The Suffolk welcomes back one of the most iconic and enduring groups in R&B history, The Spinners, on Sunday, October 15, at 7 p.m. Timeless in a way that few other acts today are, and with a towering legacy spanning over six decades, The Spinners have never lost their universal appeal. In 2021, they returned with their first all-new original album, the aptly-titled, “Round the Block and Back Again.”
The group created and came to define the smooth sound of Philadelphia Soul, channeling the highs and lows of romance and heartbreak into a catalogue of classic hits beloved across generations. Throughout the years, The Spinners continue to top the pop, R&B and now adult contemporary charts with smash singles like, “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “Then Came You,” “The Rubberband Man” and many more — earning six Grammy Award nominations, 18 platinum and gold albums, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and selling millions of records worldwide in the process.
Though The Spinners popularized, and came to embody, the lush sound of Philly Soul in the 1970s, they got their start in Detroit at Motown, in 1954. The Spinners signed with Atlantic Records in 1972, teaming up with producer Thom Bell in Philadelphia, where the group blossomed under his masterful productions. The Spinners had another classic hit single, “Working My Way Back to You,” earning the group its 12th gold record. The “Love Trippin” album’s release included “Cupid,” one of the fastest-selling records in The Spinners’ career.
The Spinners have not skipped a single beat, as Round the Block and Back Again makes wonderfully clear. Melding intricate harmonies with breathtaking vocal acrobatics, the album, released August 27, shows The Spinners at their soulful, multi-octave best. The album was submitted in 2021 for a Grammy R&B nomination and the single “Cliché” for traditional R&B performance. Tickets for the show are $65 to $89 at thesuffolk.org. Suffolk Theater is at 118 East Main Street, Riverhead.
Staff Writer on Oct 2, 2023