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 By that time, Edwards had been replaced by G.C. Cameron.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.
Love or Leave
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
(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
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)
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, no
(Love me or leave me)
Just love me, baby, love me
(Love me or leave me)
Baby, if you stay, here's what I'll do
(Love me or leave me)
Try my best to make you my girl
(Love me or leave me)
Try to pass on you
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 out, I got to work out
(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, 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)
[Incomprehensible]
(Love me or leave me)
Try to do what a good man should
(Love me or leave me)
Hey, Lord, I know I did not [Incomprehensible]
(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, if you want me
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
Working, 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
Gon', gon', 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)
Baby, sit down
Let me talk to you, baby
(Love me or leave me)
(Love me or leave me)
Hey, you better have to do your thang
(Love me or leave me)
Baby, hey, baby
Tell me, why don't you stay
Stay for a brighter day
Why don't you hang around?
While we get back down
The Spinners’ song Love or Leave is a plea for commitment and honesty in a relationship. The lyrics speak about how love can be challenging at times but it’s all worth it if there is a strong bond and mutual respect. The beginning of the song touches upon the trials and tribulations of being in love, the vulnerability and the feeling of giving your all. The lyrics state that “there is no crutch for love that's lame” meaning that love cannot survive on lies or false promises. After acknowledging the difficulties of love, the singer mentions the person that changed everything. With that special someone, there's no limit to what they can do or achieve as a unit. The chorus is a straightforward declaration of the singer’s wants and needs. The repetition of the phrase “love or leave” is a plea for a decision to be made. The singer is asking for that person to choose what they want with no games or hesitations. The second verse goes on to explain that love has a way of breaking down all barriers, but they must decide if the love is worth it. Once the relationship starts dying off, the singer implores to not break stride but to keep walking faster. The following lines highlight the beauty of being in love and sharing everything with that special someone.
Line by Line Meaning
When you have tried to give your all
When you've done your best in a relationship
You try to stand and then you fall
It's difficult to maintain a relationship that's failing
There is no crutch for love that's lame
There's no easy fix for a dysfunctional relationship
When you find out, it's all a game
When you realize that the relationship is one-sided or manipulative
(Then you came along)
Referring to a person who entered the artist's life
Behind all the pretty trimmings
Despite the attractive exterior of the relationship
(Don't wanna do wrong)
The singer wants to avoid making mistakes
But with you there ain't no limit
The artist feels limitless in the relationship
(Love or leave)
The artist gives an ultimatum to their partner
Get yourself together, baby
The partner needs to make a decision and commit to it
(Love or leave)
Repeating the ultimatum
You may never get another chance
Implying that the partner will regret their decision if they let this chance go
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum in a more personal manner
Oh babe
An endearing address to the partner
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
That's what it's all about
Emphasizing the importance of the ultimatum
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
A rhythmic interlude
Love has it's ways of breaking through
The power of love to overcome obstacles
You must decide if I'm for you
The partner needs to make a decision about the relationship
Then when the way began to die
When the relationship is failing
Keep walking fast, don't break your stride
Don't dwell on the failure, keep moving forward
When darkness has come
In difficult times
We're laying in a daydream
A moment of escape and hope
(Said it's no fun)
Emphasizing the negative aspect of the difficult times
And you give your partner everything
Despite the hardships, the partner is committed to the relationship
(Love or leave)
Repeating the ultimatum
Get it, get it together, girl
Directly addressing the partner to urge them to make a decision
(Love or leave)
Repeating the ultimatum
I gotta find out
The singer needs to know where they stand in the relationship
Our love won't have a doubt, no, no, no
The singer's love for the partner is certain and unwavering
Just love me, baby, love me
The artist wants the partner to reciprocate their love
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
Baby, if you stay, here's what I'll do
The artist is making a promise to the partner
Try my best to make you my girl
The singer wants to solidify the relationship
Try to pass on you
The artist wants to avoid any other romantic opportunities
Hey, baby, wanna talk to you, girl
The singer is reaching out to the partner to communicate
There's no limit to what I'll do
The singer is committed to the relationship
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
I got to work out, I got to work out
The singer needs to put in effort to make the relationship work
We can be happy, baby
The singer is hopeful that the relationship can lead to happiness
All you got to do, hey, hey
The artist is urging the partner to take action
All you got to do is love me, baby
The artist believes that love is the solution to the relationship's problems
Stay by my side
The artist wants the partner to commit to the relationship
That's all it takes to keep us satisfied
The singer believes that commitment will lead to satisfaction in the relationship
Did I hear you say you don't believe me?
The artist is concerned that the partner doesn't trust them
[Incomprehensible]
Unknown
Try to do what a good man should
The singer is attempting to act honorably
Hey, Lord, I know I did not [Incomprehensible]
Acknowledging past mistakes or shortcomings
I tried to build you up when you were sinking down
The artist attempted to support the partner in difficult times
Turned your life around, I put a smile on your face
The artist's efforts had a positive impact on the partner
Where there was a frown
Implying that the partner was previously unhappy
Let's get it together
The singer wants to work towards a better relationship
Let's see if you and I
The artist wants to collaborate with the partner
Can turn the world around with love
The artist believes that their relationship can have a positive impact on the world
Why don't you stay, baby?
The artist is making a plea to the partner
Better get yourself together
The partner needs to make a decision
If you need me, if you want me
The artist is offering their support and affection
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
Working, working on my heart, baby
The artist is trying to improve themselves for the relationship
I got my heart on
The artist is invested in the relationship
Saying I'm in love with you
The singer is expressing their love for the partner
Here you come trying to do
The singer is describing the partner's recent behavior
Some things you do
Unknown
Gon', gon', gonna get it
The artist is determined to succeed
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
I don't care, I done my best
The singer is confident that they've given their all
Say you gonna stay
The artist is hopeful about the partner's decision
Then we gotta do it my way
The singer is asserting their expectations for the relationship
Baby, sit down
The singer wants to talk to the partner seriously
Let me talk to you, baby
The singer wants to communicate effectively with the partner
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
(Love me or leave me)
Repeating the ultimatum
Hey, you better have to do your thang
The singer is urging the partner to make a decision
Baby, hey, baby
An affectionate address to the partner
Tell me, why don't you stay
The artist is asking the partner to commit
Stay for a brighter day
The artist believes that the relationship can lead to a better future
Why don't you hang around?
The singer is making a plea to the partner
While we get back down
While the relationship is rekindled and strengthened
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRUCE HAWES, CHARLES B. SIMMONS, JOSEPH BANKS JEFFERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind