THE STYLISTICS: Love, Peace & Happiness
- Muzikscribe
- Apr 14
- 5 min read
Formed in Philadelphia, PA, in 1968, The Stylistics would go on to unleash their "sweet soul landmark" self titled debut in November '71, spawning a succession of timeless hit entries; "You're a Big Girl Now," "Stop, Look, Listen (to Your Heart)," "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow" and "People Make the World Go Round."
Flash forward nearly five and a half decades later, and the legendary Philly soul / R&B collective - now consisting of original members; Airrion Love and Herb Murrell, along with Jason Sharp who joined the group in 2011 - have returned with their first new body of work, FALLING IN LOVE WITH MY GIRL [Greatest Music of All Time LLC], in almost twenty years.
The the 21-track album, produced by Tom Cridland and Executive Produced by Deborah Cridland, also contains high profile appearances from ShaniaTwain, Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones, Gene Simmons of KISS, The Elton John Band (including Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone), Bill Champlin of Chicago, Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top, Steve Lukather of Toto, Tower of Power, Ray Parker, Jr., Jay Graydon, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, The Real Thing, Nathan East and Carly Paoli.
Please introduce (for) me the members of THE STYLISTICS…
Airrion Love, Herb Murrell and Jason Sharp.
Let’s hop into this lead single, ‘YES, I WILL,’ featuring SHANIA TWAIN — Tell me about this particular composition; how did it even come to fruition?
“Yes I Will” came together by Shania and Tom Cridland. We were approached to do a collaboration with her, and then went into the studio and listened to it. We loved the track so much that we then incorporated our voices into the song. That’s how it all came together.
Of course ‘YES, I WILL’ comes courtesy of your latest, LP, FALLING IN LOVE WITH MY GIRL -- Although pretty self-explanatory, still tell me, conceptually, what this title represents both to and for you all?
It simply tells a love story typically about falling in love with someone.
How then does FALLING IN LOVE WITH MY GIRL either differ and / or compare to previous THE STYLISTICS' efforts?
The song “Falling In Love With My Girl” differs in many ways, but it still gives The Stylistics flavor of those great love songs from the past.
How then have you all either changed and / or evolved since your whole inception into music?
We really have not changed being in the business for so long, we have kept our same foundation of that old school sound and feeling.
That said, what all exactly had / have you all been up to, both personally and professionally speaking, during your musical hiatus?
We really have just been traveling the world dealing with everyday family things, and continuing with our blessings for the longevity that’s been bestowed upon us.
Switching gears here, what exactly do you all want people to get from your music?
We want people to get a sense of love, peace and happiness from our music, and keep all of the fond memories.
If you all could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Marvin Gaye is my personal favorite for his ability to sing an astronomical range, and for his incredible writing ability.
If you all could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
I would choose Carnegie Hall again; it’s a very wonderful place to play with its prestige and acoustics - the sound is awesome.
On a more serious note, are you all happy with the current state of R&B? And, even more specifically, why do you all feel that we, the masses, don’t see the group dynamic like it was back in, say, the nineties?
Well today’s artists take their music from the past - the old school sound that never dies. I feel with the different times that we are in now, we have to stay current, and that’s what's happening with the music today. As far as the group dynamic is concerned with technology, people can do things by themselves. A lot of songs are created right at home now with newer ways to produce music.
What do you all feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
Longevity comes from continuing to be consistent in what we do - that has created the longevity for us as a group.
What’s an average day like for you all?
An average day when we are home is just like anyone else - we are engaging with family, friends and are just waiting to head out for the next gig, or even sometimes writing music or lyrics.
Please discuss how you all interact with and respond to fans...
We respond with fans all the time. Without the fans, we could not exist, so we take the time to sign autographs, shake hands after the show, even photos at times - it’s a pleasure to do these things.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
My favorite part is seeing the fans smile, and enjoying the music. I don’t have a least favorite part of this business because I love it so much.
What advice would you all have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
My advice would be to make sure you have a love and a passion for music, because this business has its ups and downs like anything else, so commit yourself 100 percent, and you will see the results.
Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you all see yourselves?
Five or 10 years later, hopefully and prayerfully, we will still be alive and be remembered as one of the best groups that has ever existed.
As for the immediate, what’s next for The Stylistics?
Well the immediate future - hoping and praying for the success of this new album.
Lastly, THE STYLISTICS are solely responsible for so many R&B classics; "Stop, Look, Listen," "You Are Everything," "Betcha by Golly, Wow," "I'm Stone in Love with You," "Break Up to Make Up" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" — Do you all have a(ny) personal fave(s) when it comes to performing live? And, why?
We truly love them all - my personal favorite is “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” which is the biggest-selling song for The Stylistics, but truly speaking, we enjoy singing every song that we do .
Any “parting” words for our readers?
Lastly, I’d like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions.
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