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."
Love At First Sight
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So close it only took
A moment to know
That our love would grow together
And from the time I saw your face
The lovely smile you made
The feeling of doubt I had about
Love at first sight, so right
In every way
Love at first sight, so tight
Ever since that day
Our love is here to stay
Love is here to stay
Strange, without a single word
Your voice was all I heard
Singing so clear
Calling me near, beside you
Forget, I know I never will
The day the earth stood still
The moment in time
I knew you d be mine forever
Love at first sight, so right
In every way
Love at first sight, so tight
Ever since that day
Our love is here to stay
Love is here to stay
The moment in time
I knew you d be mine forever
Love at first sight, so right
In every way
Love at first sight, so tight
Ever since that day
Love at first sight, so right
In every way
Love at first sight, so tight
Ever since that day
The Stylistics' song Love At First Sight is a classic soulful love ballad that describes the experience of falling in love at first sight. The chorus of the song repeats the line “Love at first sight, so right, in every way,” emphasizing the overwhelming feeling of certainty and completeness that the singer feels about their newfound love. The first verse likens love to the experience of reading a book and finding that two pages are stuck together, which suggests that the love between the two individuals in the song was meant to happen and that their love story is fated. The second verse refers to the physical attraction between the two individuals, with the singer describing the lovely smile of their partner and how it dispelled any doubts they had about tomorrow. The bridge describes the moment in which the two individuals meet, with the singer hearing their partner’s voice and feeling drawn to them without hearing a single word. The final chorus repeats the idea that their love is here to stay and has been strong ever since the moment they met.
Overall, the lyrics of Love At First Sight express the idea that love can happen instantaneously and overwhelmingly. The song captures the feeling of certainty and completeness that often comes with falling in love at first sight, and it emphasizes the idea that this kind of love is meant to be and cannot be denied. The repetition of the chorus and the use of imagery throughout the song create a dreamy, romantic atmosphere that is perfect for a love ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, two pages in a book
Our love story is like a tale written in a book with just two pages
So close it only took
The beginning of our love was so close and easy that it only took a moment
A moment to know
That moment was enough for me to know that we were meant to be in love
That our love would grow together
I knew that we were destined to be together and that our love would grow stronger over time
And from the time I saw your face
I remember the moment when I first saw your beautiful face
The lovely smile you made
Your charming smile captivated my heart instantly
The feeling of doubt I had about tomorrow
Even though I was unsure of what the future held, I felt confident about our love
Love at first sight, so right
Our love was definitely meant to be from the beginning
In every way
In every aspect of our relationship
Love at first sight, so tight
Our love was immediately strong and unbreakable
Ever since that day
Since that moment, our love has only grown stronger
Our love is here to stay
Our love is permanent and will last forever
Strange, without a single word
It was strange how I felt a connection with you without even talking
Your voice was all I heard
Your voice was so soothing that it was the only thing I could hear
Singing so clear
It was as if you were singing a love song to me
Calling me near, beside you
You were calling me to your side, and I felt compelled to be with you
Forget, I know I never will
I know that I will never forget the moment we fell in love
The day the earth stood still
Everything around us paused as we realized our love for each other
The moment in time
That was a defining moment in our lives
I knew you'd be mine forever
From that moment on, I knew that you were the one for me, and our love would last forever
Writer(s): Larson, Gamble
Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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