Russell thompkins jr wikipedia
The Stylistics
American music group
The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads characterized by the falsetto of Russell Thompkins Jr. and the production of Thom Bell. During the early 1970s, the group had twelve consecutive R&B top ten hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New", which earned them 5 gold singles and 3 gold albums.
Career
Early years
The Stylistics were created from two Philadelphia groups, the Percussions and the Monarchs. The two bands were in the same high school. The Stylistics was first conceived when Airrion Love's English teacher, Beverly Hamilton, suggested the two bands become one.Russell Thompkins Jr., James Smith and Airrion Love came from the Monarchs, and James Dunn and Herb Murrell came from the Percussions. The name "the Stylistics" came from their guitar player Robert Douglas.
Three original members, Airrion Love, James Dunn, and Russell Thompkins Jr., were born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Herb Murrell was born in Lane, South Carolina and James Smith was born in New York City, but moved to Philadelphia following his father's death in 1962.
In 1970, the group recorded "You're a Big Girl Now", a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote with Robert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. Producer Bill Perry spent $400 to record the song in the Virtue Studios in Philadelphia. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and the single eventually climbed to No. 7 on the US BillboardR&Bc 1971 studio album by The Stylistics The Stylistics is the debut album by American R&B group the Stylistics, released in November 1971 on the Avco record label. It was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. The album has been called "a sweet soul landmark." Group members Airrion Love, Herb Murrell, James Dunn, and James Smith can be heard on "You're a Big Girl Now," recorded and released as a single prior to the beginning of production on the album, but according to lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr., they're absent from the album's other eight songs aside from Love's harmony vocals on "You Are Everything." In John A. Jackson's book A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul (2004), Sigma Sound Studios founder and engineer Joe Tarsia says, "I don't care if it was the Stylistics or Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, or whoever. All the backgrounds on all those songs were sung not by the groups, but by either Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Thom Bell, Carl Helm [or] Bunny Sigler," while Sigler says that "most" of the male background vocals on the Stylistics' hit songs were provided by himself, Gamble, Bell and Helm. The Stylistics reached No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on Billboard's R&B albums chart. It features the hit singles "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "You Are Everything," "People Make the World Go Round," "Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart)," and "You're a Big Girl Now." All five singles reached the top ten on the R&B chart, beginning a stretch of 12 top-ten hits in a row. "Betcha by Golly, Wow" and "You Are Everything" also reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. 1972 single by The Stylistics "I'm Stone in Love with You" is a 1972 single by the Philadelphia soulgroupThe Stylistics. The song is noted for lead singer Russell Thompkins Jr.'s distinctive falsetto singing, which he employs through most of the record. The song was written by Thom Bell, Linda Creed, and Anthony Bell. It was the first track from the band's 1972 album Round 2 and was released as a single which reached number 10 on the US BillboardHot 100. It also climbed to number 4 in the BillboardR&B chart and went to number 9 in the UK Singles Chart, in December 1972. The Stylistics' recording sold over one million copies globally, earning them a gold disc The award was presented by the RIAA on December 13, 1972. It was the band's third gold disc. Johnny Mathis recorded the song in 1973. His version became a 1975 hit on the Adult Contemporary charts, reaching number five in Canada and number 16 U.S. In the UK, the version started its twelve-week run on January 25, 1975, and made it to number ten. American soul singer (born 1951) Musical artist Russell Allen Thompkins Jr. (born March 21, 1951) is an American soul singer, best known as the original lead singer of the vocal group The Stylistics and noted for his high tenor, countertenor, and falsetto vocals. With Russell as lead singer, The Stylistics had 12 straight Top 10 Billboard R&B singles, and 5 gold singles from 1971 through 1974. Born in Philadelphia, Thompkins was introduced to music by his father and started singing formally in school. During high school, Thompkins was a member of a local vocal group called the Monarchs who defeated another group called the Percussions in a talent show at Benjamin Franklin High School. Both groups disbanded shortly thereafter. Their remaining members, Thompkins, James Smith, and Airrion Love from The Monarchs, and James Dunn and Herbie Murrell from the Percussions, joined to form a new group called The Stylistics in 1968. In 1970, the Stylistics recorded "You're a Big Girl Now", which soon became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The larger Avco Records soon signed the Stylistics, and the single eventually climbed to number seven on the R&B charts in early 1971. Avco approached record producerThom Bell to work with the group. After the Stylistics auditioned for Bell he was unimpressed, but he ultimately agreed to produce them, because he believed in the potential of Thompkins's soaring high tenor voice. Thom Bell focused the group's sound completely around Thompkins's voice. On most of the group's hits, Bell would have Thompkins sing virtually solo. From 1971 to 1974, the Stylistics had twelve consecutive U.S. R&B top ten hits and five top ten U.S. pop hits, including "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "Break Up to Make Up", and "Y
The Stylistics (album)
The Stylistics Released November 6, 1971 Recorded 1970–1971 Studio Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Genre R&B, soul, Philadelphia soul Length 29:24 Label Avco Producer Thom Bell History
I'm Stone in Love with You
Chart performance
Johnny Mathis version
References
Russell Thompkins Jr.
Early years
Career