The Stylistics were one of the most well-known Philadelphia soul groups of … Read Full Bio ↴The Stylistics were one of the most well-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they comprised lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn.

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."

Don
The Stylistics Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Missed the Saturday dance
Heard they crowded the floor
Couldn't bear it without you
Don't get around much anymore

Though I'd visit the club
Got as far as the door
They'd have asked me about you

Don't get around much anymore

Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
But nevertheless why stir up memories?

Been invited on dates
Might have gone but what for?

Awf'lly diff'rent without you
Don't get around much anymore

Overall Meaning

The Stylistics's song Don is a melancholic tune about missing someone so deeply that everything in life without them seems to have lost its sparkle. The lyrics describe a person who used to love to go out and dance, but without the one they love, they have lost interest in living life to the fullest. The opening lines state that the singer couldn't bear to attend the Saturday dance because they heard there were crowds on the dance floor. The implication is that this used to be a favorite activity, but now without their love interest, it seems pointless to attend.

The lyrics of the song continue to depict the singer's struggle to engage with life without the one they love. They describe how they start to visit the club but never make it through the door because people would ask about the missing love interest. The chorus of the song "Don't get around much anymore" repeats throughout the song, hammering on the fact that the singer has lost interest in life without their love interest.

The lyrics reflect a deep sense of loss and grief for a person who has gone missing from the singer's life. It is not clear from the lyrics what happened to the love interest, but it is clear that their absence has left a void in the singer's life.

Line by Line Meaning

Missed the Saturday dance
I wasn't there for the Saturday dance

Heard they crowded the floor
I heard the dance floor was really crowded

Couldn't bear it without you
I couldn't stand being there without you

Don't get around much anymore
I don't go out as much as I used to

Though I'd visit the club
Even though I thought about going to the club

Got as far as the door
I only made it to the door before turning back

They'd have asked me about you
People would have asked me about you if I went in

Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
I feel more relaxed now, my dear

But nevertheless why stir up memories?
But why bring up old memories?

Been invited on dates
I've been asked out on dates

Might have gone but what for?
I might have gone, but what's the point?