Detroit, Aug. 9, 1939); Henry Fambrough, bar. voc. (b. Detroit, May 10, 1935); Pervis Jackson, bs. voc. (b. New Orleans, La., May 17, 1938). George Dixon was replaced in 1962 by Edgar “Chico” Edwards; Robert Smith was replaced by G. C. Cameron (b. Jackson, Miss.) in 1968, who was replaced in 1972 by Philippe Wynne (b. Detroit, April 3, 1941; d. Oakland, Calif., July 14, 1984), who was replaced by John Edwards (b. St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 25, 1944) in 1977.

The Spinners first recorded in 1961 for Harvey Fuqua’s Tri-Phi label before moving with Fuqua to Motown Records, where they languished for seven years. Switching to Atlantic Records in 1972 at the urging of Aretha Franklin, the Spinners were teamed with Philadelphia songwriter-producer Thorn Bell. They scored a succession of smooth soul ballad crossover hits such as “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” and “(One of a Kind) Love Affair,” featuring the distinctive lead vocals of Philippe Wynne. Rivaling the O’Jays as America’s most popular black vocal group of the era, the Spinners were introduced to the Nev. cabaret circuit by Dionne Warwick. After Wynne’s departure in 1977, neither the group nor Wynne as a soloist fared very well, although remarkably the Spinners persevered with lead vocalist John Edwards into the 1990s without a personnel change.

The Spinners were initially formed around 1955 as an a cappella vocal group called the Domingos by five Detroit-area high school students: Robert Smith, George Dixon, Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough, and Pervis Jackson. During the late 1950s they performed locally, changing their name to the Spinners in 1961. The group signed with former Moonglow Harvey Fuqua’s Tri-Phi label, scoring a smash R&B and major pop hit with “That’s What Girls Are Made For.” They switched to Motown Records when Fuqua joined the company in 1964. After achieving a moderate pop and near-smash R&B hit with “I’ll Always Love You” in 1965, they replaced Smith with G. C. Cameron in 1968 and recorded for Motown’s subsidiary label V.I.P., hitting in 1970 with “It’s a Shame,” written and produced by Stevie Wonder.

Leaving Motown in 1972, the Spinners replaced Cameron with charismatic singer Philippe Wynne and signed to Atlantic Records with the help of Aretha Franklin. Placed with Philadelphia soul songwriter-arranger-producer Thom Bell, they soon scored a top R&B and a smash pop hit with “I’ll Be Around” and “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” and an R&B smash with “Ghetto Child,” all from their debut album for the label. Mighty Love produced three major pop and smash R&B hits with “Mighty Love—Pt. 1,” “I’m Coming Home,” and “Love Don’t Love Nobody—Pt. 1.”

Becoming one of the most popular soul groups of the mid-1970s, the Spinners included the top pop and smash R&B hit “Then Came You,” recorded with Dionne Warwick, on their album New and Improved, which also produced near-smash R&B hits with “Living a Little, Laughing a Little” and “Sadie.” Pick of the Litter yielded the top R&B and smash pop hit “They Just Can’t Stop It (The Games People Play)” and an R&B near-smash with “Love or Leave.” After a top R&B and smash pop hit with the disco-style “The Rubber Band Man” and the R&B smash “You’re Throwing a Good Love Away,” Philippe Wynne left the Spinners in 1977, to be replaced by John Edwards. Two years later producer-arranger Thorn Bell also stopped working with the group. Still, the Spinners managed pop and R&B smashes with the oldies medlies “Working My Way Back to You”/“Forgive Me, Girl” and “Cupid”/“I’ve Loved You for a Long Time” in 1979–1980, though they never again achieved another major pop hit. Nonetheless, the Spinners remained intact into the 1990s, recording Down to Business for Volt in 1989.

Wynne’s solo debut, Starting All Over, fared dismally, and he soon joined George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic aggregation, recording Jatnmin’ for Clinton’s Uncle Jam label in 1980. While performing at the Oakland, Calif., nightclub Ivey’s on July 14, 1984, Philippe Wynne collapsed and died of a heart attack at age 43.

Discography

THE SPINNERS: The Original S. (1968); Second Time Around (1970); Best (1973); The S. (1973); Mighty Love (1974); New and Improved (1974); Pick of the Litter (1975); Live (1975); Happiness Is Being with the S. (1976); Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1977); 8 (1977); Best (1978); From Here to Eternally (1979); Danein’and Lovin’ (1979); Love Trippin’ (1980); Can’t Shake This Feelin’ (1981); Grand Slam (1983); Cross Fire (1984); Lovin’ Feelings (1985); A One of a Kind Love Affair—The Anthology (1991); Down to Business (1989); Very Best (1993). JOHN EDWARDS: Life, Love and Living (1976). PHILIPPEWYNNE: Starting All Over (1977); Jatnmin’ (1980).

—Brock Helander