Inside Tracks #10: Thom Bell & Phil Hurtt, "I'll Be Around" by Spinners, Hall & Oates, The Rippingtons feat. Jeffrey Osborne, Terri Wells, Regina Belle
It's def a Philly thing, as a smooth'n'soulful '70s classic gets its due from a handful of artists over the decades...many with Philly roots themselves!
The Spinners, “I’ll Be Around,” 1972, Atlantic Records
This first recording of “I’ll Be Around” was produced by legendary Jamaican-born arranger/producer, and 2006 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, the late Thom Bell, 79, who devised the melody. He co-wrote it with musician/singer/songwriter/arranger, and former school chum (West Philly High), Delaware native, Phil Hurtt, 80, who provided the lyrics.
The Spinners (aka The Detroit Spinners in the UK to avoid confusion with a folk group) released two albums for Motown Records, in 1967 and 1970.
Atlantic Records released the song as the B-side to the group’s first single for the label, the ballad, “How Could I Let You Get Away” in July 1972. DJs preferred the smooth, catchy, mid-tempo B, and flipped it, with “I’ll Be Around” eventually topping out at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both songs appeared on the Spinners’ self-titled debut album, released in April 1973:
Related: FR&B remembers Thom Bell, with artist condolences and a special, original Playlist of Thom Bell-related produced/arranged/composed songs:
The Only Song These Two Ever Wrote Together
Working independently at the time, Hurtt, nevertheless, was working out of Assorted Music Publishing’s offices in the Schubert Building at 250 South Broad (what is now the Merriam Theater) in Philadelphia.
Everyone else (Bell, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Linda Creed, et al) were all under contract to Assorted Music, and would shortly all be signed, then, to the Philadelphia International Records (founded by Gamble, Huff, and Bell) stable of writing, performing and publishing talent.
When everyone was gathered at the Assorted Music location at 250 South Broad, they were using Sigma Sound Studios (founded by engineer, Joe Tarsia) at 212 North 12th Street to record.
In a 2013 interview with Carl Wiser for SongFacts, Phil Hurtt (above) disclosed how he came up with the lyrics for “I’ll Be Around”:
“We were actually working at the same time on the O’Jays’ Back Stabbers album. I was writing “Sunshine” and “When the World's at Peace,” and Thommy [Bell] came into the office and Linda Creed [Bell’s usual writing partner] was on her honeymoon. He said, ‘I need you to write some lyrics. Just follow the melody, I need some lyrics to the tune.’”
Bell gave Hurtt the music, saying he’ll be around and to give him a call if he came up with anything.
“I took it home where I was finishing up lyrics on the Back Stabbers album, and I put Thommy's tune on the tape recorder. And when I heard the melody, the lyric popped into my head. It wasn't anything I thought about long.
“It was a bare rhythm track. There were no horns or strings on it. Of course, it was catchy. I liked the grooves. That’s [Bell’s] signature of the stuff that we used to do back then. The tracks could almost stand alone by themselves if he didn't have any lyric on there.”
“Thommy’s great and pulling melodies and things out of the air,” Hurtt continued. “A lot of times it sounds sort of lame: ‘Oh, I picked it out of the air, I hear this tune in my head.’ But that's literally what happens. Sometimes I can hear music and I come up with the lyrics, there’s a story there.
“So if somebody gives me a story, it makes it even easier. When Thommy said, ‘I'll be around,’ I started thinking about a scenario and a story. Thommy was telling me, ‘Whenever you call me, I'll be there.’ That’s one of the things he did give me [lyrically, for the song].
“And I’m thinking, okay, great. So the guy broke up and he wants her back, whenever you call me I’ll be there, whenever you need me, I'll be there. So, okay, great. And then the next thing I know, this is our fork in the road. And that’s the way it happens.”
Two classics come together! From 1973, over their recorded backing track, The Spinners sing and dance live on The Midnight Special:
Related:
Daryl Hall & John Oates, “I’ll Be Around,” 2004
Both Hall and Oates were born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, so both grew up surrounded by the music emanating from Sigma Sound, as well as being quite aware of the magical alphabet soul soup of PIR, MSFB, and TSOP!
