10
contributed Thompkins, James
Smith, and tenor Airrion Love, while
The Percussions coughed up
baritone Herb Murrell and James
Dunn. The Stylistics signed their
first pact with Sebring Records and
released their debut single
You’re
A Big Girl
Now
, which stirred up
enough local business to interest
AVCO Embassy in acquiring the
rights. It proved a #7 R&B seller in
early 1971.
AVCO bosses Hugo Peretti and Luigi
Creatore convinced producer/
arranger Thom Bell to work with the
group (he’d been doing identical
duty with The Delfonics, whose
William ‘Poogie’ Hart boasted a
similarly limitless range as
Thompkins). Bell enlisted lyricist
Linda Creed as his writing partner,
the pair creating a string of lush
ballads spotlighting Russell’s
stratospheric tenor.
Stop, Look, Listen (To Your
Heart)
and
You Are Everything
later in ’71 preceded the
breathtaking
Betcha By Golly,
Wow
, a sterling example of
symphonic Philly soul (Bell was its
arranger/producer) that blasted
up to #2 R&B and #3 pop as it
went gold. Philly’s first-call rhythm
section gathered at Philly’s Sigma
Sound to lay down the backing
track: guitarists Norman Harris
and Roland Chambers, bassist
Ronnie Baker, drummer Earl
Young, keyboardist Lenny
Pakula, conga player Larry
Washington, and Vince Montana
on vibes. Creed and Barbara
Ingram beefed up the backing
vocals.
The Stylistics posted two more
blockbusters,
People Make The
World Go Round
and
I’m Stone In
Love With You
, before year’s end.
