The Stylistics were one of the most well-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968 (see 1968 in music) and comprised lead Russell Thompkins Jr, Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. They had their first US hit in 1971 (see 1971 in music) with You're a Big Girl Now.
Signing to Avco Records, the Stylistics began working with producer Thom Bell, who had already produced a catalogue of hits for The Delfonics, and songwriter Linda Creed. Bell imported the sweet soul techniques he had perfected with the Delfonics, and his arrangements worked perfectly with Thompkins' falsetto. The bittersweet lyrics from Creed were a key factor in creating hugely memorable music.
Their hits - distilled from three albums - from this period included Betcha by Golly, Wow, I'm Stone in Love with You, You Make Me Feel Brand-New, featuring a double lead with Love, Stop, Look, Listen To Your Heart and You Are Everything.
The group split with Thom Bell in 1974, and the split proved devastating commercially to the group's success in the USA. Just as with The Delfonics, The Stylistics were to some extent a vehicle for Bell's own creativity. They struggled hard to find producers who could come up with the right material, and partnerships with Hugo & Luigi and Van McCoy were notably less successful. They left Avco for H&I and the Stylistics' popularity rapidly declined in the US, though their British popularity continued for the rest of the 1970s.
In 1980 (see 1980 in music), James Dunn departed due to health problems, and James Smith left shortly thereafter. The group continued, recruiting new member Raymond Johnson, and releasing the album Some Things Never Change, in 1985. Johnson departed shortly afterward, leaving the group a trio. Love, Murrell, and Thompkins continued to tour until 2000, when original lead Thompkins left. Love and Murrell brought in two new members, Harold "Eban" Brown, as lead, and tenor Van Fields.
In 2004, Russell Thompkins, Jr. started a new group, the New Stylistics, with the returning Raymond Johnson (second lead on You Make Me Feel Brand New), James Ranton, and Jonathan Buckson.
If you searched all the other Stylistics pages and want to request a song to be added to the page, just leave a comment! Hope you enjoy!
