Definitive 7CD box set including all of 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Spinners' original Atlantic studio albums produced by the legendary Thom Bell.92 Tracks (Including 25 Bonus Tracks Consisting Of Single Edits, Non-LP Sides, And The Spinners' Very First Atlantic Records Session) On These Expanded Editions Of 'Spinners' (1973), 'Mighty Love' (1974), 'New And Improved' (1974), 'Pick Of The Litter' (1975), 'Happiness Is Being With The Spinners' (1976), 'Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow' (1977), 'Spinners 8' (1977), And 'From Here To Eternally' (1979).Key tracks include the Grammy-nominated chart-toppers 'I'll Be Around', 'Could It Be I'm Falling in Love', 'Then Came You' with Dionne Warwick, 'Mighty Love', and 'The Rubberband Man', as well as hits such as 'They Just Can't Stop It (The Games People Play)', 'One of a Kind (Love Affair)', 'Sadie', and 'Are You Ready for Love'.On this ultimate celebration of the Philadelphia soul greats, every album is produced by Thom Bell, and many tracks feature the original MFSB including Norman Harris, Ronnie Baker, The Trammps' Earl Young, Bobby Eli, and The Sweethearts of Sigma! Deluxe booklet includes a comprehensive essay by The Second Disc's Joe Marchese drawing on new and previously unpublished quotes from The Spinners' Henry Fambrough, The Spinners' road manager Steve Allen, Atlantic Records Artist Relations Director Barbara J. Harris, and the late, great Thom Bell. The 7CD luxurious collection (with artwork by Roger Williams), contains expanded editions of every one of The Spinners' studio albums produced by Thom Bell, newly remastered with stellar work by Nick Robbins and featuring bonus single versions, the non-LP side 'Once in a Life Proposal', the 12-inch mix of 'If You Wanna Do a Dance', and the full, four-song session helmed by Jimmy Roach which paved the way for the group to work with Thom Bell. Produced by David Nathan of Soul Music Records and Joe Marchese of popular re-issue site The Second Disc, and annotated by Marchese drawing on new and unpublished interviews this is the ultimate box set tribute to the extraordinary - and extraordinarily soulful - group known the world over as The Spinners.
One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of R&B pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punk-funk defies any notions that women can't be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music. There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal: she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as self-evident as it was thirty years ago - we live in an age that's been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality: from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver go-go boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to? Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldn't get sexy with their 'Lady Marmalade' for another year while Millie Jackson wasn't Feelin' Bitchy until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Betty's fierce style wasn't completely out of Ike's shadow until later in the decade. Ms. Davis's unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song 'Uptown' for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late '60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix - personally inspiring the classic album _Bitches Brew_. But her songwriting ability was way ahead of it's time as well. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. Heading to the UK, Marc Bolan of T. Rex urged the creative dynamo to start writing for herself. A common thread throughout Betty's career would be her unbending Do-It-Yourself ethic, which made her quickly turn down anyone who didn't fit with the vision. She would eventually say no to Eric Clapton as her album producer, seeing him as too banal. Her 1974 sophomore album _They Say I'm Different_ features a worthy-of-framing futuristic cover challenging David Bowie's science fiction funk with real rocking soul-fire, kicked off with the savagely sexual 'Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him' (later sampled by Ice Cube). Her follow up is full of classic cuts like 'Don't Call Her No Tramp' and the hilarious, hard, deep funk of 'He Was A Big Freak.'
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