1. A soul group of the early '70s, creating a body of work that defined the lush, seductive sound of Philly soul. In the UK they were known as "The Detroit Spinners" to avoid confusion with British band The Spinners. The band's roots lay in Detroit, where they formed as a doo wop group during the late '50s. Throughout the '60s, the Spinners tried to land a hit by adapting to the shifting fashions of R&B and pop. By the mid-'60s, they had signed with Motown Records, but the label never gave the group much consideration. "It's a Shame" became a hit in 1970, but the label continued to ignore the group, and dropped the band two years later. Unsigned and featuring new lead singer Phillipe Wynne, the Spinners seemed destined to never break into the big leagues, but they managed to sign with Atlantic Records, where they began working with producer Thom Bell. With his assistance, the Spinners developed a distinctive sound, one that relied on Wynne's falsetto and the group's intricate vocal harmonies. Bell provided the group with an appropriately detailed production, creating a detailed web of horns, strings, backing vocals, and lightly funky rhythms. Between 1972 and 1977, the Spinners and Bell recorded a number of soul classics, including "I'll Be Around," "Could It Be I'm Fallin in Love," "Mighty Love," "Ghetto Child," "Then Came You," "Games People Play," and "The Rubberband Man." Wynne left in 1977 and the Spinners had hits for a few years after his departure, but the group will always be remembered for its classic mid-'70s work. Originally, called the Domingoes, the Spinners formed when the quintet were high school students in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale in 1957. At the time, the group featured Bobbie Smith, Pervis Jackson, George W. Dixon, Billy Henderson, and Henry Fambrough. Four years later, they came to the attention of producer Harvey Fuqua, who began recording the group -- who were now called the Spinners -- for his Tri-Phi Records. The band's first single, "That's What Girls Are Made For," became a Top Ten R&B hit upon its 1961 release and featured Smith on vocals. Following its release, Dixon was replaced by Edgar "Chico" Edwards. Over the next few years, the group released a series of failed singles, and when Tri-Phi was bought out by Motown in the mid-'60s, the Spinners became part of the larger company's roster. By that time, Edwards had been replaced by G.C. Cameron. Though the Spinners had some R&B hits at Motown during the late '60s, including "I'll Always Love You" and "Truly Yours," they didn't have a genuine crossover success until 1970, when Stevie Wonder gave the group "It's a Shame." Motown never concentrated on the Spinners, and they let the group go in 1972. Before the band signed with Atlantic Records, Phillipe Wynne replaced Cameron as the group's lead vocalist. Wynne had previously sung with Catfish and Bootsy Collins. At Atlantic Records, the Spinners worked with producer Thom Bell, who gave the group a lush, seductive sound, complete with sighing strings, a tight rhythm section, sultry horns, and a slight funk underpinning. Wynne quickly emerged as a first-rate soul singer, and the combination of the group's harmonies, Wynne's soaring leads, and Bell's meticulous production made the Spinners the most popular soul group of the '70s. Once the group signed with Atlantic, they became a veritable hit machine, topping the R&B and pop charts with songs like "I'll Be Around," "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love," "One of a Kind (Love Affair)," "Ghetto Child," "Rubberband Man," and "You're Throwing a Good Love Away." Not only were their singles hits, but their albums constantly went gold and charted in the Top 20. Wynne left the band to pursue a solo career in 1977; he was replaced by John Edwards. Though none of Wynne's solo records were big hits, his tours with Parliament-Funkadelic were well-received, as were his solo concerts. In October 1984, he died of a heart attack during a concert in Oakland, CA. The Spinners, meanwhile, had a number of minor hits in the late '70s, highlighted by their disco covers of "Working My Way Back to You" and the medley "Cupid/I've Loved You for a Long Time." During the early '80s, they had several minor hits before fading away from the charts and entering the oldies circuit, reprising their earlier material for 1999's new studio effort At Their Best. Long time founding members Billy Henderson and Pervis Jackson have since deceased.
2. The Spinners were a folk group from Liverpool, England, that formed in September 1958. The group was unusual for its time in having a multiracial membership.
They variously had four albums in the UK Albums Chart between September 1970 and April 1972. One of them, Spinners Live Performance (1971), spent three months in the listing and peaked at No. 14.
The band began as a skiffle group with a mainly American repertoire, until they were prompted by Redd Sullivan, a seaman, to include sea shanties and English folk songs. They started out as the Gin Mill Skiffle Group, which included guitarist Tony Davis and washboard player Mick Groves. The group played the Cavern Club, Liverpool for the first time on Friday 18 January 1957, with the Muskrat Jazz Band and the Liverpool University Jazz Band. They played there on a number of occasions on Friday 24 May; Sunday 26 May; Wednesday 5 June; Wednesday 3 July and Friday 16 August 1957. In September 1958 they became the Spinners. They founded a folk club in Liverpool, the 'Triton Club', but soon were performing in London at places such as 'the Troubadour'. Their first album, Songs Spun in Liverpool, was recorded by Bill Leader from live performances. In 1962 Peter Kennedy of the English Folk Dance & Song Society recorded an album with them called Quayside Songs Old & New. In 1963 Philips Records signed them, and they recorded eight more albums over the next eight years. They signed for EMI Records in the early 1970s.
