The group was formed in Harlem, New York City in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They made their first recordings for Leiber & Stoller's Red Bird label, but soon changed their name to the Insiders and signed with RCA Records. In 1968, after a couple of singles, they changed their name once again, this time permanently, to the Main Ingredient. The name came from a Coke bottle.
They then teamed up with record producer/arranger Bert DeCoteaux. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with "You've Been My Inspiration". A cover of The Impressions' "I'm So Proud" broke the Top 20, and "Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)" went into the Top 10. In 1971, they scored again, with the McPherson-penned black-power anthem "Black Seeds Keep on Growing," but tragedy struck that year. Don McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, died unexpectedly. Stunned, Tony Silvester and Luther Simmons re-grouped with new lead singer Cuba Gooding, Sr., who had served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson's brief illness.
The Gooding era began auspiciously with the million-selling smash "Everybody Plays the Fool", which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group's biggest hit. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. in September 1972. The accompanying album, Bitter Sweet, became their first to hit the Top 10 on the R&B album chart; its follow-up, 1973's Afrodisiac, featured several songs written or co-written by Stevie Wonder, although it did not produce any huge successes on the singles charts. They peaked at number eight on the R&B chart in 1974 with "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", which sold over a million copies,and also reached number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track peaked at number twenty-seven in the UK Singles Chart in July 1974, although it was their only chart presence in the UK. In 1975, the group recorded several songs co-written by Leon Ware, including the R&B Top Ten "Rolling Down a Mountainside". By this point, however, Tony Silvester was harboring other ambitions; he released a solo album called Magic Touch that year, and left the group to form a production team with DeCoteaux. The two of them scored a Top 10 Pop and R&B smash with their production of Ben E. King's hit "Supernatural Thing" in 1975.
Silvester was replaced by Carl Tompkins, and Gooding departed for a solo career on Motown in 1977, which produced two albums; Simmons, meanwhile, left the music industry to work as a stockbroker. Gooding, Silvester and Simmons reunited as the Main Ingredient in 1979, and recorded two more albums, 1980's Ready for Love and 1981's I Only Have Eyes for You (the latter featured a minor hit in "Evening of Love"). The trio reunited for a second time in 1986, but their Zakia single "Do Me Right" flopped, and Simmons returned to his day job. He was replaced by Jerome Jackson on the 1989 Polydor album I Just Wanna Love You. In the wake of Aaron Neville's Top Ten revival of "Everybody Plays the Fool", Gooding resumed his solo career and issued his third album in 1993. Silvester and Simmons re-formed the Main Ingredient in 1999 with new lead singer Carlton Blount; this line-up recorded Pure Magic in 2001.
Tony Silvester died after a six-year struggle with multiple myeloma on November 27, 2006, at the age of 65, and original member Luther Simmons retired shortly thereafter. Cuba Gooding Sr. was found dead in his car on April 20, 2017. The current line-up of the group consists of Jerome Jackson, and Stanley Alston.
