By Caleb (171.75.81.118) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 02:18 pm:

Bobby,did you ever get to sit in the control room and watch and hear Phillippe do a vocal.If so,it must of been such a joy.

By Eli (151.197.38.58) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 02:35 pm:

Yess. I witnessed Mighty Love, Sadie and Love dont love nobody....Whew!!!!

Also on another note, while in L.A. I witnessed Jeffrey Osborne doing we deserve each other's love, effortsly I must add.

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 03:32 pm:

Eli - My father never noticed the Spinners until Phillippe did those songs.

Jeffrey Osborne was fantastic. He did not get the stardom he deserved.

By Eli (151.197.38.58) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 03:47 pm:

Phillipe should have remained with the Spinners but ego got inthe way.
When you have a proven winning team you stick with it. They both needed one another.

Jeffrey Osborne was and is much under appreciated and is a true original and one helluve nice guy and a fellow Piscean (March 9th)

By Caleb (171.75.81.92) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 04:45 pm:

Mighty Love,Good Night,that's one of the ones I was thinking about.So what happened when he left the Spinners?Didn't he hook up with George Clinton's Parliament for a while?

By Greg C. (207.103.134.38) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 04:52 pm:

Phillipe initially had a solo release on the Cotillion label called "Starting All Over." It flopped and was so bad you couldn't give it away.

He hooked up with George Clinton and Co. later. "Knee Deep" was the song that got him over with that crew. Didn't he die of a heart attack shortly thereafter?

By Scratcher (65.238.127.216) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 05:08 pm:

Philipe also had a single and album produced by Bunny Sigler on Sugar Hill Records.

By Wonder B (217.128.156.67) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 10:51 am:

Yes he had those songs on Sugarhill just before he died...
The name of the solo album he did while with P-Funk is "Wynne Jammin"... it was on the short lived UNCLE JAM label...

Wonder B

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 11:46 pm:

I believe the only song worthy of mention from that LP was "Hats Off To Mama". It got moderate airplay...simply because of the name recognition.

By DJ (130.156.140.2) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 11:56 pm:

"You Aint Going Anywhere But Gone" uptempo Jam by the late Great Phillipe "Soul" Wynne, on Sugar Hill records 1983 produced and written by Bunny Sigler.

Powerful, flexible and equally talented vocalist John Edwards did an excellent job taking over the lead position in the Spinners.

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 01:43 am:

Edwards may be flexible....but no replacement for Phillipe !! His sound is too "churchy" (for lack of a better term) for The Spinners sound. (At least the *sound* that Thom Bell had masterminded.)

By freddyflat5 (68.73.5.29) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 03:23 pm:

Check out a Gene Dunlap album on Capitol Records, around '83 or so..Phillipe's best post-Spinners effort, if you asked me..... (you may remember Gene as drummer for the great Grant Green, when he (Gene) was 15 years old, I might add!..also Earl Klugh, Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, to name a few...)
The tune was called "Somethin'Inside of My Head", and I've seen it on internet download sites as of late. It was great work.

By Marcel (62.194.44.181) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 05:27 pm:

Philippé Wynne was before he joined the Spinners the lead singer in a group called The Complete Strangers. This group which came from Cincinatti was founded and led by the Collins Brothers better known as Bootsy and Phelps Collins recorded one single only "Fun in my thang". Philippé was aked to join the Spinners. He took the job. Later he asked Bootsy if they would like to become the Spinners back up band. But they decided to go on their own and formed the "House Guests". The rest is history. Wynne later re-joined the P-Funk Camp to record for Funkadelic and to do his solo album on Uncle Jam Records "Wynne Jammin'".

By JSmith (195.93.50.10) on Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 01:59 am:

Sorry but heres a different thread for Bobby to illuminate.
Bobby, what can you remember about Free Spirit who you wrote for & cut on Chess in 74 (group members, etc?). Was this the same outfit that backed up Leroy Hutson on his 76(?) Curtom outing do you know ??
ALSO.. were you involved with Charles Mann's recordings in Philly (?). His 1973 ABC outings
(at least on Euro pressing) come in pic covers
proclaiming 'the super soul sound from Philadelphia'. As these cuts were overseen by his usual producer, the non Philly based Dave Crawford, was it just his music tracks that were laid down in Philly (arranger Norman Harris) or did Dave & Charles make the trip to be in the city of brotherly love studio as well?

By Eli (141.152.248.73) on Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 03:28 am:

JS...

