The Stylistics were formed in Philadelphia in 1968. After touring local clubs in the tri-state vicinity, the group impressed Bill Perry, a local record executive, who asked if they would be interested in studio time. In 1970, the resulting recording, “You're a Big Girl Now,” became a #1 hit in several cities up and down the East coast.
Perry signed them to Avco Records and producer Thom Bell was hired for the group's eponymous debut, The Stylistics. This boasted six hits including classic showstoppers, “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)”, “You Are Everything” and “Betcha By Golly, Wow.”
Bell also masterminded the next two albums by The Stylistics, Round 2 and Rockin’ Roll Baby, which included more hits such as “I’m Stone In Love with You” and “Break Up to Make Up”. The songs from the group’s first three LPs, all written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed, continue to form the cornerstone of their discography, live set and musical legacy.
What has become the best-selling and arguably signature song for The Stylistics, “You Make Me Feel Brand New”, first appeared on the Rockin’ Roll Baby album. It was, however, the second version, released on follow up LP, Let’s Put It All Together, that got to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. “You Make Me Feel Brand New” has been streamed over 100m times and was also a hit single for British group, Simply Red, in 2003.
Working with producers Hugo & Luigi and arranger Van McCoy in the mid seventies, the group's popularity soared in Europe and the United Kingdom. The year 1975 saw their Greatest Hits compilation become the biggest selling album by any band or artist in Britain. By this time, their hit records included UK chart topper, “Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)”, and “Sing Baby Sing”.
In 1980 The Stylistics triumphantly reunited with Bell on Philadelphia International Records for the Hurry Up This Way Again album. The title track became one of their biggest hits. “Hurry Up This Way Again” was sampled by rapper, Jay Z, on “Politics as Usual".
Herb Murrell and Airrion Love, the original members of The Stylistics, have remained friends since junior high school. The group's indelible influence on popular music has been made evident by the countless remakes of their songs by other artists, including Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye’s 1973 version of “Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)” and Prince’s “Betcha By Golly, Wow”. Many stars have also sampled the original recordings by The Stylistics, especially the track, “You Are Everything”, used, for example, by Mary J. Blige on her own “Everything”, by Jennifer Lopez on “The One” and by Usher, Beyoncé & Lil Wayne on “Love In This Club Part II”.
Working with Anglo-Portuguese record producer, Tom Cridland, The Stylistics were in the studio throughout 2024 with Shania Twain, the Elton John Band including Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone, Bill Champlin, Jay Graydon, Justin Hawkins, Tower of Power, Billy F Gibbons, Gene Simmons, and Ronnie Wood.
Falling In Love With My Girl is the first album by The Stylistics in seventeen years. The lead single, “Yes, I Will”, is a duet with Shania Twain.
The album, which is called "Falling In Love With My Girl", features the following guest artists collaborating with The Stylistics:
• Shania Twain
• The Elton John Band including Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone
• Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones
• Bill Champlin of Chicago
• Jay Graydon
• Gene Simmons of Kiss
• Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top
• Justin Hawkins of The Darkness
• The Real Thing
• Tower of Power
• Steve Lukather
• Nathan East
• Ray Parker Jr.
The album was produced by Tom Cridland and recorded throughout 2024. He was invited to produce the album by the group and their longtime manager, Jack Bart. Executive production was handled by Deborah Cridland.
The Stylistics recorded their vocals at Spice House Sound in Philadelphia and at Wright Way Studios in Baltimore. Tom arranged and recorded the background vocals himself at a remote cottage in the Scottish Highlands and at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The album features The Stylistics’ original members, Airrion Love and Herb Murrell, together with Jason Sharp, who joined the group in 2011, and sings high falsetto vocals.
The Elton John Band including Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone laid down the instrumental tracks at the Record Plant in Hollywood. "Falling In Love With My Girl" was the last album ever made at this legendary recording studio.
Most of the songs were written by Tom together with Anthony King and Anthony’s wife, Fiona Shaw. Anthony is a songwriter from Blackpool, who wrote to him after watching episodes of the Greatest Music of All Time Podcast on YouTube.
In his letters Anthony asked if Tom would be interested in recording his compositions. After saying no several times due to disillusionment with the music industry, Tom told Anthony he would try working on something – but with no promises! A few months later, Tom called up Anthony and Fiona to reveal he’d rewritten the demos and used the tracks, many of which had new titles, as the basis for the comeback album by The Stylistics. These songs were “Falling In Love With My Girl”, “Who Am I”, “Leave So Soon”, “Infatuation”, “Jealousy”, “You’ll Live Forever”, “Endless Days”, “Take Me Back To Rainbows”, “Lost and Alone”, “Don’t Leave Me Here”, “Holy Water and “Sonnet 18”.
Also on the Falling In Love With My Girl album are two tracks by Airrion Love, “Sad Tomorrows” and “I Get A Feeling”, as well as two more songs by Tom Cridland, “I Could Never Leave Her”, and “Debbie”, the latter co-written by Nick Whitehead, Tom’s bandmate in former group, The Tomicks.
Former member of The Stylistics (and former Temptation), Barrington “Bo” Henderson, contributed one of his compositions, “If I Fail”, to the album, on which he sings the lead vocal. Bo also contributed additional writing to the track, “You’ll Live Forever”.
Gene Simmons originally came down the Record Plant in to lay down bass guitar on the track, “Don’t Leave Me Here”, but Tom invited Gene to sing on it instead, together with Herb Murrell.
Once recording for this album was underway, songs were being submitted for selection on a daily basis. This resulted in Elton John drummer, Nigel Olsson, suggesting former Chicago lead singer, Bill Champlin’s unreleased, “Whatever Happened to Our Love” to Tom to produce for The Stylistics. The group loved the track and ended up recording it with The Real Thing. They also included another of Bill’s songs on the album, “Rock and a Heartbeat”.
Ronnie Wood laid down his slide guitar parts in Philadelphia in June of 2024, following his concert in the city with The Rolling Stones. Ronnie had specifically asked to play on “Who Am I”, which had already been worked with legendary guitarist, Jay Graydon. Similarly, whilst on tour with ZZ Top, Billy F Gibbons laid down a solo on “You’ll Live Forever” and Justin Hawkins did the same on the album’s title track between shows with The Darkness.
Classical singer, Carly Paoli, was so inspired by “Take Me Back To Rainbows” that she recorded a new operatic version, which closes the album.
The album’s lead single, “Yes, I Will”, was the final song completed for the album. Shania had been invited to sing one of the tracks already on it but she felt her demo, “Yes, I Will”, was the perfect soulful fit for a collaboration with The Stylistics. Shania had been working on the song with the likes of Nathan East, Ray Parker Jr. and Steve Lukather for a couple of years. Tom wrote a new section for The Stylistics and added their parts, as well as Nigel Olsson once again on drums.
