Happiness Is Being with the Spinners | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 1976 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 35:36 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Producer | Thom Bell | |||
The Spinners chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Christgau's Record Guide | B− [2] |
Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ ( ) [3] |
Happiness Is Being with the Spinners is the seventh studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, released in July 1976 on the Atlantic label. It was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia and Kaye-Smith Studios in Seattle.
The album reached the top ten of the R&B albums chart, their last to do so, peaking at number five. It also reached #25 on the Billboard 200. The single edit version of the seven-minute "The Rubberband Man" became the group's sixth and final R&B chart-topper and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached #16 on the UK Singles Chart. Another single, "Wake Up Susan", had moderate success on the charts.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Now That We're Together" | Philip Terry, Talmadge G. Conway, Theodore Life | 3:35 |
2. | "You're All I Need in Life" | Thom Bell, Linda Creed | 4:28 |
3. | "If You Can't Be in Love" | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons | 3:52 |
4. | "The Rubberband Man" | Linda Creed, Thom Bell | 7:23 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
5. | "Toni My Love" | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons | 3:41 |
6. | "Four Hands in the Fire" | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons | 4:00 |
7. | "The Clown" | Michael Burton | 5:08 |
8. | "Wake Up Susan" | Sherman Marshall, Thom Bell | 3:29 |
Chart (1976) | Peak [4] |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 25 |
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 5 |
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
US [4] | US R&B [4] | UK [5] | ||
1976 | "Wake Up Susan" | 56 | 11 | — |
"The Rubberband Man" | 2 | 1 | 16 | |
The Spinners are an American rhythm and blues vocal group that formed in Ferndale, Michigan, 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, without any original members, after Henry Fambrough retired in 2023.
Spinners is the third studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, produced by Thom Bell and released in April 1973 on the Atlantic label. The album was the group's first for Atlantic after leaving Motown.
The Stylistics is the debut album by American R&B group the Stylistics, released in November 1971 on the Avco record label. It was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. The album has been called "a sweet soul landmark."
"The Rubberband Man" is a song recorded by American vocal group the Spinners. The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer-songwriter Linda Creed, is about Bell's son Mark, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight. Intended to improve his son's self-image, the song eventually evolved from being about "The Fat Man" to "The Rubberband Man".
"I'll Be Around" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners. It was co-written by Thom Bell and Phil Hurtt and produced by Bell.
"Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" is a 1972 song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners. It was co-written by Melvin and Mervin Steals, two songwriter brothers working for Atlantic, who were sometimes credited as "Mystro and Lyric." It was produced by Thom Bell, recorded at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios and the house band MFSB provided the backing. Bobby Smith sings lead through most of the song, while Philippé Wynne handles vocal duties on the outro.
"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.
Flying High Together is an album by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on Motown Records' Tamla label, released in 1972. It is noted as The Miracles' last studio album with original lead singer Smokey Robinson, who retired from the act to concentrate on his duties as vice president of Motown. The album charted at #46 on the Billboard Pop Album chart, and featured two singles: the appropriately named "We've Come Too Far to End It Now", which matched the parent album's chart position on the Billboard singles chart, charting at #46, and reached the Top 10 of the Billboard R&B singles chart, charting at #9, and "I Can't Stand to See You Cry", which charted at #45 Pop, and #21 R&B.
Teddy is the third album by the American musician Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1979.
My Melody is the fifth studio album by American singer Deniece Williams, released in March 1981 by ARC/Columbia Records. The album reached No. 13 on the Billboard Top Soul LPs chart. My Melody was certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.
Niecy is an album by American singer Deniece Williams which was released in 1982 on ARC/Columbia Records. The album reached No. 5 on the Top Soul Albums chart and No. 20 on the Billboard 200.
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 produced by Thom Bell at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.
New and Improved is the fifth album by American R&B group The Spinners, released in December 1974 on the Atlantic label. Like the Spinners' two previous Atlantic albums, New and Improved was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.
Pick of the Litter is the sixth studio album by American R&B group The Spinners, released in August 1975 on the Atlantic label. The album was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.
Round 2 is the second studio album recorded by American R&B group The Stylistics, released in October 1972 on the Avco label. It was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.
Rockin' Roll Baby is the third studio album recorded by American R&B group The Stylistics, released in November 1973 on the Avco label. It was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studio North in Philadelphia. This was the group's last album produced by Bell.
"Ghetto Child" is a 1973 song recorded by American R&B music group the Spinners for the Atlantic label. It was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed. It was produced by Bell, and recorded at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios with the house band MFSB providing the backing instrumentation. It is notable for being one of few songs that all three main leads, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne and Henry Fambrough sing lead. Although some think the song focuses on racial injustice broadly and the injustice of the 1967 Detroit Riot more specifically, the lyrics suggest that the song may be about intra-racial discrimination—the song is written from the perspective of a black child who is derided not (primarily) due to his skin-color but due to his class status.
8 is a studio album by American soul vocal group The Spinners, released in 1977. The recording represents a transition in the band's make-up that led to a commercial and critical decline.
Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow is a studio album by American soul vocal group the Spinners, released in 1977.
From Here to Eternally is a 1979 studio album from American Philly soul vocal group the Spinners, released on Atlantic Records. This album represents their last collaboration with producer Thom Bell and marks a decline in the critical and commercial success of the group.