The group Free Spirit recorded two singles for Chess. They were Mr Fix it man and Love you just as long as I can.
Love you just... was technically the very first record that Tom Moulton "mixed" by editing two single versios together and inserting part of the tv track in the middle and it was that record and Judy Weinstein that I met him.
The only two group members that I can remember are lead singer the late Tony Sharpe formerly of Tony and the Masquins on Ruthie records and tenor Robert Irwin.
They were not the Curtom group.
They were a phenomenal harmony group but politics prevented anything great to happen.

Charles Mann's Say you love me too was one of my favorites as was the entire album and Dave Crawford was on of my favorite people!!
The whole project was cut in Philly.

By Heikki (62.71.79.239) on Sunday, June 15, 2003 - 04:44 am:

Hi!
When Philippe Wynne joined Bootsy's band, they were called the Pacemakers. First they were called the Pacesetters, but they had to change their name as there already existed another recording group by that name.
Bootsy (for Soul Express # 1/2003): I met Phil 'Soul' Walker, who the world knows as Philippe Wynne, at a club in Cincy. We were playing one night and he came up and wanted to sit in and sing a few songs. From that night on he was hired. This was the year 1968, before we got with James Brown..."
For about one year Philippe was on his own again, when Bootsy and the boys replaced James Brown's Dapps.
Bootsy: "Once we left Mr. Brown, we called ourselves the Houseguests, formerly the J.B.'s, and Philippe was back with us then..."
After that Philippe went with the Spinners and Bootsy with George Clinton.
Bootsy: "after leaving Funkadelic in 1973 I felt we had been all over the world with James Brown and George Clinton and we're still 'complete strangers', so that's what I called the group."
Best regards
Heikki
http://www.soulexpress.net

By DJ (130.156.140.2) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 12:23 am:

The Spinners had three great lead singers in that fifth position. The versatile Mr. G.C.cameron, Mr. Ad lib the showstopper Phillipe Wynne, and the Dynamic Mr. John Edwards. In response to an earlier post, John Edwards More then filled the shoes of Phillipe Wynne in the Spinners, he extended their legacy with the biggest hit of their career "Working My Way Back to You". This same phenominal vocalist brought them "Cupid" and more than made his stamp on the Spinners. Have you heard "Funny How Time Slips Away" and witnessed this great talent perform it live in Concert.

I recall a concert in Philly with The Spinners in 1982 featuring both Philippe Wynne and John Edwards. It was Mr. Edwards as the vocalist that shined.

John Edwards is to the Spinners what Dennis Edwards is to The Temptations with the flexibility of an Ali-ollie Woodson.

Shall we start a Spinners thread?

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 02:12 am:

DJ, my learned comrade...I still must disagree. (Though we know all about opinions...how everybody's got one & most of 'em stink.) I*M*HO, after having owned both of J.E.'s solo albums and having seen both he and Phillipe perform with the Spinners...I still have to give the nod to "Soulwalker" Wynne. Maybe it's just a personal preference. On top of his voice...he also brought more excitement and a dynamic that J.E. could never bring. In terms of their hits (*both* of 'em) with JE, it was "crossover"....they were hitting a totally different demographic then...one that probably viewed them as a "nostalgia act". The people that loved "One Of A Kind" were NOT the same peeps diggin' "Workin' My Way Back To You". And the JE is to the Spinners as Dennis is to The Temptations ?? C'mon now.....apples & oranges ! Dennis is recognized as *THE* voice on a number of Temps songs....while JE is the lead on two "lesser" songs (in terms of hits and recognition) by the Spinners....and remakes at that !!

By John Barry Sheffield (195.92.168.169) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 04:18 am:

I have to agree about PHILLIP! who needed lyrics when He was Around!!

John

By An Inquiring Mind (171.75.81.10) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 04:22 am:

What does that mean,"who needed lyrics"?

By Rich (162.33.234.154) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 09:40 am:

Heikki, thanks for setting the record straight on Bootsy & Phillipe.

Phillipe doesn't really jump in "Knee Deep" until past the 10 minute mark. The better place to hear him with P-Funkadelic is on the album's title cut (Uncle Jam) or on the twelve-minute re-make of Funkadelic's "Never Gonna Tell it", which is included on GC's new compilation, Six Degrees of P-Funk.

Phillipe was a dynamo for sure and the interplay and contrast of styles between Bobbie Smith & Phillipe on Spinners cuts like "One of a Kind" & "Ghetto Child" make the vocals all the more dynamic. I remember watching the Spinners perform "Mighty Love" on TV a couple of times and part of the routine was their James-Brown-like ending where the four other vocalists would carry Phillipe off stage for refusing to quit, he'd shake himself loose and run back out there and never stop singing 'til they finally got him all the way off stage.

Phillipe Wynne - R.I.P.

