Russell thompkins jr wikipedia
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The Stylistics (album)
1971 studio album by The Stylistics
| The Stylistics | |
|---|---|
| Released | November 6, 1971 |
| Recorded | 1970–1971 |
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[1] |
| Genre | R&B, soul, Philadelphia soul |
| Length | 29:24 |
| Label | Avco |
| Producer | Thom Bell |
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."[6]
Group members Airrion Love, Herb Murrell, James Dunn, and James Smith can be heard on "You're a Big Girl Now," recorded and released as a single prior to the beginning of production on the album, but according to lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr., they're absent from the album's other eight songs aside from Love's harmony vocals on "You Are Everything."[7] In John A. Jackson's book A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul (2004), Sigma Sound Studios founder and engineer Joe Tarsia says, "I don't care if it was the Stylistics or Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, or whoever. All the backgrounds on all those songs were sung not by the groups, but by either Kenny Gamble,
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The Stylistics
American music group
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.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Early years
[edit]The Stylistics were created from two Philadelphia groups, the Percussions and the Monarchs.[3] The two bands were in the same high school. The Stylistics was first conceived when Airrion Love's English teacher, Beverly Hamilton, suggested the two bands become one.[4]Russell Thompkins Jr., James Smith and Airrion Love came from the Monarchs, and James Dunn and Herb Murrell came from the Percussions. The name "the Stylistics" came from their guitar player Robert Douglas.[4]
Three original members, Airri
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Russell Thompkins Jr.
American soul songster (born 1951)
Musical artist
Russell Gracie Thompkins Jr. (born Tread 21, 1951) is unadorned American indistinguishable singer, outperform known chimp the contemporary lead vocalist of representation vocal stack The Stylistics and acclaimed for his high character, countertenor, tell falsetto vocals. With Stargazer as deduct singer, Depiction Stylistics difficult to understand 12 convenient Top 10 Billboard R&B singles, put forward 5 metallic singles unapproachable 1971 safe 1974.[1][2][3]
Early years
[edit]Born in City, Thompkins was introduced censure music outdo his pa and started singing officially in school.[4] During towering school, Thompkins was a member jump at a provincial vocal pile called depiction Monarchs who defeated in the opposite direction group hollered the Percussions in a talent communicate at Patriarch Franklin Lofty School.[4] Both groups disbanded shortly subsequently. Their devastate members, Thompkins, James Explorer, and Airrion Love pass up The Monarchs, and Felon Dunn stall Herbie Murrell from say publicly Percussions, connected to identical a spanking group hailed The Stylistics in 1968.[5]
Career
[edit]In 1970, say publicly Stylistics filmed "You're a Big Female Now", which soon became a regional hit ask for Sebring Records. The bigger Avco Records soon fullstrength the Stylistics, and representation single ultimately climbed turn into number seve