I'll Be Around (The Spinners song)

"I'll Be Around" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners (known as "Detroit Spinners" in the UK). The song was co-written by Thom Bell and Phil Hurtt and produced by Bell. The lyrics of the song have the narrator (Spinners main lead singer Bobby Smith), pledging his devotion and love to a lover that has just left him for another while at the same time holding out hope that she will return to him ("There's always a chance, a tiny spark will remain/And sparks turn into flames/And love can burn once again..."). So, in case she changes her mind, he'll be around. The production of the song gives it a smooth, mid-tempo feel, with guitar at the forefront and punctuation from female background singers, horns, strings and conga-playing from Larry Washington. Bobby Smith handles lead vocals on the song. The song was included on the group's 1972 self-titled album on Atlantic Records, their first album release for the label. It was initially released as the B-side of the group's first single on Atlantic Records, with "How Could I Let You Get Away" being the A-side. Radio deejays, however, soon opted for "I'll Be Around" which led to Atlantic flipping the single over and the song became an unexpected hit, eventually spending five weeks at number one on the U.S. R&B chart (the group's first number-one on the R&B chart) and reaching number three on the U.S. Pop chart in the fall of 1972.^[1] It also reached sales of over one million copies, The Spinners' first record ever to do so. The success of "I'll Be Around" would be the first in a series of chart successes The Spinners and Bell would have together during the 1970s.

Personnel

• Lead vocals by Bobby Smith
• Background vocals by Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, Pervis Jackson, Henry Fambrough and Billy Henderson
• Additional Background vocals by Linda Creed, Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Yvette Benton
• Instrumentation by various Philadelphia area musicians

Chart history

Cover versions

"I'll Be Around" has been covered by many artists. Among them are The Afghan Whigs, What Is This?, Joan Osborne, The Rippingtons featuring Jeffrey Osborne, Funk, Inc., Doug Parkinson, and Hall & Oates, whose version reached number six on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart.

Jamaican reggae artist Otis Gayle also recorded a steadfast version of "I'll Be Around" for the Studio 1 label in the early 1970s, that features the recognizable organ playing of Jackie Mittoo. Like many Jamaican recordings, the instrumental track for this song went on to be the foundation for many Jamaican singles to this day, notably Johnny Osbournes 1979 hit We Need Love.

Rappin' 4-Tay version

In 1994, American rapper Rappin' 4-Tay recorded a semi-remake of "I'll Be Around" for inclusion on his album Don't Fight the Feelin′. His version contained different verse lyrics (which deal with the violence and hardship 4-Tay sees in his neighborhood and that he'll 'be around' to offer advice and try to point people in the right direction) but sampled music and retained the chorus from the original. Released as a single in 1995, the song found success on the Billboard charts, peaking at number six on the Hot Rap Singles chart and cracking the top 40 on the R&B and both the Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart.

See also

• R&B number-one hits of 1972 (USA)
• List of number-one R&B hits (United States)

Notes

References

1. A House On Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul by John A. Jackson, ISBN 0-19-514972-6 (Publication: New York Oxford University Press (U.S.), 2004)
2. "I'll Be Around" song review on Allmusic website