What Were the 5 Biggest US Hits by The Spinners?

The Spinners soared in the 70s. Formed in Detroit, the vocal group displayed a knack for staying on top of the latest R&B trends while also making sure to deliver catchy singles. They even stretched their chart success to the beginning of the 80s.

Videos by American Songwriter

Looking at the top five US hits by the band, you might notice just how many popular songs of theirs came up short of making the list. In other words, The Spinners sure had a lot of hits, with these five reigning supreme.

5. “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” – No. 4 in 1972

It’s a small miracle that The Spinners reached the pinnacle that they did. Consider that their career was a decade or so old before the big hits started coming. Their successful upturn came when they left their previous label and signed with Atlantic Records and producer Thom Bell. He ladled his Philly Soul sound all over their recordings. Their 1972 album Spinners spawned several big singles, including this spry ballad about the early stages of romance. “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love” shows off the vocal ability within the group. Bobby Smith, smooth and unruffled, and Philippe Wayne, emotive and potent, take turns on lead vocal.

4. “I’ll Be Around” – No. 3 in 1972

Sometimes, a band needs to catch a little break from outside the organization to pivot towards a more successful stretch. Coming into 1972, The Spinners had managed just a single Top 20 hit. And maybe they would have suffered a longer dry spell if some radio personnel hadn’t stepped up. The band chose “How Could I Let You Get Away” as the lead single off Spinners, but it wasn’t initially gaining much momentum. Luckily, DJs found a gem on the B-side in “I’ll Be Around”, which showed off the group’s full potential when surrounded by Thom Bell’s gorgeous production.

3. “Working My Way Back To You”/”Forgive Me, Girl” – No. 2 in 1980

Most folks didn’t give The Spinners much chance of chart survival as the 70s drew to a close. They had lost one of their chief singers in Philippe Wayne. And they ended their professional association with Thom Bell. But you have to give them credit for carving out an interesting niche. They chose a couple of beloved songs, gave them a bit of a disco backbeat, and added on another track each time to make them into medleys of sorts. It worked for them twice. In 1980, they scored with an elongated version of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid.” Before that, there was “Working My Way Back To You”, the Four Seasons chestnut they coupled with “Forgive Me, Girl”.

2. “The Rubberband Man” – No. 2 in 1976

Songwriting collaborations between Thom Bell and Linda Creed often landed in the Quiet Storm category, as in the work they did with The Stylistics. “The Rubberband Man” deviated from that and found the pair dabbling in a disco-funk hybrid sound. Yet when you get to the chorus, there’s still that glide that you might call “debonair”, to borrow from the lyrics to this classic. Philippe Wynne offers a playful vocal performance that’s right in step with a song about a somewhat supernatural rhythm-creator. Session player Bob Babbitt created the unforgettable fuzz bass line that propels the whole endeavor.

1. “Then Came You” (with Dionne Warwick) – No. 1 in 1974

Dionne Warwick was struggling to get back to her hitmaking days coming into 1974, having gone five years since hitting the Top 10. Teaming up with The Spinners was a wise idea, considering that they were just then hitting the peak of their popularity. Having Thom Bell produce the record also makes sense. “Then Came You” features Bell’s trademark blend of soulfulness and elegance. Warwick’s voice blends well with Spinners’ leads Bobby Smith and Philippe Wynne, the latter of whom gets to join Warwick in some improv belting towards the song’s end. The song was Warwick’s first pop chart-topper and the only one ever by The Spinners.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images