By WaltBaby (152.163.252.68) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 03:41 pm:

In reponse to the question "What does 'Who needed lyrics' mean? When a person deviates from the lyrical content of a song by adlibbing and does it well it adds to the spontaneity of a performance. Mostly this is derived from the church and is something that not anyone can successfully do. Phillipe has repeatedly shown this ability in the studio and on stage. This ingedient is one which makes him unique and IMHO is the difference or x-factor that drove the Spinners, Funkadelic and probably anyone else he performed with.

By Eli (141.151.85.235) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 03:57 pm:

For me, Phillipe was the MASTER ad libber!!

By stephanie (64.63.221.59) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 03:58 pm:

No matter what Mr Wynne's problems were I think he was a vocal virtuouso. A friend of mine read somewhere that Thom Bell had to fire him because of his ego in the Spinners...nevertheless he had a great voice as ALL of the Spinners do.
Stephanie

By Eli (141.151.85.235) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 04:24 pm:

Hi Steph..
Thom had no authority as to who was in the group.
The group let him go for that reason and it is a cryng shame.
John was ok but his style , in my opinion was in the line of the Gospel Keynotes and the Gospelaires of Dayton Ohio.
Most of the acts of the day and more so now have and had massive ego problems.
It is just human nature and part of the game, unfortunately.

By RickC (64.236.224.52) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 04:57 pm:

Hi Bobby,

Great site, great info. How about this; just heard Rhino are putting out a 3CD box set of the Spinners called 'The Chrome Collection' due Mid July. Features great stuff from the first Tr-Phi single, thru some of the Motown material and the rest Atlantic repertoire up to 1984...

By Scratcher (65.238.172.114) on Tuesday, June 17, 2003 - 05:07 pm:

Other than "That's What Girls Are Made For" the Spinners Tri-Phi stuff is disappointing. The cuts sounded dated even for the early sixties when they came out. Strictly doo wop, almost a clone of what the Satintones were doing at Motown around the same time. They cut more singles than any other Tri-Phi/Harvey artist but their labelmates: the Quails, Challengers Three, Junior Walker & the All Stars, and Shorty Long all cut better sounding tracks.

By Eli (141.151.85.235) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 01:13 am:

I was honored to have the Spinners record one of my songs on the Pick of the litter album called Sweet love of mine , led by Bobbie Smith.
Babbitt and Andy played on it. It was later covered by Mathis. Another great honor indeed!!

By Caleb (171.75.81.66) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 02:07 am:

That was a real nice version of your tune Bobby on that Johnny Mathis album.

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 02:29 am:

Eli: "Pick of The Litter" is NEVER far from my grasp....and "Sweet Love of Mine" (because of the twists & turns of romance at the time) one of my favorite songs on that project. The liner notes state that you and Vinnie wrote that in one day ??? I guess when it flows....

Another favorite Philly writing team was Jefferson/Hawes/Simmons. In a previous thread you mentioned the passing of Bruce Hawes....are Joseph Jefferson and Charles Simmons still with us ? I loved their work with the Spinners and... New York City (which is the 2nd part of this "Whatever happened to..." question.

Thanks..

By John Barry Sheffield (195.92.168.166) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 02:53 am:

Hi An Inquiring mind, the SIR BOBBI ELI in my books answered your question for me Phillip Wynne was and is THE MASTER OF AD-LIBBING!

Bobbi that track of your on the Spinners bring "tears" to my eyes" each time, I sit here in front of the screen with my jaw dropped like a kid on Christmas Day every time I read Yoiur "posts" what a True Gent, it is such a pleasure to share these memories with you and a "Gift"

Thanks

John

By dvdmike (65.208.234.61) on Wednesday, June 18, 2003 - 06:54 am:

Bruce Hawes passed away?

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 09:37 pm:

Just takin back to the top so Eli can respond....

By Eli (151.197.217.213) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 10:41 pm:

I never said that Bruce has passed.
He is very much still here with us.
I just spoke with him two weeks ago.


Regarding the legnth of time we take to write a song:
Most of the stuff that I have written or co-writen was done so anywhere from one to two hours tops from idea to completion.
If it feels right it will practically write itself!!

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 12:00 am:

Oooops...I must have mis-read or mis-interpreted the post I referred to. Not at all trying to rush anyone into the "here-after".... My apologies !
(I'll contact you off-line to see where I got "bass-ackwards")

Now...whatever became of Tim McQueen & New York City ?

By P.M.Berton (208.39.161.193) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 10:31 am:

1Wicked you mentioned John Edwards in an earlier post. Any word on what he is up to these days. He's a superior vocalist. I found him to be a much more polished singer than Phillipe. Although I like them both, and enjoy all eras of the Spinners music.