They became popular by reviving some of the greatest folk music and singing new songs in the same vein. Although sounding like traditional English folk songs, some of their material was in fact composed by Jones, such as "The Ellan Vannin Tragedy" and "The Marco Polo". One of their best known songs, particularly in their native Liverpool, was "In My Liverpool Home", written by Peter McGovern in 1962. Cliff Hall also introduced traditional Jamaican songs to their repertoire. One of their albums was called Not Quite Folk.
They produced over forty albums, and made numerous concerts and TV appearances. In 1970, they were given their own television show on BBC One that ran for seven years. They also had their own show on BBC Radio 2. They retired in 1988, after thirty years together, although they led the community singing at the 1989 FA Cup Final and played some Christmas shows in the early 1990s. Members of the group still perform, although Cliff Hall retired to Australia, where he died in 2008.
Their version of the Ewan MacColl song, "Dirty Old Town", was included in the Terence Davies' 2008 memoir/documentary of Liverpool, Of Time and the City. A biography of the group 'Fried Bread and Brandy-O' (the title of their signature tune) was written by Liverpool journalist David Stuckey (with a foreword by Pete Seeger) to coincide with their 25th anniversary, and published by Robson Books.
In 2009 The Liverpool Barrow Boys from Songs Spun in Liverpool was included in Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten as track 19 on the 6th CD.
Band members
Tony Davis (born 24 August 1930, Blackburn, Lancashire, England, died 10 February 2017)
Mick Groves (born Salford, Lancashire, England)
Cliff Hall (born Clifford Samuel Hall, 11 September 1925, Oriente Province, Cuba, died 26 June 2008, Adelaide, South Australia)
Hughie Jones (born Liverpool, England)
3. The Spinners were a female punk band from Turkey, active in the late 80's and early 90's. They released a demo called “Lalala” in 1991.
Got To Be Love
The Spinners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You try to stand and then you fall
There is no crutch for love that's lame
When you find out it's all a game
(Then you came along)
Behind all the pretty trimmings
(Don't wanna do wrong)
So love or leave
Get yourself together, baby
(Love or leave)
You may never get another chance
(Love me or leave me)
Oh, babe, oh
(Love me or leave me)
Love me or leave me, baby
(Love me or leave me)
That's what it's all about
(Love me or leave me)
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Love has it's ways of breaking through
You must decide if I'm for you
Then when the way began to die
Keep walking fast, don't break your stride
Oh, when darkness has come
We're laying in a daydream
(Said it's no fun)
And you give your partner everything
(Love or leave)
Get it, get it together, girl
(Love or leave)
You may never get another chance
(Love me or leave me)
Oh, oh, I gotta find out
(Love me or leave me)
Oh, babe
(Love me or leave me)
Our love won't have a doubt, no, no
(Love me or leave me)
Just love me, baby, love me
(Love me or leave me)
Baby, if you stay
(Love me or leave me)
Here's what I'll do
(Love me or leave me)
Try my best to make you my girl
(Love me or leave me)
Hey baby, wanna talk to you, girl
(Love me or leave me)
There's no limit to what I'll do
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
I got to work on, I got to work on
(Love me or leave me)
We can be happy, baby
(Love me or leave me)
All you got to do, hey, hey
All you got to do is love me, oh, baby
(Love me or leave me)
Stay by my side
(Love me or leave me)
That's all it takes to keep us satisfied
(Love me or leave me)
Did I hear you say you don't believe me
(Love me or leave me)
Try to do what a good man should
(Love me or leave me)
Hey Lord, I know
(Love me or leave me)
I tried to build you up
When you were sinking down
(Love me or leave me)
Turned your life around
I put a smile on your face
(Love me or leave me)
Where there was a frown
Let's get it together
(Love me or leave me)
Let's see if you and I
Can turn the world around with love
(Love me or leave me)
Why don't you stay, baby
(Love me or leave me)
Better get yourself together
(Love me or leave me)
If you need me, uh huh
If you want me, oh
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
Ooh, ooh, ooh
(Love me or leave me)
Ooh, ooh, ooh
(Love me or leave me)
Working on my heart, baby
(Love me or leave me)
I got my heart on saying I'm in love with you
(Love me or leave me)
Here you come trying to do
Some things you do
Gonna, gonna, gonna get it
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
I don't care, I done my best
(Love me or leave me)
Say you gonna stay then we gotta do it my way
(Love me or leave me) oh, baby
Sit down, let me talk to you, baby
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
Do do do
(Love me or leave me)
Oh baby, hey baby
(Love me or leave me)
Tell me, why don't you stay
(Love me or leave me)
Stay for a brighter day
(Love me or leave me)
Why don't you hang around
While we get back down, oh
(Love me or leave me)
Love me, oh baby
The Spinners' "Got to Be Love" is a song about the complexities of romantic relationships. The lyrics express the idea that love can be difficult and painful, but ultimately worth it. The singer urges their partner to make a decision about whether they are willing to commit to the relationship or move on. Despite the ups and downs, the lyrics suggest that true love will break through in the end.
