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 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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 |
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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 | |||
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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 and Edwin Miller. 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.
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"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 on their 1973 album Rockin' Roll Baby.