They had their first U.S. hit in 1971 with "You're a Big Girl Now". Signing to Avco Records, The Stylistics began working with producer Thom Bell, who had already produced a catalogue of hits for The Delfonics, and songwriter Linda Creed. Bell imported the sweet soul techniques he had perfected with The Delfonics, and his arrangements worked perfectly with Thompkins' falsetto. The bittersweet lyrics from Creed were a key factor in creating hugely memorable music.
Their hits, distilled from three albums, from this period included "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "You Make Me Feel Brand New" featuring a double lead with Love, "Stop, Look, Listen To Your Heart" and "You Are Everything". "You Make Me Feel Brand New" was the group's biggest U.S. hit, holding at #2 for two weeks in the spring of 1974, and was one of five U.S. gold singles the Stylistics collected. The Stylistics' smooth sound also found an easier path onto adult contemporary airwaves than other soul artists, and the group made Billboard magazine's Easy Listening singles chart twelve times from 1971 to 1976, with three entries, "Betcha By Golly, Wow," "You Make Me Feel Brand New," and "You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)" reaching the Top 10.
The group split with Thom Bell in 1974, and the split proved devastating commercially to the group's success in the USA. Just as with The Delfonics, The Stylistics were to some extent a vehicle for Bell's own creativity. They struggled hard to find producers who could come up with the right material, and partnerships with Hugo & Luigi and Van McCoy were notably less successful. They left Avco for H&L Records and the Stylistics' popularity rapidly declined in the U.S., though their British popularity continued for the rest of the 1970s.
In 1980, James Dunn departed due to health problems, and James Smith left shortly thereafter. The group continued, recruiting new member Raymond Johnson, and releasing the album Some Things Never Change, in 1985. Johnson departed shortly afterward, leaving the group a trio. Love, Murrell, and Thompkins continued to tour until 2000, when original lead Thompkins left. Love and Murrell brought in two new members, Harold "Eban" Brown, formerly of the Delfonics, as lead ( who sounds amazingly like a young Russell Thompkins), and tenor Van Fields. The present group is featured live on the DVD's "The Stylistics Live at the Convention Center" (2006), as well as along with other artists of the '70's on the DVD "The Big Show."
In 2004, Russell Thompkins, Jr. started a new group, the New Stylistics, with the returning Raymond Johnson, James Ranton, and Jonathan Buckson. They are featured on the DVD "Old School Soul Party Live!," which was part of the PBS "My Music" series.
The Stylistics' catalog of hits have been mined frequently by other artists in recent years. Notable examples include "Betcha By Golly, Wow" covered by Prince, "You Are Everything" remade by Vanessa Williams, and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" redone by Boyz ll Men Roberta Flack and Simply Red. Mary J. Blige also used the chief line from the chorus of "You Are Everything" ("You are everything, and everything is you") in her 1997 hit "Everything." In 2006, Letoya Luckett used a similar sample to the background track of "You Are Everything" for the music to her hit single "Torn."
Doin' The Streets
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We walked to school together everyday.
Sunshine in her smile, pink ribbons in her hair.
What a pretty picture that charmed me.
I remember when she hit her teens, she lived next door to me.
We rode the bus to high school everyday.
We talked about our dreams, spent hours on the phone.
Always had a million things to say
My pretty little girl(pretty little girl) that′s what she used to
Be(pretty little girl),
What she's doing now, she′s doin' the streets(
Doin' the streets).
And I can′t believe(pretty little girl),
No no I can′t believe(pretty little girl)
My pretty little girl is doin' the streets.
I remember when her daddy died she moved away
From me, and she went wrong somewhere along the way.
God I should′ve tried to help her where I could.
Now I've got to live with my mistake.
Repeat Chorus...
End
The Stylistics' "Doin' The Streets" is a poignant narrative of a young woman's downward spiral into sex work. The singer remembers her as a young girl with a sunny disposition, walking to school together every day. As teenagers, they continued to be close friends, dreaming about their futures and talking for hours on the phone. However, as she grew older, she left her hometown and eventually fell into prostitution.
The chorus highlights the stark contrast between the singer's memories of the girl as a "pretty little girl" with "sunshine in her smile" and the tragedy of her current situation. The singer cannot believe that the young girl he knew is now "doin' the streets," and he regrets not being able to help her before it was too late.
The song's lyrics capture the pain, regret, and sorrow felt by the singer, who is now forced to watch his friend struggle with a life of hardship. The song paints a sobering picture of the harsh reality of sex work and its impact on individuals and their communities.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember when she was a child, she lived next door to me.
I recall the time when she was young and resided adjacent to my home
We walked to school together everyday.
We used to travel to school in each other's company every day
Sunshine in her smile, pink ribbons in her hair.
Her cheerful facial expressions and hair decor of pink colored ribbons exuded a bright ambiance
What a pretty picture that charmed me.
The lovely image of her left me fascinated and mesmerized
I remember when she hit her teens, she lived next door to me.
I also recollect the time she entered her adolescent years and still lived close to my residence
We rode the bus to high school everyday.
As we grew up, we used to commute to high school every day by bus
We talked about our dreams, spent hours on the phone.
Our conversations used to revolve around our aspirations, and we used to spend hours chatting on the telephone
Always had a million things to say
We always had an abundance of topics to discuss
My pretty little girl(pretty little girl) that′s what she used to
Be(pretty little girl),
She used to be my adorable, innocent girl
What she's doing now, she′s doin' the streets(
Doin' the streets).
However, presently, she is working as a sex worker on the streets
And I can′t believe(pretty little girl),
I'm unable to accept the fact (that she is now a sex worker)
No no I can′t believe(pretty little girl)
I'm reiterating my disbelief
My pretty little girl is doin' the streets.
It's terrible to imagine her selling her body on the streets
I remember when her daddy died she moved away
When her father passed away, she shifted away from here
From me, and she went wrong somewhere along the way.
Unfortunately, she went astray and made poor decisions in life
God I should′ve tried to help her where I could.
I regret that I did not make an effort to support and aid her in a possible way
Now I've got to live with my mistake.
Now, I'm left to live with the guilt of not being able to assist her and watch her suffer
Writer(s): George David Weiss, Hugo, Luigi
Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MultiLMarcelo
@Donald Gray "My pretty little girl...
My pretty little girl (?)
That's what she used to be
My pretty little girl (?)
What's she doing now?
She's doing the streets
Doing the streets
That makes sense now ,but I must say it's hard to understand!
Thank you very much for the help!
@christinewharton1051
Loved this song growing up!!
@bruceconner2143
this one of my christmas presents when i was young!!!!
@dionnebrown1216
Airrion's voice is amazing and has a smooth soulful sound ❤
@gregorygordon8747
This was another outstanding Album from the Stylistics. I played it all the time.
@gregorygordon8747
THIS ALBUM WAS A VERY VERY GOOD ONE. THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD SONGS . THIS IS JUST ONE OF THEM
@user-yn9sb2sh4i
IN MY MEMORIES, ALWAYS......
@patmejias586
That was the best album from the Stylistics!
@robbeadle9487
l. brought this lp for the love of my life xxxx
@salliedawson9842
This album had many good songs on it, Time on My Hands and others. It was my sister's album but I played it to death. I was 14 or 15 at the time but it had so much feeling and I loved it.
@karel797
classic album for many people.....