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Soul Classics brings you the smooth sound of “Philadelphia Soul,” plus a diverse range of songs from doo wop to Motown, performed by The Spinners, The Delfonics, and The Legendary Blue Notes.
Timeless in a way that few other acts today are, The Spinners are one of the most iconic and enduring groups in R&B history. With a towering legacy spanning over six decades, The Spinners topped the charts, with smash singles like, “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” “The Rubberband Man'' and many more. In 2021, they returned with their first all-new original album, the aptly titled, “Round the Block and Back Again” which makes wonderfully clear that The Spinners are at their soulful, multi-octave best.
One of the first groups to popularize the “Philadelphia Sound,” The Delfonics are known for the classic "La La Means I Love You,” a song that set off a string of hits lasting into the mid-'70s. The group’s music remains influential on pop culture.
Plus Arthur Aikens, better known as Sugar Bear, has been singing lead vocals of all the Blue Notes songs in the same Teddy Pendergrass (if not better) sultry voice for over thirty-five years. His vocal excellence creates a spell binding, soul stirring performance. Among the Blue Notes' most notable recordings are love songs such as "If You Don't Know Me by Now,” their breakout single, "I Miss You,” and socially conscious songs such as "Wake Up Everybody.”
The Legendary Blue Notes
Arthur Aikens, better known as Sugar Bear, has been singing lead vocals of all the Blue Notes Notes songs in the same Teddy Pendergrass (if not better) sultry voice for over thirty-five years. His vocal excellence creates a spell binding, soul stirring performance.
The Spinners
Timeless in a way that few other acts today are, The Spinners are one of the most iconic and enduring groups in R&B history. 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 catalog 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 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”, topping the Pop and R&B charts, earning the group its 12th gold record. The “The Love Trippin" album’s release included “Cupid,” one of the fastest-selling records in The Spinners’ career. The follow-up album, Labor of Love, featured such stand-out tunes as “Yesterday Once More,” and “Long Live Soul Music.”
Four decades later The Spinners have not skipped a single beat as “Round the Block and Back Again” makes wonderfully clear, showing The Spinners at their soulful, multi-octave best.
The Delfonics
The Delfonics were one of the first groups to sing in the sleek, soulful style that became popularized (thanks to producer Thom Bell) as the "Philadelphia sound." A vocal trio made up of brothers William and Wilbert Hart and high school friend Randy Cain, the Delfonics' roots go back to doo wop singing at school dances in the early '60s. They were well-known in the Philly area for their supple, airtight harmonic talent, which brought them to the attention of record producers, eventually landing them a contract with Cameo-Parkway. While their early records brought them little if any notice, it did bring them to the attention of producer/arranger Thom Bell, who signed the band to his soon-to-be influential soul label Philly Groove. Right from the start, this was a perfect match as the band released the classic "La La Means I Love You" in 1968, a song that set off a string of hits lasting into the mid-'70s. The group’s music remains influential. Their songs have been sampled numerous times by hip hop producers and they have been featured on several movie soundtracks.
