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 Are Beautiful
The Stylistics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who looked just like you
She walked like you do
I thought it was you
As she turned the corner
I called out your name
I felt so ashamed
You are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh, you are everything and everything is you
How can I forget
When each face that I see
Brings back memories
Of being with you
I just can't go on living life as I do
Comparing each girl to you
Knowing they just won't do
They're not you
You are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
You are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
The lyrics to The Stylistics' song "You Are Everything" speak to the idea that when we love someone deeply, they become a part of us, and it's almost impossible to move on from the memories and feelings we shared together. The song is about the struggles of letting go of a past love and trying to move forward with someone new, but constantly comparing them to the old love and finding them lacking. The singer sees someone who looks and walks just like their old love and is momentarily filled with hope that they have returned, only to be disappointed when they realize it's not them. The chorus repeats the phrase "You are everything and everything is you" as a way to express the all-encompassing power that love can have over us.
The song's lyrics are a testament to the power of love and how it can shape our memories and feelings long after a relationship has ended. It speaks to the universal experience of feeling like no one will ever measure up to a past love and how difficult it is to move on from that. The song retains its popularity decades after its release because it taps into this universal experience and captures the longing and heartbreak that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Today I saw somebody
The singer saw someone who reminded them of the person they love.
Who looked just like you
This person had a physical resemblance to the person the singer loves.
She walked like you do
The way this person walked was similar to the person the singer loves.
I thought it was you
The artist hoped and believed that the person they saw was actually the one they love.
As she turned the corner
The person the artist saw changed directions and disappeared from view.
I called out your name
The singer hoped to get the attention of the person they saw by calling out their loved one's name.
I felt so ashamed
The singer felt embarrassed that they had mistaken someone else for the person they love.
When it wasn't you, wasn't you, oh, oh
The realization that it wasn't their loved one repeated multiple times.
How can I forget
The artist is struggling to move on from their feelings for the person they love.
When each face that I see
Every person the artist encounters reminds them of their loved one.
Brings back memories
These reminders trigger memories of the singer's time with their loved one.
Of being with you
These memories are centered around the artist's experiences with their loved one.
I just can't go on living life as I do
The singer is unable to move forward with their life because they are still hung up on their loved one.
Comparing each girl to you
The singer is constantly comparing other people they meet to the person they love.
Knowing they just won't do
The singer knows that no one else can replace their loved one.
They're not you
No one else can measure up to the person the artist loves.
You are everything and everything is you
Their loved one is everything to the artist and everything reminds them of their loved one.
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
This line is repeated to emphasize the singer's feelings.
Oh, oh, you are everything and everything is you
This line is repeated again for added emphasis.
Oh, oh you are everything and everything is you
This line is repeated a third time to further emphasize the artist's love and attachment to their loved one.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LINDA CREED, LINDA DIANE CREED, THOM BELL, THOMAS RANDOLPH BELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lizamorandi7877
You are beautiful
Not just because your eyes are
Although I know that's true, my love
You're beautiful because you're you
You are beautiful
Not just because your smile is
Although that's plain to see, my love
You're beautiful because you smile at me
And when I need a friend
Someone to pull me through
You are everything that I'll ever need
You are my strength
And like very few are
You are beautiful
Not just because your face is
Not just because of all the things you cannot buy
You are beautiful, beautiful
Because of what you are inside
You are beautiful, beautiful
Because of what you are inside
Woo...woo...ooh...ooh...
@josephsalvas3698
Our LOVED Ones Are ALWAYS So BEAUTIFUL TOGETHER When THEY LOVE THEM AND LOVE EACH OTHER EVERY MAN LOVES TO BE WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN THEY LOVE THEM AND WANT TO BE WITH THEM FOREVER AND ALWAYS IS THAT A BEAUTIFUL THING. VERY GOOD BEAUTIFUL LOVE SONG I LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL GOOD LOVE SONG. ❤️👍🙂
@sandradelamotta4982
Thanks for the dedication my love
@deano7674
How beautiful is this timeless.
@pastormaxmacattackjohnson6189
THE BEST GROUP OF THEIR TIME
❤
@sandycolley4084
Russell Thompkins Jr. One of the greatest voices I ever heard.
@henrivanbree6980
Beautiful soft soul song.
@lizamorandi7877
You are beautiful
Not just because your eyes are
Although I know that's true, my love
You're beautiful because you're you
You are beautiful
Not just because your smile is
Although that's plain to see, my love
You're beautiful because you smile at me
And when I need a friend
Someone to pull me through
You are everything that I'll ever need
You are my strength
And like very few are
You are beautiful
Not just because your face is
Not just because of all the things you cannot buy
You are beautiful, beautiful
Because of what you are inside
You are beautiful, beautiful
Because of what you are inside
Woo...woo...ooh...ooh...
@RobertLocksley385
Clowns: "You can't hear text". The Stylistics: "Please hold our drinks, friends". Well done and many thanks, Liza. You know what's going on.
@frankierobinsonsr277
70s at it's best....the best music....my time
@jntsfffreitas1644
❤