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."
Sixteen Bars
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It says it all, it tells the truth.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
I love you like the ocean loves the shore
Like flowers love the sun but even more
I love you like the heavens love the planets and the stars
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
I promise you a thousand violins
A symphony of love that never ends
I promise you you'll always hear the sound of sweet guitars
There I've said it all in sixteen bars.
I wrote a love song in sixteen bars
It says it all, it tells the truth.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
The song "Sixteen Bars" by The Stylistics is a love song that is straight to the point. The lyrics speak of a love song that only takes sixteen bars to express all the emotions that the singer feels towards their significant other. The first verse opens with the singer stating that they've written a love song that tells the truth in just sixteen bars. They then proceed to sing that the sixteen bars are enough to tell the world how much they love their lover.
The chorus follows with the singer expressing their love for their lover in a poetic manner. They say that they love their lover like the ocean loves the shore, like flowers love the sun, and even more so. The singer compares their love to the love of the heavens for the planets and stars. All these comparisons are a metaphor for how much the singer loves their significant other.
In the second verse, the singer promises their lover a thousand violins and a symphony of love that will never end. They also promise that the sound of sweet guitars will be heard by the lover's ears. The promise of thousand violins and sweet guitars is symbolic of the depth and intensity of the singer's love for their lover. The song concludes with the chorus repeated once again.
Overall, "Sixteen Bars" is a simple yet beautifully written love song that expresses the depth and extent of the singer's love towards their significant other. The poetic metaphors used in the song make it a lovely and romantic ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
I wrote a love song in sixteen bars
I have written a song that expresses my love for you using only sixteen bars of music.
It says it all, it tells the truth.
This song is not just a random collection of words, it is an honest expression of my feelings for you.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
This song is a declaration of love from me to you and I am using only sixteen bars to say it.
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
This song is not just for you, I want everyone to know how much I am in love with you.
I love you like the ocean loves the shore
My love for you is as constant and unending as the ocean's love for the shore.
Like flowers love the sun but even more
My love for you is deeper and stronger than the love flowers have for the sun.
I love you like the heavens love the planets and the stars
My love for you is limitless and all-encompassing, just like the love the heavens have for the planets and the stars.
There I've said it all in sixteen bars.
I have expressed the entirety of my love for you using only sixteen bars of music.
I promise you a thousand violins
I pledge to shower you with all the romance and passion that a thousand violins can convey.
A symphony of love that never ends
Our love story is like a symphony that will never end, always playing and growing stronger.
I promise you you'll always hear the sound of sweet guitars
My love for you will always be expressed in the most beautiful and melodious way, just like the sound of sweet guitars.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: HUGO, LUIGI, GEORGE DAVID WEISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aliaziz1926
I wrote a love song in sixteen bars
It says it all, it tells the truth.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
I love you like the ocean loves the shore
Like flowers love the sun but even more
I love you like the heavens love the planets and the stars
There I've said it all in sixteen bars.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
I promise you a thousand violins
A symphony of love that never ends
I promise you you'll always hear the sound of sweet guitars
There I've said it all in sixteen bars.
I wrote a love song in sixteen bars
It says it all, it tells the truth.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
Source: LyricFind
@philip2508
The fabulous 70’s music at its best, what an era and these guys were at the top of the game !!!
@aliaziz1926
I wrote a love song in sixteen bars
It says it all, it tells the truth.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
I love you like the ocean loves the shore
Like flowers love the sun but even more
I love you like the heavens love the planets and the stars
There I've said it all in sixteen bars.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
I promise you a thousand violins
A symphony of love that never ends
I promise you you'll always hear the sound of sweet guitars
There I've said it all in sixteen bars.
I wrote a love song in sixteen bars
It says it all, it tells the truth.
This is my love song in sixteen bars
To tell the world that I'm really gone on you
Source: LyricFind
@shahabushah6064
Always feel 19 whenever I listen to this joyful melody and lyrics. It's just being happy and free of worries. It's tiring now to face the world daily. So much unhappiness and sadness.
@clarencedouglas1333
This by far my favorite song by the Stylistics
@Teachification1
Mine too ,I'm 58 yrs old I can put myself back to when this was out even clothes I wore ,almost smell that beautiful summer air ,we had a drought this yr too ,it was scorching🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞 ❤❤❤❤ memories 💔 x
@TheFlint66
What a classic never hear it on the radio, why I don’t know??? It’s a beautiful love song xx
@ericopereira169
Stylistics simplesmente a maior banda de todos os tempos.
@nikiturner23
What can I say there are no words to describe this song it's fantastic brings back the good old days happy days
@marvinbuitrago8301
Que linda esta cancion triste y romantica.esto vatos entranron en mi corazon el minuto que yo lo escuche cantar.que viva los stylistics.
@donnahutton9378
O my god, I love this song, not heard it for years, if you ever want to tell someone that you love them, this is your song, this is romance but a bit modern, sort of 🤗❤️