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 By that time, Edwards had been replaced by G.C. Cameron.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.
The Foggy Dew
The Spinners Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I followed the roven trade
And the only harm that I ever done wrong
Was to court a servant maid
I courted her in the summer season
And part of the winter, too
And the only harm that I ever done wrong
One night as I lay in me bed
A-taken of me sleep
She came and stood by my bed side
And most bitterly she did weep
She sop, she sighed and tore her hair
And cried, "What shall I do?"
For this night, I've resolved to sleep with you
For fear of foggy dew
It was in the first part of the night
We did sport and play
And in the second part of the night
She in me arms did lay
And when we woke on the next day's morn
She cried, "I am undone"
I hold your town you silly young wench
For the foggy dew has gone
Now supposin' you should have a child
It would make you laugh and smile
Supposin' you should have another
It would make you think a while
Supposin' you should have another
And another, and another one too
It would make you leave off your foolish young pranks
And think of the foggy dew
Now I've loved this girl with all of me heart
I loved her right through me life
And in the second part of the year
I took her for me wife
I never told her of all me faults
Yet never intend to do
But every time she winks and smiles
We think of the foggy dew
"The Foggy Dew" by The Spinners is a traditional folk song that tells the story of a young bachelor who falls in love with a servant maid. The singer reminisces about his past, admitting that the only harm he ever committed was courting this maid. During their time together, he prevented her from experiencing the "foggy dew," which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the dangers and uncertainties of the world.
One night, as the bachelor lies in bed, the maid appears by his side, full of sorrow. She confesses her desire to sleep with him, out of fear of the foggy dew. They spend the night together, and in the morning, she realizes that she is undone because the foggy dew has disappeared. This suggests that their brief intimacy has consequences, possibly resulting in pregnancy.
The song raises questions about the consequences of their actions. The bachelor imagines a future in which they have children, and he ponders how it would make the maid think and behave differently. It highlights the transformative power of love and responsibility, as the bachelor expresses his deep love for the maid and how it has changed his life. Whenever she smiles and winks, they are reminded of the foggy dew, symbolizing the lingering reminder of their past actions and the potential consequences they may have to face.
Overall, "The Foggy Dew" explores themes of love, regret, and the impact of our choices on our lives. It touches on the fleeting nature of happiness and the complexities of relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a bachelor heavy and young
During my youthful and carefree days as a single man
I followed the roven trade
I pursued a wandering lifestyle
And the only harm that I ever done wrong
The only mistake I made
Was to court a servant maid
Was to pursue a relationship with a lower-class woman
I courted her in the summer season
I wooed her during the warm months
And part of the winter, too
And even during the colder months
Was to keep her from the foggy dew
Was to protect her from the dangers and uncertainties of life
One night as I lay in me bed
One night as I lay in my bed
A-taken of me sleep
Trying to fall asleep
She came and stood by my bed side
She approached and stood beside my bed
And most bitterly she did weep
And she cried intensely
She sop, she sighed and tore her hair
She sobbed, she sighed, and pulled at her hair
And cried, 'What shall I do?'
And exclaimed, 'What should I do?'
For this night, I've resolved to sleep with you
Because tonight, I have decided to sleep with you
For fear of foggy dew
Because of the fear and uncertainty of life's challenges
It was in the first part of the night
During the early hours of the night
We did sport and play
We engaged in affectionate activities
And in the second part of the night
And later in the night
She in me arms did lay
She laid in my arms
And when we woke on the next day's morn
And when we woke up the next morning
She cried, 'I am undone'
She cried, 'I am ruined'
I hold your town you silly young wench
I blame you, foolish young woman
For the foggy dew has gone
Because the uncertain and difficult times have passed
Now supposin' you should have a child
Now assuming you were to have a child
It would make you laugh and smile
It would bring you joy and happiness
Supposin' you should have another
If you were to have another child
It would make you think a while
It would make you pause and reflect
Supposin' you should have another
If you were to have yet another child
And another, and another one too
And another, and even more children
It would make you leave off your foolish young pranks
It would make you abandon your immature behavior
And think of the foggy dew
And consider the challenges and uncertainties of life
Now I've loved this girl with all of me heart
Now I have loved this girl with all my heart
I loved her right through me life
I loved her throughout my life
And in the second part of the year
And during the latter part of the year
I took her for me wife
I married her
I never told her of all me faults
I never confessed my faults to her
Yet never intend to do
But I never plan to
But every time she winks and smiles
But whenever she winks and smiles
We think of the foggy dew
We are reminded of the challenges and uncertainties of life
Writer(s): Noel Mcloughlin
Contributed by Aaron C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Craig Liversage
This brings back so many memories of listening to the spinners with my mum and dad, singing along to the record.
Thank you