Future Rock Hall of Famers headline Maui concert
The Spinners bring signature Philadelphia soul, decades of hits
Recorded 50 years ago, The Spinners’ No. 1 hit “I’ll Be Around,” still sounds like a soul masterpiece. A timeless classic of devotion, produced by studio wizard Thom Bell, it was just one of the many gems sung by one of the greatest exponents of the Philadelphia Sound.
“For some strange reason The Spinners’ music has lived on and on,” said Jesse Peck, who joined the legendary group in 2009.
Performing at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center on Thursday, The Spinners will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November, joining fellow inductees like Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow and Kate Bush.
The Rock Hall noted: “The Spinners’ lush, soulful harmonies and magnetic stage presence would come to define Philadelphia soul. They achieved massive crossover success, with their songs filling the airwaves and connecting with listeners around the world.”
“It’s a wonderful honor,” said Peck about the induction. “It’s wonderful to see The Spinners receive their due.”
With 18 platinum and gold albums to their credit, The Spinners’ hit singles included “I’ll Be Around,” “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love,” “Then Came You,” “The Rubberband Man” and “They Just Can’t Stop It (Games People Play).” Their current line-up includes Peck, Ronnie Moss, CJ Jefferson and Marvin Taylor.
Keeping The Spinners’ legacy alive “feels like a dream, a wonderful dream that never ends,” said Peck. “I’ve been a member of The Spinners since Henry Fambrough and Bobby Smith brought me in. It still feels like I’ve just started. It’s still a very fresh experience for me.”
Besides their marvelous vocals, The Spinners were known for their sharp dance moves.
“We do all the hits and we do all those dance moves and more,” he said. “We just love to make everyone happy.”
Touring with the group, Peck loved hearing the surviving original members share memories of their early days in the 1950s, and significant events, including the time they performed in Zaire at the “Rumble in The Jungle” concert in 1974, that accompanied the George Foreman and Muhammad Ali fight.
“The Spinners were performing in different parts of Africa and they were getting some jeers and some frowns, and fans were throwing things at the end of the show,” Peck said. “Bobby Smith asked the people at the theater who put on the event, ‘what’s going on?’ They said, ‘you guys didn’t do ‘You’re Throwing a Good Love Away.’ That was a big song during apartheid (in South Africa). They said, ‘the next time, if you’re not doing that song, there will be trouble.’”
Quite remarkably, the first concert Peck ever attended was a Spinners’ show.
“I was in third grade and my parents took my brother and sister to the state fair,” he recalled. “I had a great day riding rides and now they want to drag us off in the middle of all our fun to some concert, which we didn’t want to do. We’re sitting there and once they came on stage and started singing I’m like, wait a minute, I know these songs from the radio. When Pervis (Jackson) sang ‘12:45,’ the crowd went nuts. I said, mom and dad, that’s what I want to do when I grow up. I had no idea I’d end up in that very same group.”
In the summer of 2021, The Spinners released “’Round the Block and Back Again,” their first new studio album in more than 30 years. It featured the group’s sole surviving original member, Fambrough. With many memorable songs, the timeless collection sounded like it could have been released during their heyday in the 1970s.
“While (former producer) Thom Bell had nothing to do with that album, the person who produced those songs was Mr. Preston
protégé Glass, who was a of Thom Bell,” Peck said. “He wanted to make sure he stayed within the vein of The Spinners’ music and what the fans would expect. I think Preston Glass did get an awesome job with the selection.”
As to why The Spinners’ music is still so loved to day, he suggested: “I think it’s the emotions that the songs touch. It’s the era that the music reflects. It was a time where we loved each other more. We appreciated the small things, the little things in life. It was before the time of fast food and microwaves. It was in the time of brotherly love. It was a time of social gatherings and we were about peace, which we still strive for today, but people were much more unified, and the music of The Spinners reflects the lifestyles and the memories of the people who grew up in that time. It was a beautiful time.”
The Spinners perform in the MACC’s Castle Theater at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. John Cruz will open the show. Tickets are $30, $50, $60 and $70, with a limited number of premium $125 seats, plus applicable fees. Tickets are available online at MauiArts.org.