"Original Album Series" by THE DETROIT SPINNERS [aka SPINNERS in the USA] (March 2010 UK Atlantic/Rhino Remastered 5CD Capacity Wallet) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Mighty Love..."

Aping the success of Sony's similarly packaged 5CD box sets "Original Classic Albums" - WEA/Rhino has released a huge swath of these "Original Album Series" Box Sets since 2010 - and this dinky DETROIT SPINNERS 5CD set was amongst the first 40. And a bit of a Soul winner it is too. Here are the Mighty Love details...

UK released, Monday 1 March 2010 - "Original Album Series" by THE DETROIT SPINNERS [aka SPINNERS] on Atlantic/Rhino 8122 79837 8 (Barcode 081227983789) is a Remastered 5CD Capacity Wallet with Mini LP Repro Artwork Card Sleeves that breaks down as follows:

Disc 1 (40:54 minutes):

1. Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind

2. Just You And Me Baby

3. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You

4. I Could Never (Repay Your Love)

5. I'll Be Around

6. One Of A Kind (Love Affair)

7. We Belong Together

8. Ghetto Child

9. How Could I Let You Get Away

10. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love

Tracks 1 to 10 is the album "Spinners" - released April 1973 on Atlantic SD 7256 in the USA and Atlantic K 40477 in the UK [see Note re Band Name Credits]

Disc 2 (37:33 minutes):

1. Since I Been Gone

2. Ain't No Price On Happiness

3. I'm Glad You Walked Into My Life

4. I'm Coming Home

5. He'll Never Love You Like I Do

6. Love Has Gone Away

7. Love Don't Love Nobody

8. Mighty Love

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Mighty Love" - released March 1974 on Atlantic SD 7296 in the USA and Atlantic K 50030 in the UK

Disc 3 (35:17 mnutes):

1. Sittin' On Top Of The World

2. Smile, We Have Each Other

3. Then Came You

4. There's No One Like You

5. Living A Little, Laughing A Little

6. Sadie

7. Lazy Susan

8. I've Got To Make It On My Own

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "New And Improved" - released December 1974 on Atlantic SD 18118 in the USA and January 1975 on Atlantic K 50102 in the UK

Disc 4 (40:45 minutes):

1. Honest I Do

2. I Don't Want To Lose You

3. Love Or Leave

4. Sweet Love Of Mine

5. All That Glitters Ain't Gold

6. You Made A Promise To Me

7. Games People Play

8. Just As Long As We Have Love

Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Pick Of The Litter" - released August 1975 on Atlantic SD 18141 in the USA and Atlantic K 50155 in the UK

Disc 5 (66:21 minutes):

1. Fascinating Rhythm

2. I've Got To Make It On My Own

3. Living A Little, Laughing A Little

4. One Of A Kind (Love Affair)

5. Then Came You

6. Sadie

7. How Could I Let You Get Away

8. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love

9. Superstar Medley: It's Not Usual/Don't Mess With Bill/Paper Doll/Stop! In The Name Of Love/If I Didn't Care/Hound Dog/Hello Dolly

10. Love Don't Love Nobody

11. Mighty Love

Tracks 1 to 11 are "Spinners Live!" - a 12-track 2LP set released December 1975 on Atlantic SD 2-910 in the USA and Atlantic K 60110 in the UK

[The CD is 11 tracks, "Love Don't Love Nobody" was spread across two sides of the original vinyl album; here it's segued into one long nine-minute plus track]

Note: on original release ALL of the US albums were credited to SPINNERS - the UK issues however were credited to THE DETROIT SPINNERS - over the years it is this longer name that the soul vocal group have become more commonly known by. None of the discs contain bonus tracks and the legendary THOM BELL was producer for all of the albums.

The five single card sleeves reflect the 'original' front and rear US LP artwork - the split 'envelope' sleeve of "Pick Of The Litter" and the gatefold of "Spinners Live!" are not reproduced - "New And Improved" had a blue coloured sleeve in the UK and reversed the artwork - live picture on the front, baby photos on the rear - this set uses the red US artwork. Each front sleeve is also now 'bordered' with a colour and the label on the CD then reflects that colour code (so no original label artwork reproduced). The outer card box is lightweight and therefore a little bit flimsy (unlike the glossy hard-card Sony issues and there's no downloadable track details either), but having said that, the card sleeves themselves still look great once out of the box.

Unlike many other titles in this series (repackaging of crappy Eighties titles that have been in the marketplace for years) these titles ARE the Atlantic/Rhino remasters of old and therefore their sound is just GORGEOUS - really lovely to listen to. Musically this is 'soft' soul and may not be to everyone's tastes, but I love it - smooth and sweet (even if the screaming girls of the live set may test your patience).

The debut album was a monster Stateside- spawning no less than three Number 1 singles on the R&B charts - "I'll Be Around", "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" and "One Of A Kind (Love Affair)". Not to be outdone in chart placing - "Ghetto Child" rightly achieved a Number 4 slot (what a fabulous song). The hits kept coming with album two - "Mighty Love" again hit Number 1 while the infectious "I'm Coming Home" and "Love Don't Love Nobody" kept them in buyers hearts and on A&M radio. Smoochy album nuggets include the lovely "He'll Never Love You Like I Do" and the pull her close "I'm Glad You Walked Into My Life".

Album 3 produced a duet hit "Then Came You" with DIONNE WARWICKE that stormed to Number 2 - while the piano class of "Living A Little, Laughing A Little" and the mid-tempo talker "Sadie" gave them both a Number 7 position.  The Live album is probably the weakest link here with a vaudeville melody in the middle of it being a badly placed item. But they hit paydirt again with "Games People Play" in August 1975 - another R&B Number 1 - and rightly so. Album sleepers include the pretty ballad "I Don't Want To Lose You" (so Spinners) and "You Made A Promise To Me" - a slushy tune ala Stylistics (the shadow of Thom Bell looming over all). 

There's a whole lot of string-laden Seventies Soul here for not a whole lot of your money and some great trips down Soul Train memory lane. "Original Album Series" by The Detroit Spinners is a bit of a sweetie really...