Pick of the Litter is the sixth studio album by American R&B group The Spinners, released in August 1975 on the Atlantic label. The album was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.
| Pick of the Litter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 1975 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 33:49 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Thom Bell | |||
| The Spinners chronology | ||||
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| The Spinners studio albums chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A−[2] |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ ( )[3] |
History
editPick of the Litter is generally considered the last of the quartet of classic Bell-produced studio albums the Spinners released between 1973 and 1975, and to mark the end of the most creative phase of the group’s career – while future releases would have memorable moments, contemporary critical opinion is that none of the group’s later material matches the enduring quality and top-notch consistency of these four albums.
Pick of the Litter became the Spinners’ highest placing album on the Billboard 200, reaching number eight; however it was the group’s first Atlantic album to miss the top of the R&B albums chart, peaking at number two. The album includes the distinctive "Games People Play", one of the group’s signature songs, which became their fifth single to top the R&B chart and a top 5 hit on the Billboard singles chart. The second single "Love or Leave" also made the R&B top 10.
Although not credited on the album sleeve, "Just as Long as We Have Love" includes vocal contributions from Dionne Warwick.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Honest I Do" | Sherman Marshall, Philip Pugh, Thom Bell | 4:00 |
| 2. | "I Don't Want to Lose You" | Linda Creed, Thom Bell | 3:42 |
| 3. | "Love or Leave" | Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson | 4:59 |
| 4. | "Sweet Love of Mine" | Vinnie Barrett, Bobby Eli | 4:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "All That Glitters Ain't Gold" | Philip Terry, Theodore Life, Talmadge Conway | 3:47 |
| 6. | "You Made a Promise to Me" | Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson | 3:56 |
| 7. | "Games People Play" | Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons | 4:41 |
| 8. | "Just as Long as We Have Love" | Vinnie Barrett, Bruce Hawes | 4:06 |
Personnel
edit- Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson – vocals
- Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson, Evette Benton – backing vocals
- MFSB – strings, horns
- Tony Bell, Bobby Eli, Don Murray – guitars
- Thom Bell – keyboards
- Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
- Andrew Smith – drums
- Larry Washington – congas, bongos
- Dionne Warwick – vocals on "Just as Long as We Have Love" (uncredited)
Charts
edit| Chart (1975) | Peak [4] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 2 |
- Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
US R&B [4] |
US A/C [4] | ||
| 1975 | "Games People Play" | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| "Love or Leave" | 36 | 8 | — | |
References
edit- ^ Planer, Lindsay. Pick of the Litter review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Hull, Tom (May 31, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "US Charts > The Spinners". Allmusic. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
External links
edit- Pick of the Litter at Discogs (list of releases)