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."
Ebony Eyes
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At work it seems I do things wrong
Thinking about the girl I love
My ebony eyes
She is everything a girl should be
Sometimes I find it hard to see
Why she loves a guy like me
Sweet little ebony eyes
Girl, you got me hypnotized
Talking about the girl I love
My ebony eyes
There will never be
Anyone as good for me
She's the only girl
I'll ever love (the only girl that I'll ever love)
Ebony eyes
My ebony eyes
Sweetest little girl alive
My ebony eyes
Talking about the girl I love
My ebony eyes
Oh, loveliest girl alive
My ebony eyes
Talking about the girl I love
My ebony eyes
Oh, talking about the girl I love
The Stylistics' "Ebony Eyes" is a love song that predominantly talks about the love that the singer has for his partner with dark eyes, which he lovingly refers to as his "ebony eyes." He finds himself constantly thinking of her and talking about her throughout the day. The singer seems to be mesmerized by her beauty and charm as he describes her to be everything a girl should be. However, he is self-conscious about his own worthiness of her love, stating that sometimes he finds it hard to see why she loves a guy like him. Nevertheless, he affirms that she is the only girl he will ever love, and there will never be anyone as good for him as her.
The song is a classic soul love ballad and features the Stylistics' signature harmonies and falsetto vocals. It was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, who were renowned songwriter-producers in the 1970s R&B genre. The song's heartfelt lyrics and smooth melody resonated with audiences and became one of their most successful singles, peaking at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1974.
Line by Line Meaning
I talk about her all day long
I can't stop myself from constantly talking about the girl I love
At work it seems I do things wrong
My thoughts are preoccupied with her, making it difficult to focus on my work
Thinking about the girl I love
My mind is consumed by thoughts of the girl I am in love with
My ebony eyes
To me, the most beautiful and alluring feature of my love interest are her dark, mesmerizing eyes
She is everything a girl should be
My love is perfect in every aspect and embodies all qualities that a girl should have
Sometimes I find it hard to see
Despite her perfection, I struggle to believe that she could truly love someone like me
Why she loves a guy like me
I can't understand or comprehend what she sees in me
Sweet little ebony eyes
A term of endearment for my love, emphasizing the beauty of her dark eyes
Girl, you got me hypnotized
I am completely captivated and spellbound by her charm and beauty
There will never be
No one else will ever compare to her
Anyone as good for me
She is the only one who is perfect and ideal for me
She's the only girl
There is no one else who can replace her as the love of my life
I'll ever love (the only girl that I'll ever love)
I have found my soulmate and will always love her, no matter what
Sweetest little girl alive
She is not only perfect but also the sweetest person I have ever known
Oh, loveliest girl alive
She is not only perfect and sweet but also the most beautiful girl I have ever seen
Talking about the girl I love
I can never stop talking about my love for her
My ebony eyes
Reiterating my intense love and fascination for her stunning dark eyes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOM BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dailton Alves
Música Linda parabéns pelo vídeo
MyFriendIsaac
Fantastic 👌🏾🔥🎤
Mr J
Real music love
It. 4 life. Peace ✌
rollerchickable
I Love This Song, This My Skating Jam, Thank you For Sharing.
C Flo
OH THAT GUITAR INTRO!!!!!
Nancy Wood
Russell singing recording this so alone....he double cut and singing along with himself...(all parts) versatile 4 range voice. Thom Bell singing along with him. 🎶🎤🎶
Earl S
Wow!, really.