The Detroit Spinners

This week on the Motown Show (June 30), Dave is celebrating a recent re-issue on CD of the Detroit Spinners’ first Motown album from 1967.

This is the first time that it has been released on CD and contains 14 bonus tracks.

Who are The Spinners?

The Spinners are a Detroit, Michigan-based soul vocal group active since 1954 and most popular during the 1970s.

The Spinners are known in the UK as The Detroit Spinners or The Motown Spinners because a Liverpool-based folk band had taken the name “The Spinners” in Britain during the 1960s.

In 1954 a group of friends in Ferndale High School in Detroit came together to make music. Billy Henderson, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson, C.P. Spencer, and James Edwards called themselves The Domingoes. James Edwards lasted only a few weeks; he was replaced by Bobbie Smith, who sang lead on most of the Spinners early records. C.P. Spencer left the group shortly afterwards, and would later go on to be a member of the Voice Masters and The Originals. He was replaced by George Dixon. The group would also rename themselves The Spinners at this time.

The Spinners first hit the charts in August of 1961 on Harvey Fuqua’s Tri-Phi Records, with “That’s What Girls Are Made For,” peaking at number 27. Fuqua sang lead vocal on this track, the Spinners’ and Tri-Phi’s first single. The group’s followup, “Love (I’m So Glad) I Found You” (with lead voacls by Smith), would reach number 91 that November, but none of their other Tri-Phi singles charted.