One of the sweetest soul groups hailing from Philadelphia, with an incredible run of soul smashes from 1971 to 1975, The Stylistics formed from two disbanded groups, The Percussions and The Monarchs.
The fragile falsetto of Russell Thompkins Jr and the sumptuous production of Thom Bell added up to serious long-term success for The Stylistics.
The singing group debuted on the charts in 1971 with You’re A Big Girl Now and proceeded to set the soul and pop markets ablaze with You Are Everything, Betcha By Golly Wow, I’m Stone in Love With You, You’ll Never Get To Heaven If You Break My Heart, Break Up to Make Up – all ballads – and the untypical rocker Rockin’ Roll Baby on Abco.
Their biggest moment in the UK was Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)(1975). The disco era eventually buried The Stylistics, and Thompkins himself acknowledged that the music they were recording was becoming increasingly dated.
James Dunn departed in 1980 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 as a trio. Love, Murrell, and Thompkins continued to tour until 2000 when Russell Thompkins Jr left.
Love and Murrell brought in two new members: Harold “Eban” Brown, as lead and tenor Van Fields.
Russell Thompkins Jr Vocals James Dunn Vocals Herb Murrell Vocals Airrion Love Vocals James Smith
Vocals Raymond Johnson
Vocals Harold “Eban” Brown
Vocals Van Fields
Vocals
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