The Stylistics are an American Philadelphia soul group that achieved their greatest chart success in the 1970s. They formed in 1968, with a lineup of singers Russell Thompkins Jr., Herb Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their U.S. hits were ballads characterized by the falsetto of Russell Thompkins Jr. and the production of Thom Bell. During the early 1970s, the group had twelve consecutive R&B top ten hits including "Stop, Look, Listen", "You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up", "People Make the World Go Round" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New". They had five gold singles and three gold albums.

Career

Early years

The Stylistics were created from two Philadelphia groups, the Percussions and the Monarchs. The two bands attended the same high school. The Stylistics was first conceived when Airrion Love's English teacher, Beverly Hamilton, suggested the two bands merge. Russell Thompkins Jr., James Smith, and Airrion Love came from the Monarchs. James Dunn and Herb Murrell were in the Percussions. The name "the Stylistics" came from their guitar player Robert Douglas. In 1970, the group recorded "You're a Big Girl Now", a song their road manager Marty Bryant co-wrote with Robert Douglas, a member of their backing band Slim and the Boys, and the single became a regional hit for Sebring Records. The Stylistics auditioned for Bell, but he was initially unimpressed.

Their hits from the period which are on three albums included "Betcha by Golly, Wow" (U.S. No. 3), "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" (U.S. No. 5), "You Make Me Feel Brand New" featuring Thompkins singing a lead vocal duet with Airrion Love, "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)", "You Are Everything" and the Top 20 pop chart hit "Rockin' Roll Baby" (U.S. No. 14). "You Make Me Feel Brand New", the group's biggest U.S. hit, holding at No. 2 for two weeks in 1974, was one of the group's five U.S. gold singles, and was nominated for a Grammy Award that year in the category Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus.

The Stylistics also found a path on to adult contemporary airwaves, 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. Every single that Bell produced for the Stylistics was a Top Ten R&B hit, and several—"You Are Everything", "Betcha by Golly Wow!", "I'm Stone in Love with You", "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New"—were also Top Ten pop chart hits. Further success with "Sing Baby Sing", "Na Na Is the Saddest Word", "Funky Weekend" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" continued the group's European popularity. Nevertheless, the group continued, recruiting new member Raymond Johnson, but Johnson departed in 1985, leaving the group as a trio. Love, Murrell, and Thompkins continued to tour until 2000, when Thompkins, Jr. left the group.

In 2000, singer Eban Brown (formerly of the Delfonics, the Manhattans, and Ray, Goodman and Brown) replaced Thompkins as lead singer. That same year, tenor singer Van Fields, who had previously sung with the A Cappella group "A Perfect Blend", joined, enabling the Stylistics to grow from a trio back to a quartet. The group was featured live on the DVD The Stylistics Live at the Convocation Center (2006), as well as with other artists of the 1970s on the DVD, 70s Soul Jam.

In 2004, after having left the Stylistics in 2000, former lead singer Thompkins launched his own group called Russell Thompkins Jr, & the New Stylistics, returning with former member Johnson, plus James Ranton and Jonathan Buckson. They were featured on the DVD Old School Soul Party Live!, which was part of the PBS My Music series. In 2010, they released an album entitled That Same Way by LAC Management. In 2011, Fields departed from the group after 11 years, due to creative differences, and was replaced by singer Jason Sharp.

In January 2018, after 18 years with the Stylistics, Brown, who is also a jazz guitarist and composer, announced his departure to concentrate on his solo career. He since performed at venues in the States and overseas as a solo artist. Brown was initially replaced by Michael Muse, and after a few months, he was replaced by former Temptation Barrington "Bo" Henderson. In 2018, the Stylistics celebrated their 50th anniversary in the music industry. The accomplishment was acknowledged at venues throughout the year during their 50th anniversary tour in the U.S. and overseas.

As of 2024, the remaining members of the original group, Love and Murrell (joined by Jason Sharp, a newer member) are still performing, continuing the Stylistics' legacy with their unit, while Thompkins and his New Stylistics continue to perform as well. James Smith and James Dunn are retired from singing.

Members

;

Current members

  • Airrion Love – baritone (1968–present)
  • Herb Murrell – baritone (1968–present)
  • The Stylistics were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.
  • The Stylistic were inducted into the National R&B Music Society's Atlantic City Walk of Fame, on Monday, April 28, 2025, in Brighton Park. Russell Thompkins Jr., Airron Love, Herb Murrell, James Smith and James Dunn are the inductees. Ray, Goodman & Brown, Blue Magic, Jean Carne and Phyllis Hyman were also inducted.

RIAA Gold certifications

Between January 1972 and August 1974 the Stylistics had five gold singles and three gold albums.

Albums

  • February 16, 1973 - The Stylistics
  • June 14, 1973 - Round 2
  • August 12, 1974 - Let's Put It All Together

Singles

  • January 3, 1972 - "You Are Everything"
  • April 17, 1972 - "Betcha by Golly Wow"
  • December 13, 1972 - "I'm Stone in Love with You"
  • April 6, 1973 - "Break Up to Make Up"
  • May 22, 1974 - "You Make Me Feel Brand New"

Film and television appearances

The Stylistics television appearances. <br>

Top of the Pops<br>

The Stylistics appeared 10 times on Top of the Pops between 1972 and 1978.

  • Episode #15.14 (1978)
  • Episode #14.39 (1977)
  • Episode #14.15 (1977)
  • Episode #14.13 (1977)
  • Episode #13.16 (1976)
  • Top of the Pops '75: Part 2 (1975)
  • Episode #11.18 (1974)
  • Episode #11.4 (1974)
  • Episode #9.42 (1972)
  • Episode #9.30 (1972)

The Mike Douglas Show<br>

The Stylistics appeared six times on the show between 1972 and 1978.

  • Episode #17.219 (1978)
  • Episode #15.217 (1976)
  • Episode #15.143 (1976)
  • Episode #14.155 (1975)
  • Episode #14.40 (1974)
  • Episode #12.80 (1972)

The Midnight Special<br>

The Stylistics appeared in four episodes of the show.

  • 4th appearance (1974)
  • 3rd appearance (1973)
  • 2nd appearance (1973)
  • 1st appearance (1973)

Soul Train<br>

The Stylistic appeared in two episodes of Soul Train.

  • Episode #10.15 (1984)
  • Episode #3.27 (1974)

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

  • Episode #17.9 (2009)

Showtime at the Apollo

  • Episode #17.15 (2004)

Sinbad's "Soul Music Festival: Part 5 1999"

  • The Stylistics appeared on the TV Special that took place in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and was aired on HBO

The Vera Lynn Show

  • Episode #2.1 (1975)

Saturday Night Live<br>

In 1975, the Stylistics appeared on the 1st season of Saturday Night Live.

  • Episode #1.8 (1975)

The Dinah Shore Show<br>

The Stylistics appeared on the first season of The Dinah Shore Show.

  • Episode #1.181 (1974)

Your Hit Parade

  • Episode #2 (1974)

Don Kirshner's Rock Concert

  • Episode #2.3 (1974)

60s and 70s Soul Celebration (My Music Presents) (PBS)

  • November 30, 2024

See also

  • List of soul musicians
  • List of R&B musicians
  • List of disco artists (S-Z)
  • List of people from Philadelphia
  • Music of Philadelphia
  • List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
  • List of guests appearing on The Midnight Special
  • List of performers on Top of the Pops

References

  • Official website