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 By that time, Edwards had been replaced by G.C. Cameron.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.
Im Coming Home
The Spinners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goin' back where I came from, I've had more than I can stand
Of watchin' men destroy my dreams, they picked my brain 'till it was clean
When I was up they knocked me down
I ain't goin' to hand around, I'm goin' home, yes I am
(Goin' home) won't you understand, why doncha?
Tell someone to meet me, I'm comin' home
Came to this old town seeking fortune and some fame
I never got the chance to prove myself, though I tried to play their game
Usin' people just ain't my thing and I won't dangle from any string
To please some fool that don't care about
They turned me inside out, I'm goin' home
Back to back you know (I'm goin' home) I got it you know too
I know what's I'm gonna do, I'll tell someone to meet me
Goin' home, yes I am, will ya meet me
(Tell someone to meet me home) when you're down and out, hey hey
I gotta admit it,
I'm really not ashamed,
Of half the things I said
And I don't want nobody
Tryin' to show me pity
'Cause I've had more than I can stand
And better woman I'll be a better man
I can rearrange my life
Might even find me a pretty wife, hey hey hey (home)
Won'tcha wait for me
Starts, begins groovin' (Comin' home)
Oh, lord have mercy, try to be, try to be a good man
Gonna (I'm gonna tell someome to meet me) try to get me somethin' together, I'm goin' home
Yes I am, hey hey hey
(Tell someome to meet me) why doncha? Why doncha? Why doncha?
(Tell someome to meet me) well, why doncha?
(Tell someome to meet me) oh, hey!
It was gonna get steady, but I came to the city
Livin' in a cold life place for the nothin' hey!
You know I gotta get back out
Ain't used to livin' like that see
It's been a long time
Since I felt like a real man
Heh heh
Comin' to the city,
Hey, you have the wrong thing
Have my things on my back
I'm goin' back where I came from
Yeah, 'cause don't nobody really care about you, ain't having no fun
In "I'm Coming Home" by The Spinners, the singer sings about being tired of the city and the fake people who inhabit it. The opening line, "Sittin' in a railway station with my suitcase in my hand," signifies the singer's longing to return home. The singer describes how they came to the city to seek fortune and fame, but instead found themselves involved in a game of using people to get ahead. The city has made the singer feel worn out and used up, and they are now determined to go home and start their life over anew.
The lyrics in this song are about the struggle to keep one's integrity and identity intact when facing challenges, as it is a common theme in rhythm and blues music. The singer speaks of how people with dreams and ambitions can feel small when the outside world is indifferent to their feelings. They feel driven to follow their own vision and succeed on their own terms. The singer also acknowledges that it doesn't matter how small one is perceived in their hometown because it is where they can be themselves, and that is what matters. In a way, he is saying that success and fame aren't as important as being true to oneself and being happy, which is a valuable message that can resonate with many people.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' in a railway station with my suitcase in my hand
I am sitting alone in a railway station with my suitcase ready to leave
Goin' back where I came from, I've had more than I can stand
I am going back to my hometown because I cannot tolerate this place anymore
Of watchin' men destroy my dreams, they picked my brain 'till it was clean
People in this city have shattered my dreams and sucked everything from me
When I was up they knocked me down
Whenever I was succeeding, someone brought me down
I ain't goin' to hand around, I'm goin' home, yes I am
I am not going to stay here any longer, I am going home
(Goin' home) won't you understand, why doncha?
Can't you understand that I am returning home?
Tell someone to meet me, I'm comin' home
Please ask someone to meet me when I arrive home
(Tell someone to meet me) why doncha?
Why don't you do me a favor and tell someone to meet me?
Came to this old town seeking fortune and some fame
I came to this town to try my luck and achieve some fame
I never got the chance to prove myself, though I tried to play their game
I could not prove myself in this city even though I tried hard to adjust to the ways of the people here
Usin' people just ain't my thing and I won't dangle from any string
I am not interested in using people or being used by them
They turned me inside out, I'm goin' home
People here have treated me badly and I am leaving this city
Back to back you know (I'm goin' home) I got it you know too
I am going back to my hometown, and you know it too
I know what's I'm gonna do, I'll tell someone to meet me
I am certain about what I will do. I will ask someone to meet me
Goin' home, yes I am, will ya meet me
I am returning home, and I hope you'll be there to meet me
(Tell someone to meet me home) when you're down and out, hey hey
Please do me this favor when I reach home and in need of assistance
I gotta admit it, I'm really not ashamed, Of half the things I said
I am not ashamed of some of the things I have said and done here
And I don't want nobody Tryin' to show me pity
I do not want anyone to feel sorry for me
'Cause I've had more than I can stand
I have endured enough pain and suffering
And better woman I'll be a better man
I will try to become a better person when I return home
I can rearrange my life Might even find me a pretty wife, hey hey hey (home)
I can restart my life again back home, and who knows, I might find a beautiful wife
Won'tcha wait for me
Please wait for me when I get there
Starts, begins groovin' (Comin' home)
I am on my way back home and feeling good about it
Oh, lord have mercy, try to be, try to be a good man
Oh god, please help me become a better person
Gonna (I'm gonna tell someome to meet me) try to get me somethin' together, I'm goin' home
I am going to try to sort things out when I go back home
Yes I am, hey hey hey
Yes, I am returning home
(Tell someome to meet me) why doncha? Why doncha? Why doncha?
Please do me this favor of telling someone to meet me when I arrive home, why don't you?
(Tell someome to meet me) well, why doncha?
Why don't you ask someone to meet me when I arrive home?
(Tell someome to meet me) oh, hey!
Please ask someone to meet me when I return home
It was gonna get steady, but I came to the city
Things were about to change for the better, but I moved to this city
Livin' in a cold life place for the nothin' hey!
Living in this city is like having a cold and empty life
You know I gotta get back out Ain't used to livin' like that see
I need to go back because I can't handle this type of living
It's been a long time Since I felt like a real man Heh heh
It has been a long time since I could be proud of myself and feeling like a true man
Comin' to the city, Hey, you have the wrong thing
Moving to this city was a mistake
Have my things on my back I'm goin' back where I came from
My luggage is ready, and I am heading back to my hometown
Yeah, 'cause don't nobody really care about you, ain't having no fun
Nobody cares about you in this city, and it is not an enjoyable place to live
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LINDA CREED, LINDA DIANE CREED, THOM BELL, THOMAS RANDOLPH BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind