Pick of the Litter (The Spinners album)

Pick of the Litter is the sixth studio album by American R&B group The Spinners, released in August 1975 on the Atlantic label. The album was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.

Pick of the Litter
Studio album by
The Spinners
ReleasedAugust 1975
RecordedSigma Sound Studios
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
GenreR&B
Length33:49
LabelAtlantic
ProducerThom Bell
The Spinners chronology
New and Improved
(1974)		 Pick of the Litter
(1975)		 Happiness Is Being with the Spinners
(1976)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]
Christgau's Record GuideA–[2]

History

Pick of the Litter is generally considered the last of the quartet of classic Bell-produced studio albums the Spinners released between 1973 and 1975, and to mark the end of the most creative phase of the group’s career – while future releases would have memorable moments, contemporary critical opinion is that none of the group’s later material matches the enduring quality and top-notch consistency of these four albums.

Pick of the Litter became the Spinners’ highest placing album on the Billboard 200, reaching number eight; however it was the group’s first Atlantic album to miss the top of the R&B albums chart, peaking at number two. The album includes the distinctive "Games People Play", one of the group’s signature songs, which became their fifth single to top the R&B chart and a top 5 hit on the Billboard singles chart. The second single "Love or Leave" also made the R&B top 10.

Although not credited on the album sleeve, "Just as Long as We Have Love" includes vocal contributions from Dionne Warwick.

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Honest I Do"Sherman Marshall, Philip Pugh, Thom Bell4:00
2."I Don't Want to Lose You"Linda Creed, Thom Bell3:42
3."Love or Leave"Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson4:59
4."Sweet Love of Mine"Vinnie Barrett, Bobby Eli4:20
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."All That Glitters Ain't Gold"Philip Terry, Theodore Life, Talmadge Conway3:47
6."You Made a Promise to Me"Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson3:56
7."Games People Play"Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons4:41
8."Just as Long as We Have Love"Vinnie Barrett, Bruce Hawes4:06

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1975) Peak
[3]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs 8
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs 2
Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions
US
[3]		 US
R&B
[3]		 US
A/C
[3]
1975 "Games People Play" 5 1 2
"Love or Leave" 36 8 —
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References
  1. Planer, Lindsay. Pick of the Litter review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. "US Charts > The Spinners". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
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