By Heikki (62.71.79.239) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 01:22 pm:

Hi!
I called to his wife about a month ago. He's getting better. But the most interesting part was that his wife had received a telephone call from Sam Moore's wife and she didn't know what the heck was that all about. That was right after we had a discussion over here over helping John Edwards.
Best regards
Heikki

By Eli (151.197.64.135) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 01:42 pm:

It was Bruce GRAy who passed away in jail from an un attended asthma attack and believe me, it was a shock to all of the Philly music community.

By Kdubya (206.126.224.7) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 06:15 pm:

1wicked what did happen to New York City ? Let me answer this way: The Spinners. There is no mistaking that NYC were the originators of the trademark TB Spinner sound. The Spinners with the addition of Philipe Wynne simply took the sound and group to that level of perfection where it became theirs. Great observation about a group that should have been bigger. I would love to know the in's and outs about NYC...thanks for the reminder.

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 06:21 pm:

Heikki,
Joyce Moore knows John Edwards, and was inquiring about his health, that's all that was about. She was concerned about him.

By Heikki (62.71.79.239) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 02:00 am:

Sue!
I know Joyce. I met her here in Finland in 1982. This inquiry came only after we had this discussion about Sam's health on this forum. Only after that there was a call from Joyce in her answering machine (I'm sorry, I was wrong here in the sequence of things). She didn't answer, but asked me what is this all about.
Best regards
Heikki

By Heikki (62.71.79.239) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 02:50 am:

Sorry Sue!
Not Sam's but John's.

By Heikki (62.71.79.239) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 09:15 am:

Hi Sue!
This thing started bothering me. I just called to John! I stand corrected.
John knows Joyce from the 70s and she really is a lady, who is worried about him. His wife wasn't that much aware of this connection.
My apologies.
Best regards
Heikki

By Sue (152.163.252.68) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 09:19 am:

No problem, Heikki...

Sometimes wives don't always understand when women call, I know that from experience (laugh).

But also, John's illness was widely known, he'd been ill a long time and Joyce knew about it before I did and well before anyone here discussed it.

Joyce wanted to make sure he was getting all the health insurance he's entitled to.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Saturday, June 21, 2003 - 03:02 pm:

I still get chills listening to Might Love--did Phillipe ad lib some his singing in the studio for that?I cannot bear to listen to Workin My Way...it just curdles my blood its so pop and weak--not the Spinners I love as a kid and later.

By John Barry Sheffield (195.92.168.165) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 02:09 am:

Working My Way back To You, was on the Radio last night, and I though, all the vocals are female except a little of Phillipe at the end! reminded me of some Four Tops Tracks and the Adanties, why when the other Guys had real good vocals ????

John

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 03:56 am:

Thanks for the correction Eli...I obviously got my Bruces twisted.

Kdubya...you're probably 100% correct regarding the situation with New York City...but Tim McQueen was such an outstanding vocalist, one would think he would have landed a solo contract somewhere or fronting another group. Songs like "Happiness Is", "I've Had Enough", "Can't Survive Without My Sweets", "Do You Remember Yesterday", and "Got To Get You Back In My Life" were incredibly well crafted tunes...and on a par with the Spinners best ballads. This was great Philly soul !

John Barry Sheffield: "WMWBTY" is a post-Phillipe tune. That's John Edwards on lead with a little Pervis thrown in.

By John Barry Sheffield (195.92.168.168) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 09:55 am:

Thanks 1Wicked that is true with just a LITTLE Pervis thrown in and loads of female vocals, why with so many male vocalists in a Group like the Spinners - one for Bobbi ????

John

By Eli (141.151.90.50) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 10:10 am:

It was a "Philly " production touch.
And in all honesty most of those records needed the girls to supplement the harmony.
As I have stated before, most of the male groups did not sing on their own sessions because the records had to be spot on harmony wise so professionals had to be used.
The Spinners were an exception.

By Diego (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 11:32 am:

Bobby--thanks for that info on the girl harmony singers for the "Philly" production touch. I've wondered about that too. Were there different sets of these girls--I remember Carla something and Yvette Benson? on many Philly records.

By Eli (141.151.90.50) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 11:46 am:

They were the late Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Yvette Benson.
From 1972 on they were THE female backing singers in Philly.
The guys were usually Phil Hurtt, Carl Helm, Ron Tyson and Bunny Sigler.

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 01:01 pm:

MFSB and The Sweethearts of Sigma.....truly sumpn' special !! BTW Eli...(to the best of your recollection) is there a "Sweeties" album in the can somewhere ? That rumor has persisted for years...