The smash hit canon of the duo (mostly ‘80s and mostly for RCA) is well-documented, but this cover, just a handful of years beyond the new millennium, is almost the perfect song choice for the duo, but more specifically, Hall’s long-heralded “lotta-soul-for-a-white-boy” voice.
Whereas many of the duo’s hits (in this writer’s opinion) featured Hall’s fine, flexible, and wide-ranging voice, he had a tendency for overwrought vocal histrionics where perhaps a more subtle approach might’ve sufficed. He nails…absolutely nails it here!
You can almost feel himself tugging gently on his vocal leash (John, is that you?!) to measure his attack, and it pays off, as never does he use his voice to pull focus from what I know he’s convinced is a compositional master-craft. And, the lads’ arrangement is true to the original, while adding plenty of the creative touches (tasty guitar and electric piano) that would disappoint if absent.
H & O with Ty Taylor (Vintage Trouble lead singer) from Daryl’s popular web-series-turned TV show, Live From Daryl’s House:
Terri Wells, “I’ll Be Around,” 1984
Terri, We Hardly Knew Ye…But, We’ve Been Hearing You!
ClassicPopMag.com says it all, so I’ll let them tell us how we’ve been hearing her for years, unwittingly! “Wells, a gospel singer [from Philadelphia], progressed from church choirs to cabaret spots and clubs in the ‘70s, and became a well-regarded session vocalist [hired by Philly International artist/producer/arranger, Dexter Wansel] for numerous Philly acts, including Lou Rawls.
“In 1973, she sang back-up on a new Spinners song, “I’ll Be Around,” which got to #3 in the US charts of 1972, but flopped in the UK.
“After a decade working as a staff singer in neo-soul legend Roy Ayers’ band, Wells was given her own record deal. She then made her first solo album, Just Like Dreamin’, from which the lead single, “You Make It Heaven,” just missed the UK Top 40 in 1983, but her own version of “I’ll Be Around” was far more successful.
“The Spinners’ original was also re-released in the same week, but Wells’ gentle, rhythmic reinterpretation won through. She got to a healthy #17 versus the Spinners’ #84, but three further singles flopped and the album didn’t chart. She subsequently returned to session performing and songwriting.”
Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons feat. Jeffrey Osborne, 1994, GRP Records
Formed in 1985 by guitarist, band leader, and Galveston, TX native, Russ Freeman (pictured above, center front), The Rippingtons’ career has spanned more than three decades. With a revolving door of musicians, Freeman has been the only consistent member.
In 1994, they featured noted R&B singer, Jeffrey Osborne (above), on their “I’ll Be Around” cover. Osborne began his career in 1970 as lead singer of LTD, who were signed to A&M Records in the mid-’70s. Osborne went solo in 1982, and has since released a dozen albums, five for A&M.
As can be imagined, the Rippingtons’ jazz lean melds well with Osborne’s seasoned and soulful vocals.
Regina Belle, “I’ll Be Around,” 1995, Columbia Records
She’ll Be Around
Regina Belle does her best belting on this disco-fied rave-up. A New Jersey native, Belle, now 59, is a Rutgers grad.
Getting her start singing in the family church, her most notable hits are her duets, both with Peabo Bryson: “Without You,” the love theme from the film comedy, Leonard Part 6, recorded in 1987, and “A Whole New World,” the main theme of the Disney animated feature, Aladdin, recorded in 1992, which won Grammy Song of the Year for songwriters, Tim Rice and Alan Menken.
Belle joined Jeffrey Osborne in singing the theme song, “Far Longer than Forever,” from the animated movie The Swan Princess. It was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1995 for Best Original Song.
In 1991, Belle married NBA shooting guard, John Battle, who retired in 1995, splitting his ten-year career between the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s now a pastor in Atlanta, where he and his wife reside. Regina successfully battled a brain tumor in 2009, but it left her deaf in her left ear.
Regina recently had the challenge of becoming caregiver to her brother, who had suffered a stroke. Here’s an interview where it’s clear she’s added the role of tending to family members to her ability to inspire others with her music:
Lots of great stuff in this recent “Inside Tracks”. I love the Philly sound, the soulful recordings and the great songwriting that emanated from this region and in this time period. Especially love Daryl Hall and Ty Taylor doing their version of the Spinners classic, “I’ll Be Around”. Thank you, Brad 💥
Love this!