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."
You're the Best Thing In My Life
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never felt so good when you added a little rhyme
Lucky for me that you came along
Just whispering a love song then you captured me
And lady it was harmony
Yes, you're music to my heart, a sweet melody
You were heaven right from the start
Sweet ecstasy, baby, what you do to me
Your magic I love you much too much to let you go
I need you so, don't ever let your love die
I'm gonna be your man
'Cause you're the best thing in my life, in my life
Best thing in my life, in my life
You're the best thing in my life
Our love was meant to be
'Cause you turn my hopes and dreams into reality
Sweet ecstasy, baby, what you do to me
Your magic and I love you much too much to let you go
You know I need you so, don't ever let your love die
I'm gonna be your man
'Cause you're the best thing in my life, in my life
The best thing in my life, in my life
Woh, oh yeah, your sweet ecstasy, ooh, what you do to me
Woh, oh yeah, oh yeah, when you came along
Just whispering a love song, yes, you captured me
And lady it was harmony, right from the start
The best thing in my life
Was the day, was the day that I met you
The best thing in my life
Was the day, was the day that I met you
The best thing in my life
The best thing, the best thing
Was the day that I met you
Was the day that I met you
Oh yeah
The song "You're the Best Thing In My Life" by The Stylistics is a romantic love ballad that expresses the singer's gratitude and admiration towards their lover. The lyrics are both heartfelt and poetic, with the singer describing their lover as the best thing that ever happened to them. The first two lines indicate that the singer never felt so good until their lover came along and added a little rhyme. This might refer to the way the lover speaks to the singer, which brings a sense of joy into their life. The singer then goes on to say how lucky they are to have their lover in their life, and how they were captured right from the start with just a whisper of a love song.
Throughout the song, the singer repeatedly describes their lover as a musical reference, suggesting that their lover brings harmony and melody to their life. The lover is compared to a sweet melody, heaven, and music to the singer's heart. The singer also references the idea of magic and ecstasy, indicating that being with their lover is a transformative experience. The singer claims that they love their lover too much to let them go, indicating that their relationship is strong and meaningful. The song ends with a repetition of the idea that meeting their lover was the best thing that ever happened to them, adding emphasis to the importance of their relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You're the best thing in my life
You are the most important person in my life and I couldn't imagine my life without you.
I never felt so good when you added a little rhyme
I never felt so happy until you came along and added a little romance to my life.
Lucky for me that you came along
I feel incredibly fortunate that you came into my life and changed it for the better.
Just whispering a love song then you captured me
Your sweet whispers of love and affection made me fall for you completely.
And lady it was harmony
We fit together perfectly and our love is like a beautiful harmony.
Yes, you're music to my heart, a sweet melody
You bring so much joy and happiness to my life that you're like music to my soul.
You were heaven right from the start
From the moment I met you, I knew that you were a gift from heaven.
Don't ever take your love from me
I never want to lose your love and affection.
Sweet ecstasy, baby, what you do to me
Your love fills me with so much happiness and bliss that I feel like I'm in ecstasy.
Your magic I love you much too much to let you go
I love you so much that I couldn't bear to lose you and the magic that you bring to my life.
I need you so, don't ever let your love die
I need you in my life and I hope that your love for me will never fade away.
I'm gonna be your man
I will always be there for you and stand by your side as your partner and lover.
'Cause you're the best thing in my life, in my life
You are the most important and valuable person in my life.
Our love was meant to be
I truly believe that our love was meant to be and that it will last forever.
You turn my hopes and dreams into reality
You make all of my hopes and dreams come true and I am so grateful for you.
Woh, oh yeah, your sweet ecstasy, ooh, what you do to me
Your love fills me with so much joy and happiness that I can't help but feel excited and thrilled.
When you came along Just whispering a love song, yes, you captured me And lady it was harmony, right from the start
From the moment you came into my life and whispered words of love, I knew that we were meant to be together and our love was like a perfect harmony.
The best thing in my life Was the day, was the day that I met you
The day that I met you was the best day of my life and I am so grateful for it.
The best thing, the best thing Was the day that I met you Was the day that I met you Oh yeah
Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me and I feel so lucky to have you in my life.
Contributed by Christian E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mraintnostoppinusnow
Wonderful track, the sax, the singing, the melodies - fantastic!
Nancy Wood
And here it is...the best song I believe on the new 78 album " In Fashion"...Teddy Randazo songs...Russell singing scat is refreshing and new... great. He can do just anything! The sax is off the wall. Great dance tune...Its a 2 thumbs up from me . Great job Russell Thompkins jr....as usual. This song is a must repeat when you hear it....over and over..just gets better.... 👍👍 🎶🎤🎶
fée Faiza
This saxo' awwww
With their voices 😍
Love it
Merciiii
terry oliveras
SO MANY BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES ARE OVER FLOWING IN MY MIND RIGHT NOW. JUST FROM HEREING THIS ....LOVING IT
Dee Lowe
terry oliveras dramatics you are the in life
Sonia Ortiz Pernetti
I was just a teen when I first started listening to the Stylistics. In fashion was my favorite album. It brings back so many Memories ☺️💕
Michael Cerny
Remind me of the mid 1980s moonlighting TV show Bruce Willis days when hip hop was commercial . Selling products
Criselda Martinez Perez
Hola buena noche. Una de mis canciones favoritas de este grupo, me encanta y apenas la encontre despues de mucho tiempo de estar buscandola.
Tiss Uuu
Memories of the 70's dancin' with my baby, the BEST
ruppert reddle
such a good song