By RS (151.204.38.119) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 02:13 pm:

Dorothy and Deborah Clement "The Twins" also did a lot of uncredited back up work.

By John Barry Sheffield (195.92.168.167) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 02:25 pm:

Thanks Bobbi" for the information on the female backing vocals and male!! - I know this is off topic but I manahed a Boy Band for four year from Liverpool and the first time I too them into the studio for BMG in London the Producer asked me why I had brought the other three boys and not just the lead singer, my answer was they sing!!

John

By stephanie (64.63.221.205) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 07:15 pm:

I know that My Wynne was the master of ad libs and I totally agree but when John took his place and had the hits with Cupid and Working My Way Back to you if he had had more hits with the Spinners I think that he would not be compared to Phillipe so much..Ihope John gets better..
Stephanie

By Caleb (171.75.84.79) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 07:19 pm:

John Edwards did some nice vocal work on the Spinners 8 album.He also got into it on If You Wanna Do A Dance(All Night).He had his place vocally.

By Vandelron (24.44.20.172) on Sunday, June 22, 2003 - 07:48 pm:

Didnt barbara Ingram do some solo work too?(records)

By DJ (130.156.140.2) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 02:08 am:

1wicked if I should call you by name. The Phenominal John Edwards recorded some really beautiful sides with the Spinners and is every bit as good as any lead singer the Spinners have.
"I Found An Angel"
"So Far Away'and many more.

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - 02:51 am:

DJ: I try to lend an impartial ear..especially when it comes down to an issue of personnel changes, but I guess I am locked in to the way the Spinners sounded with Phillipe...his ad libs & high energy in contrast to Bobby's sweet tenor. Their's was a highly polished sound (to me), and John Edwards' vocals were overall more (for lack of a better word) "gritty". I don't deny Mr. Edward's vocal prowess (I owned both Cotillion solo albums !!)....I just didn't care for it in terms of the almost trademarked Spinners sound.
Maybe, for me, it's the interpretation of a song. Take the song "Sadie" for example: I heard both gentlemen perform it live...and there was no comparison ! The interpretations were completely different...and (IMHO), Mr. Edwards version left much to be desired. I don't know how many songs in the Spinners Atlantic catalog were written specifically for Phillipe...but most are clearly identifiable because of his unique styling...and JE just doesn't bring that to the Spinners table.

Just one man's opinion...

By DJ (130.156.140.2) on Tuesday, July 01, 2003 - 02:03 am:

1wicked. When John first joined the Spinners he almost had to sound like phillipe on songs like "Heaven on Earth So Fine" because those songs were written in Phillipe style.

But when a new singer comes in sometimes a switch in style is what helps extend the legacy of the group. After all you can only squeeze out so many hits singing just one style before the well runs dry.

John Edwards was a refreshing change for the Spinners. Just as Dennis and Ali for the Tempts.

When I saw Phillipe and John together on stage, Phillipe was skitin' skatin' huffin and puffin and became quite tiresome. Edwards on the other hand sang songs like "Funny How Time Slips Away" hit that high note and blew everybody away. This was the same audience that enjoyed Phillipe for all those years. All brothas and sistas. Not a nostalgic audience as you mentioned in an earlier post. I know what I saw and I'm just calling it like I see it. Edwards blew Phillipe off the stage. Don't get me wrong, I like them both, but it was Edwards night in Philly that night.

By RS (152.163.252.68) on Sunday, July 06, 2003 - 02:00 pm:

The Spinners are a great group.

By Lonnie Cook (198.81.26.170) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 09:24 am:

'Edwards blew Phillipe off the stage'

I just saw this and cannot imagine what kind of vocalist this statement came from. That one high note, Star Search, American Idol mentality is what has given us the no talented crop of moaners and groaners that we have to deal with and endure on the radio today. John never fit in with the group. If they were so good with him as replacement why did they not have more than two hits (both hyped to the public). I made this statement before and I make it again, 'If the powers that be promoted the Phillipe Spinners like they tried to promote the Edwards contingent, Phils hits would have sold ten times more' It doesn't take a genius to see why weak material represented their only Pop Chart successes. They burned the candle on both ends trying to force that watered down sound on those that had come to expect great things from a group that was formerly a musical doormat at Motown. They were always great vocalist from fifties day one but having great voices alone doesn't make hits. The Spinners, with Phil, Thom,and many other musical ingredients were a total package that fell apart when John grabbed the Mike. Why did Thom Bell stop working with them? Why have they gone 21 yrs and not had another hit? Hasn't John been singing that high note most of those 21 yrs?