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."
Hits Medley
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Candyland appears each time you smile
Never thought that fairy tales get true
But they come true, when I'm near you
You're a genie in disguise full of wonder and surprise
And bet you by golly wow
You're the one that Ive been waiting for forever
Keep going strong
You are everything and everything is you
Today I saw somebody who looks just like you
She walks like you too
I thought it was you
As she turn the corner I called out your name
I felt so ashamed when it wasn't you wasn't you
You are everything and everything is you
You are everything and everything is you
You are everything
If I could I'd like too be a great big movie Star
Overnight sensation, drive a big expensive car
I would buy you everything your little heart desires
These things I'll do cos I'm stone inlove with you
Stone inlove with you stone inlove with you
My love whenever I was insecure
You build me up and made me sure
You gave my pride back to me
Precious friend with you I'll always have a friends
Your someone who I can depend
To walk a path that sometimes bend
Without you life has no meaning or rhyme
Like a nostorous song out of time
How can I repay you for having faith in me
God bless you
You make me feel brand new
For God bless me with you
You make me feel brand new
I sing this song for you
You make me feel brand new
For God bless you me with you
You make me feel brand new
The Stylistics' song Hits Medley is a beautiful blend of the band's most popular love songs. The first verse of the song describes the magical feeling the singer gets when they are around their love interest. The spark of magic in their eyes and the appearance of Candyland when they smile is the singer's way of expressing the enchanting effect that their partner has on them. The singer then declares that their love is meant to be, and they are the one that they have been waiting for forever. Their love is strong, and it will keep going strong forever. The verse is almost like a romantic fairytale that has come to life.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of falling in love with not just the person, but also their essence. The singer says that their partner is everything, and everything is them. When the singer sees someone who looks like their partner, they call out their name and feel ashamed when they realize it is not them. The second verse of the song expresses the singer's desire to be a big movie star so they could shower their love with everything they desire. They declare their love for their partner and state that they are completely in love with them. The final verse of the song is an expression of gratitude to their partner for being there for them through thick and thin. They make the singer feel brand new, and the singer is grateful for them.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a spark of magic in your eyes
You have an enchanting and magical aura that is visible in your eyes
Candyland appears each time you smile
Your smile is so sweet and joyful that it makes me feel like I'm in a magical land
Never thought that fairy tales get true
I never believed that fairy tales could actually come true
But they come true, when I'm near you
However, when I'm with you, it feels like all my dreams and fantasies are coming true
You're a genie in disguise full of wonder and surprise
You're like a magical being, full of mystery, wonder and always surprising me with your words and actions
And bet you by golly wow
I can guarantee that you're the one I've been searching for with complete surprise and amazement
You're the one that Ive been waiting for forever
You're the one I've been wanting in my life since forever
And ever will my love for you keep going strong
My love for you will never fade, and it will always grow stronger
You are everything and everything is you
You are the center of my world, and everything that I see or experience reminds me of you
Today I saw somebody who looks just like you
Today, I saw someone who resembled you in appearance
She walks like you too
She even walks in a manner that reminds me of you
I thought it was you
I initially believed that it was actually you
As she turn the corner I called out your name
When she turned the corner, I called out your name, hoping it was you
I felt so ashamed when it wasn't you wasn't you
I felt embarrassed when I realized it wasn't you
If I could I'd like too be a great big movie Star
If I could, I would like to become a famous movie star
Overnight sensation, drive a big expensive car
I would become an overnight sensation and buy an expensive car
I would buy you everything your little heart desires
I'd purchase everything you ever wanted, to satisfy your heart's desires
These things I'll do cos I'm stone inlove with you
I will do all these things because I am deeply in love with you
My love whenever I was insecure
Whenever I felt insecure, my love for you gave me strength
You build me up and made me sure
You helped me build my confidence and made me sure of myself
You gave my pride back to me
You restored my sense of pride and self-worth
Precious friend with you I'll always have a friends
You're a valuable friend, and I know that I will always have a friend in you
Your someone who I can depend
You're someone I can count on and depend on
To walk a path that sometimes bend
To navigate through difficult situations and follow paths that are not always straight
Without you life has no meaning or rhyme
Life without you is meaningless and lacks direction or purpose
Like a nostorous song out of time
My life feels like a nostalgic song from the past, out of sync with the present
How can I repay you for having faith in me
I am grateful that you had faith in me; I don't know how to thank you enough
God bless you
I thank God for you and bless you for everything that you have done for me
You make me feel brand new
You have the power to make me feel new and alive again
I sing this song for you
I dedicate this song to you as an expression of my love and gratitude
For God bless me with you
I thank God for bringing you into my life
For God bless you me with you
God has blessed me by giving me you
You make me feel brand new
You have the power to make me feel new and alive again
Writer(s): Glenn Medeiros
Contributed by Adalyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Richard Hoating
I was only 6 years old in 1971, but I always really enjoyed their beautiful voices and 🎶 music- and still do..
Lhet Ligaya
Love The Stylistics 🤗🤗🤗
Mikail Benson
I know right
Tami
Old School R&B♥️
Jhon Pacheco Donayre
Hermoso!!!
Phyll Espo
Love since the 70’s till today💖💖💖💖
Latara Reed
Those DISTINCTIVE VOICES & LOVE MESSAGES MARINATES THE HEARTDEEPLYY ❤️💜 MIND AND SOULLL..#YESSIRRR
Latara Reed
WHENEVER U NEED 2 U CAN ALWAYS FALL ASLEEP ON THE STYLES♥️♥️♥️✌️💝💝💝💕🎯🔥
D Kane
Remind me of my Mum 🥰 1941-2016
GA BRAN
wow.. This is so beautiful..