Pick of the Litter (The Spinners album)

Last updated

Pick of the Litter
Spinnerspick.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 1975
Studio Sigma Sound Studios
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Genre R&B
Length33:49
Label Atlantic
Producer Thom Bell
The Spinners chronology
Spinners Live!
(1975)
Pick of the Litter
(1975)
Happiness Is Being with the Spinners
(1976)
The Spinners studio albums chronology
New and Improved
(1974)
Pick of the Litter
(1974)
Happiness Is Being with the Spinners
(1976)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Christgau's Record Guide A− [2]
Tom Hull – on the Web B+ ( Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg Five Pointed Star Solid.svg ) [3]

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.

Contents

History

Pick of the Litter is generally considered the last of the quartet of classic Bell-produced studio albums the Spinners released between 1973 and 1975, and to mark the end of the most creative phase of the group’s career while future releases would have memorable moments, contemporary critical opinion is that none of the group’s later material matches the enduring quality and top-notch consistency of these four albums.

Pick of the Litter became the Spinners’ highest placing album on the Billboard 200, reaching number eight; however it was the group’s first Atlantic album to miss the top of the R&B albums chart, peaking at number two. The album includes the distinctive "Games People Play", one of the group’s signature songs, which became their fifth single to top the R&B chart and a top 5 hit on the Billboard singles chart. The second single "Love or Leave" also made the R&B top 10.

Although not credited on the album sleeve, "Just as Long as We Have Love" includes vocal contributions from Dionne Warwick.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Honest I Do"Sherman Marshall, Philip Pugh, Thom Bell 4:00
2."I Don't Want to Lose You" Linda Creed, Thom Bell3:42
3."Love or Leave"Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson4:59
4."Sweet Love of Mine" Vinnie Barrett, Bobby Eli 4:20
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."All That Glitters Ain't Gold"Philip Terry, Theodore Life, Talmadge Conway3:47
6."You Made a Promise to Me"Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson3:56
7."Games People Play"Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons4:41
8."Just as Long as We Have Love"Vinnie Barrett, Bruce Hawes4:06

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1975)Peak
[4]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs 8
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs 2
Singles
YearSinglePeak chart positions
US
[4]
US
R&B

[4]
US
A/C

[4]
1975"Games People Play"512
"Love or Leave"368

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References

  1. Planer, Lindsay. Pick of the Litter 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 November 18, 2012.