New and Improved (The Spinners album)

1974 studio album by The Spinners

New and Improved

Studio album by

The Spinners

Released| December 1974
Studio| Sigma Sound, Philadelphia[1]
Genre| R&B
Length| 34:56
Label| Atlantic
Producer| Thom Bell
The Spinners chronology
| Mighty Love
(1974)  | New and Improved
(1974)  | Spinners Live!
(1975)

|
|

The Spinners studio albums chronology
| Mighty Love
(1974)  | New and Improved
(1974)  | Pick of the Litter
(1975)

|
|

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Christgau's Record Guide| B[3]
Tom Hull – on the Web| B+ ()[4]

New and Improved is the fifth album by American R&B group The Spinners, released in December 1974 on the Atlantic label. Like the Spinners' two previous Atlantic albums, New and Improved was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.

## History

[edit]

New and Improved became the Spinners' third consecutive R&B albums chart-topper and reached #9 on the Billboard 200, their first top 10 album on this chart. The album includes "Then Came You", featuring Dionne Warwick and the group's only single to top the Billboard Hot 100 (it was denied the top spot on the R&B chart by Kool & the Gang's "Higher Plane"), and the top 10 R&B singles "Living A Little, Laughing A Little" and "Sadie".

Track 3 titled "Then Came You", a duet with Dionne Warwick, was recorded first and released as a single in July 1974. The song was recorded in three stages. The rhythm track was recorded at Sigma Studios in Philadelphia. Then the lead vocals were recorded at the Beach Boys Studio in Los Angeles. Additional vocals, strings and horns were then added in Philadelphia.[5][6] The song also appears on Warwick's album of the same title which was released in 1975.

Track 6 titled "Sadie" was covered by R. Kelly on his 1993 debut solo album 12 Play.[2]

## Track listing

[edit]

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Sitting on Top of the World"| Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson| 4:42
2.| "Smile, We Have Each Other"| Simmons, Hawes, Jefferson| 4:30
3.| "Then Came You" (with Dionne Warwick)| Sherman Marshall, Phillip Pugh| 3:59
4.| "There's No One Like You"| Simmons, Hawes| 4:16

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

5.| "Living a Little, Laughing a Little"| Thom Bell, Linda Creed| 5:03
6.| "Sadie"| Simmons, Hawes, Jefferson| 5:26
7.| "Lazy Susan"| Bell, Creed| 3:34
8.| "I've Got to Make It on My Own"| Simmons, Hawes| 3:26

## Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of New and Improved.[1]

Musicians

* Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson – vocals
* Dionne Warwick – vocals on "Then Came You", track 3
* Linda Creed, Barbara Ingram, Carla L. Benson, Yvette Benson – backing vocals
* Tony Bell, Bobby Eli, Don Murray – guitar
* Thom Bell – keyboards
* Walter Pfeil – harp
* Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
* Don Renaldo – strings
* Andrew Smith – drums
* Larry Washington – congas, bongos
* Jack Faith – alto saxophone, flute
* Rocco Bene, Bobby Hartzell – trumpet
* Joe DeAngelis, Milt Phibbs, Danny Davis – French horn
* Freddie Joiner, Bobby Moore, Richie Genovese, Ed Cascarella – trombone
* Tom Kennery – steel guitar

Technical

* Don Murray, Jim Gallagher – recording engineer

## Charts

[edit]

Chart (1974)  | Peak
[7]

|

U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 9
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 1

Singles
Year  | Single  | Peak chart positions

|
|

[7] | US
R&B
[7] | US
A/C
[7] | UK
[8]
1974  | "Then Came You"  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 29
1975  | "Living a Little, Laughing a Little"  | 37  | 7  | -- | --
"Sadie"  | 54  | 7  | -- | --

## See also

[edit]

* List of number-one R&B albums of 1975 (U.S.)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b New and Improved (liner notes, 1995 Rhino reissue). The Spinners. Atlantic Records. 1974. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) Archive image 1 Archive image 2
2. ^ a b Hamilton, Andrew. New and Improved review at AllMusic. Retrieved October 16, 2011. Archive link
3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2019 - via robertchristgau.com.
4. ^ Hull, Tom (May 31, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
5. ^ John A. Jackson (2004). A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul. Oxford University Press. pp. 149–150\. ISBN 9780195149722. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
6. ^ Christian John Wikane (June 21, 2017). "'Still It Keeps Haunting You': Thom Bell Revisits the Dionne Warwick Sessions". PopMatters. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
7. ^ a b c d "AllMusic: The Spinners – awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
8. ^ "UK Charts – Detroit Spinners". The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017. Retrieved September 24, 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* New and Improved at Discogs (list of releases)

* v
* t
* e

The Spinners

* C.J. Jefferson
* Marvin Taylor
* Jessie Robert Peck
* Ronnie Moss

* Henry Fambrough
* Pervis Jackson
* Billy Henderson
* C. P. Spencer
* James Edwards
* Bobby Smith
* George Dixon
* Edgar Edwards
* G. C. Cameron
* Philippé Wynne
* John Edwards
* Frank Washington
* Harold "Spike" Bonhart
* Charlton Washington

Studio albums|

* The Original Spinners
* 2nd Time Around
* Spinners
* Mighty Love
* New and Improved
* Pick of the Litter
* Happiness Is Being with the Spinners
* Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow
* 8
* From Here to Eternally
* Dancin' and Lovin'
* Love Trippin'
* Labor of Love
* Can't Shake This Feeling
* Grand Slam
* Cross Fire
* Lovin' Feelings
* Down to Business
* At Their Best

Other albums|

* The Best of the Spinners (1973 album)
* Spinners Live!
* The Best of the Spinners (1978 album)
* The Spinners: Their Early Years

Singles|

* "That's What Girls Are Made For"
* "I'll Always Love You"
* "Truly Yours"
* "It's a Shame"
* "How Could I Let You Get Away"
* "I'll Be Around"
* "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love"
* "One of a Kind (Love Affair)"
* "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music"
* "Ghetto Child"
* "Mighty Love"
* "I'm Coming Home"
* "Then Came You"
* "Living a Little, Laughing a Little"
* "Sadie"
* "Games People Play"
* "The Rubberband Man"
* "Are You Ready for Love"
* "Working My Way Back to You"
* "Cupid"
* "Yesterday Once More"
* "Funny How Time Slips Away"
* "I'll Be Around"

Related articles|

* Discography

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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