![]() ![]() Their hits from this period -distilled from three albums- included "Betcha by Golly, Wow" (U.S. Bell imported techniques he had perfected with The Delfonics and his musical arrangements worked perfectly with Thompkins' falsetto vocals. The first song recorded with Bell and his collaborator, lyricist Linda Creed, was the lush "Stop, Look, Listen". On most of the group hits, Bell would have Thompkins sing virtually solo. Avco gave Bell complete creative control over the Stylistics and he proceeded to focus the group's sound exclusively around Thompkins's voice. He ultimately agreed to produce the group because he believed in the potential of lead singer, Russell Thompkins, Jr.'s distinctive, nasal high tenor & falsetto voice. The Stylistics auditioned for Bell, but he was initially unimpressed. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and the single eventually climbed to number seven on the US Billboard R&B chart in early 1971.Īfter signing to Avco, the record label approached producer Thom Bell, who had already produced a catalogue of hits for The Delfonics, to work with the group. Producer Bill Perry spent $400 to record the song in the Virtue Studios in Philadelphia. In 1970, the group recorded "You're a Big Girl Now", a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote with Robert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The Stylistics were created from two Philadelphia groups, The Percussions and The Monarchs.Russell Thompkins Jr., James Smith, and Airrion Love came from the Monarchs, and James Dunn and Herbie Murrell came from the Percussions. 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", "People Make the World Go Round", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", and "You Make Me Feel Brand New". ![]() All of their US hits were ballads characterized by the falsetto of Russell Thompkins Jr. They formed in 1968, consisting of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. The Stylistics are a Philadelphia soul group that achieved its greatest chart success in the 1970s. Vocalist who came to prominence as a founding member of Philadelphia soul group, The Stylistics. ![]() Airrion Love – born October 8, 1949, Philadelphia. ![]()
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