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."
I Believe
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms
If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh
If I can see it, then I can be it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
Hey, cause I believe in me, oh
If I can see it, then I can do it (I can do it)
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
I believe I can fly
Hey, if I just spread my wings
I can fly
I can fly
I can fly, hey
If I just spread my wings
I can fly
Hum, fly
The Stylistics's song "Can" is about believing in oneself and one's ability to achieve anything. The first verse talks about the struggles of the past, feeling hopeless and as if there was no way out. However, through experiencing true love, the person singing the song has found strength and support from the "everlasting arms." The chorus repeats the belief that if we think we can do something and believe in ourselves, then we truly can. The second verse continues with the message that sometimes life can feel overwhelming and breaking point is close. Nonetheless, if we believe in ourselves, we can achieve the miracles in life that we need to.
The overall message of the song is to have self-belief and to make our dreams come true. The song also notes that this kind of belief takes effort, saying "If I can see it, then I can do it. If I just believe it, there's nothing to it." The song encourages listeners to imagine themselves running through an open door, soaring and touching the sky.
In summary, the lyrics to "Can" by The Stylistics are incredibly inspirational, promoting the message that we must first believe in ourselves to achieve anything in life. Through self-belief, anything is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to think that I could not go on
I once believed that I lacked the strength to persevere
And life was nothing but an awful song
And my experience of life was overwhelmingly negative
But now I know the meaning of true love
But I have learned the value of genuine affection
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms
And I am relying on the unchanging, reliable support of a higher power
If I can see it, then I can do it
If I can visualize a goal, I am capable of achieving it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it
If I have confidence that I can succeed, obstacles will not prevent me
I believe I can fly
I am confident in my ability to soar through the air
I believe I can touch the sky
I have faith that I can reach great heights
I think about it every night and day
I constantly contemplate and visualize my objectives
Spread my wings and fly away
I am ready and willing to embrace new opportunities and take risks
I believe I can soar
I trust that I can float through the air effortlessly
I see me running through that open door
I visualize myself seizing new opportunities with confidence and enthusiasm
See I was on the verge of breaking down
Previously, I was close to emotional collapse
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
Occasionally, stillness can be overwhelming
There are miracles in life I must achieve
I have to accomplish extraordinary feats during my lifetime
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh
But I understand that my personal development is the critical first step
Hey, cause I believe in me, oh
Since I have faith in my own abilities
If I can see it, then I can do it (I can do it)
If I can form a mental image of it, I have the capacity to accomplish anything
Hey, if I just spread my wings
If I courageously take action and embrace new experiences
I can fly
Then I can metaphorically soar to great heights
Hum, fly
In the end, fly
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robert S. Kelly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Concerned
on Mine All Mine
These are NOT the lyrics to this song in any language or version.
Neil Aspin
on Me - U = Blue
Wonderfull
Melvin Miles
on Could This Be The End
Love the song