New and Improved (The Spinners album)

Last updated
New and Improved
Spinnersnew.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedDecember 1974
Studio Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Genre R&B
Length34:56
Label Atlantic
Producer Thom Bell
The Spinners chronology
Mighty Love
(1974)
New and Improved
(1974)
Spinners Live!
(1975)
The Spinners studio albums chronology
Mighty Love
(1974)
New and Improved
(1974)
Pick of the Litter
(1975)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide B [2]
Tom Hull – on the Web B+ ( Five Pointed Star Solid.svg ) [3]

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.

Contents

History

New and Improved became the Spinners' third consecutive R&B albums chart-topper and reached #9 on the Billboard 200, their first top 10 album on this chart. The album includes "Then Came You", featuring Dionne Warwick and the group's only single to top the Billboard Hot 100 (it was denied the top spot on the R&B chart by Kool & the Gang's "Higher Plane"), and the top 10 R&B singles "Living A Little, Laughing A Little" and "Sadie" the latter track was covered by R. Kelly on his 1993 debut solo album 12 Play .

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sitting on Top of the World"Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons4:42
2."Smile, We Have Each Other"Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson4:30
3."Then Came You" (with Dionne Warwick)Sherman Marshall, Phillip Pugh3:59
4."There's No One Like You"Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes4:16
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Living a Little, Laughing a Little" Thom Bell, Linda Creed 5:03
6."Sadie"Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons5:26
7."Lazy Susan"Linda Creed, Thom Bell3:34
8."I've Got to Make It on My Own"Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes3:26

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1974)Peak
[4]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs 9
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs 1
Singles
YearSinglePeak chart positions
US
[4]
US
R&B

[4]
US
A/C

[4]
UK
[5]
1974"Then Came You"12329
1975"Living a Little, Laughing a Little"377
"Sadie"547

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Spinners (American group)</span> American soul music vocal group

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.

<i>A Brand New Me</i> (Dusty Springfield album) 1970 studio album by Dusty Springfield

A Brand New Me is the sixth studio album by English singer Dusty Springfield, released in 1970.

<i>Spinners</i> (album) 1973 studio album by The Spinners

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.

<i>The Stylistics</i> (album) 1971 studio album by The Stylistics

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."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Then Came You (Dionne Warwick and the Spinners song)</span> 1974 single by Dionne Warwick & the Spinners

"Then Came You" is a 1974 song recorded by American soul singer Dionne Warwick and American R&B group The Spinners. It was credited to Dionne Warwicke and the Spinners. The track was written by Sherman Marshall and Phillip T. Pugh, and produced by Thom Bell.

<i>Dionne</i> (1979 album) 1979 studio album by Dionne Warwick

Dionne is a studio album by American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Arista Records in May 1979 in the United States. Recorded during the winter of 1978–79, the album marked Warwick's debut with the label. Production on Dionne was helmed by Barry Manilow, who was paired with Warwick by Arista founder Clive Davis. Her highest-charting album since Soulful (1969), Dionne peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 album chart and went platinum in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rubberband Man</span> 1976 single by the Spinners

"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".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Around (The Spinners song)</span> 1972 single by The Spinners

"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.

<i>Teddy</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Teddy Pendergrass

Teddy is the third album by the American musician Teddy Pendergrass, released in 1979.

<i>My Melody</i> (Deniece Williams album) 1981 studio album by Deniece Williams

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.

<i>Niecy</i> 1982 studio album by Deniece Williams

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.

<i>Mighty Love</i> 1974 studio album by The Spinners

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.

<i>Pick of the Litter</i> (The Spinners album) 1975 studio album by The Spinners

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.

<i>Happiness Is Being with the Spinners</i> 1976 studio album by The Spinners

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.

<i>Round 2</i> (The Stylistics album) 1972 studio album by The Stylistics

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.

<i>Rockin Roll Baby</i> 1973 studio album by The Stylistics

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghetto Child</span> 1973 single by The Spinners

"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.

<i>Then Came You</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Dionne Warwick

Then Came You is a studio album by the American singer Dionne Warwick. Sharing its title with the number one hit song Warwick performed a year before with The Spinners, the album was released by Warner Bros. Records in 1975 in the United States. The album peaked at number 167 on the US Billboard 200.

<i>Track of the Cat</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Dionne Warwick

Track of the Cat is a studio album by the American singer Dionne Warwick. It was released by Warner Bros. Records in 1975 in the United States. Her second album to be released that year, it peaked at number 137 on the US Top LPs & Tape chart.

<i>From Here to Eternally</i> 1979 studio album by the Spinners

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.

References

  1. Hamilton, Andrew. New and Improved review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 13, 2019 via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Hull, Tom (May 31, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "US Charts > The Spinners". Allmusic . Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  5. "UK Charts > Detroit Spinners". The Official Charts Company . Retrieved 2011-09-24.