Spinning Around
The Main Ingredient Lyrics
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And your eyes have lost their shine
You whisper something softly, I'm not meant to hear
Baby, tell me what′s on your mind
I don't' care what people say
About the two of us from different worlds
I love you so much that it hurts inside
Can′t we try just a little bit harder
Can′t we give just a little bit more
Can't we try to understand
That it′s love we're fighting for
Can′t we try just a little more passion
Can't we try just a little less pride
I love you so much, baby
That it tears me up inside
I hear you on the telephone with God knows who
Spilling out your heart for free
Everyone needs someone they can talk to
Girl, that someone should be me
So many times I′ve tried to tell you
You just turn away
How did I know
My life is changing so fast now
Leaves me lonely and afraid
Don't be afraid, no
Can't we try just a little bit harder
Can′t we give just a little bit more
Can′t we try to understand
That it's love we′re fighting for
Oh, can't we try just a little more passion
Can′t we try just a little less pride
I love you so much, baby
That it tears me up inside
Don't let our love fade away
Don′t let our love fade away
No matter what people say
No matter, no matter what they say
I need you more and more each day, oh
(Don't let our love fade away)
No matter what people say
No matter, no matter what they say
Oh, can't we try just a little bit harder
Can′t we give just a little bit more
Can′t we try just a little bit harder
Can't we give just a little bit more
Can′t we try just a little more passion
Can't we try just a little less pride
Love you so much, baby
It tears me up inside, oh
Can′t we give a little bit, a little bit
Just a little bit harder
Can't we give, oh, oh, oh
Can′t we try, can't we give a little bit more
Can't we try, baby, can′t we give, oh, oh
Can′t we try just a little bit harder
Can't we give just a little bit more
The lyrics of The Main Ingredient's song "Spinning Around" delve into the themes of struggling love, communication gaps, and the need for effort in relationships. The song is largely about the singer's efforts to salvage a relationship that is on the brink of falling apart. The first verse speaks of the singer's lover appearing distant, with her "face cloud over like a little girl's and her eyes have lost their shine." The next two verses are pleas from the singer to his lover, asking her to try a little bit harder and give just a little bit more to understand that their relationship is worth the fight, even in the face of societal criticisms and misunderstandings. The lyrics are heartfelt and showcase the desperation of the singer in trying to save the relationship from fading away.
The chorus of the song is especially poignant, with the phrase "Can't we try just a little bit harder, can't we give just a little bit more" repeated twice in succession. This echoes the singer's desire to put in more effort into the relationship, and his plea for his lover to do the same as well. The lines "can't we try just a little bit more passion, can't we try just a little less pride" also underline the need for partners to open up emotionally and make themselves vulnerable to each other for the sake of the relationship.
Overall, "Spinning Around" is a soulful and emotional ballad that delves into the complexities of love and relationships, and serves as a call for partners to put in more effort to save what they have. The song's lyrics, combined with the strong vocals and music backing, create a heart-wrenching piece that speaks to anyone who has been in a struggling romantic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I see your face cloud over like a little girl's
I see that you are upset, and you are trying to hide it
And your eyes have lost their shine
Your eyes used to sparkle with joy, but now they look dull
You whisper something softly, I'm not meant to hear
You're trying to keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself
Baby, tell me what's on your mind
Please open up to me and let me help you through your troubles
I don't' care what people say
Other people's opinions do not matter to me
About the two of us from different worlds
Despite our differences, I still love you
I love you so much that it hurts inside
My love for you is so strong that it causes me emotional pain
Are you listening Please listen to me, girl
I need you to hear me and understand how much I care about you
Can't we try just a little bit harder
Let's not give up on our relationship so easily
Can't we give just a little bit more
We need to put more effort and dedication into our relationship
Can't we try to understand
We need to be more empathetic and considerate of each other's feelings
That it's love we're fighting for
Our love is worth fighting for and we should not let it fade away
Can't we try just a little more passion
We need to bring back the fire and excitement in our love life
Can't we try just a little less pride
We need to let go of our egos and be more humble towards each other
I hear you on the telephone with God knows who
I hear you talking on the phone to someone I do not know
Spilling out your heart for free
You're telling someone else your deepest thoughts and feelings for nothing in return
Everyone needs someone they can talk to
Having someone to confide in is important for everyone's well-being
Girl, that someone should be me
I want to be the one you can always turn to when you need to talk
So many times I've tried to tell you
I have tried to express my love for you many times before
You just turn away
But you have been reluctant to listen to me
My life is changing so fast now
Everything in my life is moving quickly and it's starting to overwhelm me
Leaves me lonely and afraid
These changes are causing me to feel isolated and fearful
Don't be afraid, no
I want to reassure you that everything will be alright
Don't let our love fade away
We cannot let our love disappear and dissolve
No matter what people say
Regardless of what others may think or tell us
I need you more and more each day, oh
My love for you continues to grow stronger each day
Can't we give a little bit, a little bit
Let's put in a little more effort and care towards our relationship
Can't we try, baby, can't we give, oh, oh
We need to work together to make our love flourish
Writer(s): Mcpherson, Tony Silvester, Luther Simmons
Contributed by Victoria L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.