There weren't many soul music acts that were bigger in the 1970s than The Spinners. The quintet, working with master producer Thom Bell, issued a series of charttopping albums and one hit after another -- songs that are revered now as much as they were back then.
There weren't many soul music acts that were bigger in the 1970s than The Spinners. The quintet, working with master producer Thom Bell, issued a series of charttopping albums and one hit after another -- songs that are revered now as much as they were back then.
But amid all of the hits was a song that has been kind of lost in history. In 1979, Thom Bell agreed to create the soundtrack for the ill-fated Dr. J basketball action movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. The movie, which also starred Debbie Allen, Meadowlark Lemon and more, came and went from the theaters in just a couple weeks, unfortunately taking the soundtrack down with it. But for soul music fans, that soundtrack became a true collector's item, featuring the Phyllis Hyman ballad "Magic Mona," as well as solid songs from The Sylvers, The Four Tops and William Hart of The Delfonics. It was out of print for years, only becoming available on CD and mp3 in around 2017 (and still not on Spotify).
Among the long lost songs from that soundtrack is a nice midtempo from The Spinners. "(Do It Do It) No One Does It Better" is a song of encouragement for the star player and features interchanging leads vocals from John Edwards, Henry Fambrough, Bobby Smith and Pervis Jackson and a classically lush Thom Bell arrangement.
For those who loved the Spinners' output in the 1970s, this is a Lost Gem that is nothing but net. Check it out below.
By Chris Rizik