genre pop

“You Are Everything.” “Betcha by Golly, Wow.” “I’m Stone in Love With You.” And, of course, “You Make Me Feel Brand New.” Those are just a few of the harmonizing gems that helped seal The Stylistics’ reputation as one of R&B/pop’s legendary acts. Now the group is celebrating its 57th anniversary with its first new album in almost two decades, Falling in Love With My Girl.

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Released Friday (Feb. 21) through the label Greatest Music of All Time LLC, the 21-track album prefaced its arrival a week earlier with the soulful lead single “Yes, I Will” featuring Shania Twain. But the country superstar isn’t the only music luminary who collaborated on The Stylistics’ return with producer Tom Cridland and executive producer Debbie Cridland. Comprising that list of notables are the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, The Elton John Band (including Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone), Chicago’s Bill Champlin, ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, Toto’s Steve Lukather, Tower of Power, Ray Parker Jr., Jay Graydon, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, The Real Thing, Nathan East and Carly Paoli.

“Here we are, blessed and fortunate to still sell out concerts and now able to go back in the studio and do new music,” says The Stylistics’ Herb Murrell. “Especially after such a long period of time. It feels good to know that somebody out there still thinks about us having a market for new music.”

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It was when Murrell and fellow group members Airrion Love and Jason Sharp performed some shows in the U.K. a few years back that they first met Tom Cridland, who was their opening act. Then this past year, Tom did an entire tour with the group — which also performed at the Cridlands’ wedding reception. And out of that camaraderie, the seeds were sown for a new album.

THE STYLISTICS

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“We have an established sound,” says Murrell. “So when working with anyone, you want to make sure that they don’t try to change your sound. The songs that Tom was bringing to the table had that Stylistics flavor with a new approach to it. That was the most important thing, which he understood while staying within what we’re known for: love songs.”

Case in point is the heartfelt “Yes, I Will.” Initially invited to sing on another song, Twain suggested “Yes,” which she had co-written with Nathan East with a contribution from Tom Cridland. Of the song, which also features musicians Ray Parker Jr. and Steve Lukather, Twain said in an earlier press announcement, “I’m so happy this song has found a home on The Stylistics album. It’s a special song that came together on one special day at my home where I was hanging out with some friends and musicians. I’m just really excited to share it with the whole world.”

“Once we heard it, we knew it was a great song,” Murrell tells Billboard. “Then the next thing you know, Tom is coming back to us saying this person and that person wants to be involved with the project.”

Most of the album tracks were written by Tom Cridland together with Anthony King of Blackpool and King’s wife, Fiona Shaw. Two tracks were written by The Stylistics’ Love: “Sad Tomorrows” and “I Get a Feeling.”

Love and Murrell are the original members of The Stylistics, which began as a quintet in Philadelphia in 1968. The group was signed to Avco Records when its run of indelible ‘70s hits — in collaboration with legendary songwriters Thom Bell and Linda Creed — began, including “I’m Stone in Love With You,” “Break Up to Make Up” and “People Make the World Go Round.” In 1980 The Stylistics segued to Philadelphia International Records, where they scored another hit with “Hurry Up This Way Again.” All told, the group boasts five gold singles and three gold albums, while their songs have been covered or sampled by the likes of Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye, Prince, Simply Red, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Nas and Usher

A trio since the departure of member Russell Thompkins Jr. in 2000, The Stylistics welcomed Sharp in 2011. Of the group’s enduring appeal, Murrell says, “When you walk out on that stage, your audience will let you know whether you’re still relevant or not. But we’ve been blessed because multiple generations of people are still coming to see The Stylistics and hear this music. And that keeps us going.”