The chorus of the song, "Love or leave, get yourself together baby," repeats throughout, emphasizing the importance of making a choice and being committed to it. The singer also acknowledges that relationships have their difficulties, but that they are willing to put in the work. Lines such as "I tried to build you up when you were sinking down" express a desire for a partnership that goes beyond superficial attraction.
Overall, "Got to Be Love" is a song about the challenges of love and the importance of making a commitment. It suggests that true love is worth fighting for and that, despite the difficulties, it can bring happiness and fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
When you have tried to give your all
When you have given everything you have
You try to stand and then you fall
You try to get back up but sometimes fail
There is no crutch for love that's lame
There is no excuse for true love
When you find out it's all a game
When you realize love shouldn't be a game
(Then you came along)
(But then you came into my life)
Behind all the pretty trimmings
Behind all the surface-level decorations
(Don't wanna do wrong)
(I don't want to make mistakes)
But with you, there ain't no lemons
But with you, everything is good and positive
So love or leave
Either commit to love or walk away
Get yourself together, baby
Get your emotions and thoughts together
(Love or leave)
(Choose to be with me or not)
You may never get another chance
This may be your only opportunity
(Love me or leave me)
(Choose to love me or walk away)
Oh, babe, oh
Oh, my love
(Love me or leave me)
(Stay with me or let me go)
Love me or leave me, baby
Either commit to loving me or walk away
(Love me or leave me)
(Choose either love or leaving)
That's what it's all about
That's what it all comes down to
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Casual interjection
Love has it's ways of breaking through
Love can overcome obstacles
You must decide if I'm for you
You must decide if I am the one you want
Then when the way began to die
When things start to fall apart
Keep walking fast, don't break your stride
Keep moving forward without giving up
Oh, when darkness has come
When everything is going wrong
We're laying in a daydream
We are creating a positive fantasy in our minds
(Said it's no fun)
(I realized it's not enjoyable)
And you give your partner everything
And you give your all to your significant other
Get it, get it together, girl
Get yourself together
Oh, oh, I gotta find out
Oh, I need to know for sure
(Love me or leave me)
(Commit to loving me or leave)
Our love won't have a doubt, no, no
Our love will be solid and without uncertainty
Just love me, baby, love me
Just choose to love me and only me
Baby, if you stay
If you choose to stay with me
Here's what I'll do
This is what I will do for you
Try my best to make you my girl
Do everything I can to make you mine
Hey baby, wanna talk to you, girl
I want to communicate with you
There's no limit to what I'll do
I will do anything for you
I got to work on, I got to work on
I need to work on myself and our relationship
We can be happy, baby
We can have a happy life together
All you got to do, hey, hey
All you have to do is choose to love me
Stay by my side
Stay with me through thick and thin
That's all it takes to keep us satisfied
That's all we need to be happy
Did I hear you say you don't believe me
Did I hear you say you don't trust me?
Try to do what a good man should
Try to be the best partner I can be
Hey Lord, I know
Oh Lord, I understand
I tried to build you up
I tried to uplift and support you
When you were sinking down
When you were struggling and feeling down
Turned your life around
Made a positive impact on your life
I put a smile on your face
I made you happy
Where there was a frown
Where you were sad or upset
Let's get it together
Let's work together to make things better
Let's see if you and I
Let's test if we can make it work
Can turn the world around with love
Can make the world a better place with our love
Why don't you stay, baby
Why don't you choose to stay with me?
Better get yourself together
Better get your act together
If you need me, uh huh
If you need my help or support
If you want me, oh
If you want me in your life
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Casual interjection
Tell me, why don't you stay
Tell me why you don't want to stay
Stay for a brighter day
Stay with me and we can have a better future
Why don't you hang around
Why don't you spend more time with me?
While we get back down, oh
While we work to make things better between us
Love me, oh baby
Choose to love me
Do do do
Casual interjection
Say you gonna stay then we gotta do it my way
If you choose to stay with me, we have to do it my way
Contributed by Charlie I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.