Rockin' Roll Baby | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 1973 | |||
Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
Genre | R&B, soul | |||
Length | 42:36 | |||
Label | Avco | |||
Producer | Thom Bell | |||
The Stylistics chronology | ||||
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Singles from Rockin' Roll Baby | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [2] |
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.
Lead vocals are by Russell Thompkins, Jr.
While on Avco, they began working with producer/songwriter Thom Bell, and along with songwriter Linda Creed created a bunch of hit singles that used lavish production backing the lead vocals of Russell Thompkins, Jr. Every single that Bell produced was a hit. [3] The album includes the original full version of the song, "You Make Me Feel Brand New".
The album reached No. 66 on the Billboard LPs chart and No. 5 on the R&B albums chart. The title track reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the R&B singles chart, and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.
All tracks are written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Only for the Children" | 4:38 | |
2. | "Could This Be the End?" | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons | 4:09 |
3. | "Let Them Work It Out" | 3:58 | |
4. | "Make It Last" | 2:59 | |
5. | "Pay Back Is a Dog" | Thom Bell, Kenneth Gamble | 4:31 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "Love Comes Easy" | 4:58 | |
7. | "There's No Reason" | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes | 3:58 |
8. | "Rockin' Roll Baby" | 4:27 | |
9. | "You Make Me Feel Brand New" (long version, not the 1974 hit single version) | 5:30 | |
10. | "I Won't Give You Up" | Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson | 3:38 |
Chart (1973–74) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [4] | 43 |
U.S. Billboard Top LPs [5] | 66 |
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs [5] | 5 |
UK Albums Chart [6] | 42 |
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [5] | US R&B [5] | US A/C [5] | UK [6] | ||
1973 | "Rockin' Roll Baby" | 14 | 3 | 44 | 6 |
The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads characterized by the falsetto of Russell Thompkins Jr. and the production of Thom Bell. During the early 1970s, the group had twelve consecutive R&B top ten hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New", which earned them 5 gold singles and 3 gold albums.
"Stop, Look, Listen " is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed originally recorded by Philadelphia soul group the Stylistics.
Spinners is the third studio album recorded by American R&B group The Spinners, produced by Thom Bell and released in March 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."
Airrion Love is a baritone singer, who is a founding member of The Stylistics. He formed The Stylistics in 1968, and is still in the group as of 2024. Love shared lead vocals with Russell Thompkins Jr. on their Grammy-nominated song "You Make Me Feel Brand New".
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"You Make Me Feel Brand New" is a 1974 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. An R&B ballad, the song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.
Live! Coast to Coast is a live album by the R&B crooner Teddy Pendergrass. It was recorded in Philadelphia in 1978 and Los Angeles in 1979. It did rather well on the Billboard album charts, reaching #33 Pop and #5 R&B.
Russell Allen Thompkins Jr. is an American soul singer, best known as the original lead singer of the vocal group The Stylistics and noted for his high tenor, countertenor, and falsetto vocals. With Russell as lead singer, The Stylistics had 12 straight Top 10 Billboard R&B singles, and 5 gold singles from 1971 through 1974.
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.
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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.
Let's Put It All Together is the fourth studio album recorded by American R&B group The Stylistics, released in May 1974 on the Avco label. It was produced by Hugo & Luigi and recorded at Mediasound Studios in New York City. This was the group's first album recorded outside of Philadelphia.
"Rockin' Roll Baby" is a song written by Linda Creed and Thom Bell and performed by The Stylistics. It reached #3 on the U.S. R&B chart, #6 on the UK Singles Chart, #14 on the U.S. pop chart, #44 on the U.S. adult contemporary chart, and #57 on the Canadian pop chart in 1974. It was featured as the title song from their 1973 eponymous album.