#THE STYLISTICS GREATEST HITS YOUTUBE SERIES#

And I think that in particular has sustained The Stylistics and allowed us - even in those lean years when there was no recordings coming from the group - to still go on world tours and still work.Гўв‚¬Вќ

Which led to young, old, male and female fans across the board all loving our songs and holding onto them over the years. You know, she could take very simple words like Гўв‚¬ЛњI love youГўв‚¬в„ў, turn them around and make them into a fantastic story - to where the lyrical content of those songs would say all those things a shy person in love wanted to say, but wasnГўв‚¬в„ўt able to. One important factor was being associated from the beginning with great producers and writers like Thom Bell and the late Linda Creed, who penned most of the lyrics for all those songs we did back then and was simply one of the greatest lyricists out there. Г‚в‚¬Е“I think itГўв‚¬в„ўs a combination of many things. YouГўв‚¬в„ўre currently celebrating your 40th anniversary as a group. Which brings us to today where - 40 years down the line from The StylisticsГўв‚¬в„ў original formation - Herb Murrell (one of the groupГўв‚¬в„ўs two surviving original members, alongside baritone Airrion Love) speaks in-depth to Гўв‚¬ЛњBlues &SoulГўв‚¬в„ў from his Birmingham hotel room regarding the now-quartetГўв‚¬в„ўs past, present and future. Nevertheless, the lasting quality of their 1970Гўв‚¬в„ўs hits has continued to ensure them sell-out shows across three continents, despite numerous personnel changes over the years the most potentially crippling being the departure of aforementioned former lead vocalist Russell Thompkins Jr.

#THE STYLISTICS GREATEST HITS YOUTUBE SERIES#

Meanwhile, after leaving Hugo and LuigiГўв‚¬в„ўs label somewhat acrimoniously in 1978, The Stylistics went on to record for a series of both major and independent labels between 19, without every regaining anything like their previous level of mass-popularity. Which ultimately led to The Stylistics losing their American audience but becoming pop superstars overseas (in particular the UK and Europe). When Avco label-bosses Hugo And Luigi decided to take over The StylisticsГўв‚¬в„ў production themselves via a string of six albums (beginning with 1974Гўв‚¬в„ўs Гўв‚¬ЛњLetГўв‚¬в„ўs Put It All TogetherГўв‚¬в„ў and ending with 1977Гўв‚¬в„ўs Гўв‚¬Е“Once Upon A JukeboxГўв‚¬в„ў) which took the group in a decidedly more pop-oriented direction. However, just as quickly as the pairing with Thom Bell began in 1971, it was equally suddenly over in 1974. Indeed, the three classic albums the group went on to record with Bell (1972Гўв‚¬в„ўs Gold-selling Гўв‚¬ЛњThe StylisticsГўв‚¬в„ў 1973Гўв‚¬в„ўs Gold-selling Гўв‚¬ЛњRound 2Гўв‚¬в„ў and 1974Гўв‚¬в„ўs Гўв‚¬ЛњRockinГўв‚¬в„ў Roll BabyГўв‚¬в„ў) in particular firmly established lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr.Гўв‚¬в„ўs distinctive bittersweet falsetto globally via a succession of international hit singles peaking with 1974Гўв‚¬в„ўs majestic love ballad Гўв‚¬ЛњYou Make Me Feel Brand NewГўв‚¬в„ў. With BellГўв‚¬в„ўs unique talent for counterbalancing the street corner harmonies of the R&B vocal groups with lush symphonic arrangements, his pairing with The Stylistics became one of the most perfect musical combinations of the era. A debut US Soul Top 10 hit in spring 1971, its simplistic charm persuaded Avco Records to let the fivesome record an entire album with classically-trained Philly super-producer/writer Thom Bell. Originally released on a shoestring budget, the groupГўв‚¬в„ўs first local single - Гўв‚¬ЛњYouГўв‚¬в„ўre A Big Girl NowГўв‚¬в„ў - made enough noise in their hometown to be picked up for national release by the Avco label. Nevertheless, The StylisticsГўв‚¬в„ў story had actually begun several years earlier when, in 1968, two local Philadelphia groups - The Monarchs and The Percussions - decided to join forces. Which in turn was the same year in which they topped the British singles chart for three weeks with the elaborately orchestrated disco-soul of Гўв‚¬ЛњCanГўв‚¬в„ўt Give You Anything Гўв‚¬Лњ(But My Love)Гўв‚¬в„ў. Meanwhile, the then-quintetГўв‚¬в„ўs two Гўв‚¬ЛњBest OfГўв‚¬В¦Гўв‚¬в„ў compilations became two of the best-selling albums of the decade the first becoming, at the time, the best-selling LP ever in the UK by a black act in 1975.

In the summer of 1972, the release of the shimmering sweet soul ballad Гўв‚¬ЛњBetcha By Golly, WowГўв‚¬в„ў began an unbroken string of 17 UK Top 40 singles for The Stylistics that ended in the autumn of 1977 with the Top 30 appearance of Гўв‚¬Лњ7000 Dollars And YouГўв‚¬в„ў. With The Stylistics currently celebrating their 40th Anniversary, original group member Herb Murrell discusses with Pete Lewis their new Гўв‚¬ЛњSouvenir EditionГўв‚¬в„ў 2CD album Гўв‚¬ЛњThe Greatest Hits And MoreГўв‚¬В¦Гўв‚¬в„ў and looks back on the four-decade career of PhiladelphiaГўв‚¬в„ўs premier sweet soul vocal group.

The stylistics greatest hits youtube