By 1984 most had written off, or forgotten about, the Spinners. Their last hit substantial hit had been in 1980 and their heyday with Thom Bell was long gone. What happens is that artists like this plug away in the background, releasing quality stuff unnoticed, and it's not until many years later that the set becomes noticed and becomes popular. Wait and see how many overlooked gems from the 80s and 90s and today will fetch high prices in future! This album is a crammed full of gems, mainly up tempo numbers and produced by none other than Leon Sylvers III and William Zimmerman. If you love the sound of Solar and the Whispers and Shalamar etc. at this time then you would have also been adding this to your purchasing pile. If not then fear not! Not only is this a relatively inexpensive LP to order but it is available to download – as are most other Spinners albums – on iTunes! These songs are totally of their time, but are, to me, still essential. “Right Or Wrong” and “Two Of A Kind” could easily be sung by the Whispers and lead vocalist, John Edwards, meets this groove head on and takes no prisoners. His voice – totally different from Philippe Wynne – is soi suited to this up tempo synth-soul style. Check it out. Most will recall, I think, the BRILLIANT single release “Love Is In Season”. I love this tune as much now as I did in 1984, and fans of Real To Reel's “Love Me Like This”would also like this tune. The gaiety of “Not Just Another Lover” is also a strong track. The album is one of their stronger one post Thom Bell, and I was not to be wowed again until their 1999 album, “At Their Best”. The Spinners have had a long career and maybe not as much success as they deserved – especially at Motown – but as soul music is timeless we can treat all their music for what it is: classy, fresh and essential. Why not check out iTunes for a downloadable album or elsewhere for the vinyl.
Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe
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