From Here to Eternally

From Here to Eternally
A fantasy illustration of an alien woman on a barren planet playing guitar in front of creatures like a two-headed dragon and flying beasts
Studio album by
the Spinners
ReleasedMay 1979 (1979-05)
Recorded1978
Studio
  • Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
  • Sound Labs, Hollywood, California, US
  • Kaye–Smith Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US (overdubs)
GenreSoul
Length39:47
LanguageEnglish
LabelAtlantic
ProducerThom Bell
The Spinners chronology
The Best of the Spinners
(1978) 		From Here to Eternally
(1979) 		Dancin' and Lovin'
(1979)
The Spinners studio albums chronology
8
(1977) 		From Here to Eternally
(1978) 		Dancin' and Lovin'
(1979)

From Here to Eternally is a 1979 studio album from American Philly soul vocal group the Spinners, released on Atlantic Records. This album represents their last collaboration with producer Thom Bell and marks a decline in the critical and commercial success of the group.

Recording and release

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The Spinners had a series of certified gold albums produced by Thom Bell for Atlantic Records in the 1970s.[1] By 1977, vocalist Philippé Wynne had left the group for a solo career and to work in the music business,[2] leading to a commercial decline for the group and a pair of less successful albums in 1977, followed by a greatest hits album to buoy their profile. After this album and a few songs on the soundtrack to Bell's film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh,[3] the group changed their sound to disco and enlisted a different producer for Dancin' and Lovin' later in 1979.[4]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Robert ChristgauB−[6]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul[7]

"If You Wanna Do a Dance (All Night)" was a pick of the week in Billboard, noting that "this is a new direction" for the group with "perfect timing" and noting that they started experimenting with disco on this track.[8] Upon the album release, From Here to Eternally was also spotlit as an album pick, noting that the group's smooth vocals and signature sound are apparent, augmented by Bell's production and collaboration with LeRoy Bell and Casey James.[9] Robert Christgau determined that "the lyrics are banal at best and the melodies often annoying."[6]

The editors of AllMusic Guide scored this album three out of five stars, with reviewer Jason Elias opining that this album recovered some quality from their past two studio releases, noting that while it was a commercial failure, "it features a few underrated gems and some good to great production".[5]

Track listing

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  1. "It's a Natural Affair" (Thom Bell and Tony Bell) – 4:02
  2. "Don't Let the Man Get You" (Casey James and LeRoy M. Bell) – 5:10
  3. "(A) Plain and Simple Love Song" (Frank Hooker and Vinnie Barrett) – 5:21
  4. "Are You Ready for Love" (Casey James, LeRoy M. Bell, and Thom Bell) – 5:20
  5. "I Love the Music" (Casey James and LeRoy M. Bell) – 5:22
  6. "One Man Wonderful Band" (James "Boogaloo" Bolden and Jack Robinson) – 3:04
  7. "If You Wanna Do a Dance (All Night)" (Casey James, LeRoy M. Bell, and Thom Bell) – 7:05
  8. "Once You Fall in Love" (Joseph B. Jefferson and Charles Simmons) – 4:23

Personnel

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The Spinners

Additional musicians (see MFSB)

  • Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
  • LeRoy M. Bell – guitar
  • Anthony S. Bell – guitar, arrangement on "It's a Natural Affair", "Are You Ready for Love", "One Man Wonderful Band" and "If You Wanna Do A Dance (All Night)"
  • Thom Bell – keyboards, synthesizer, arrangement on all tracks except "One Man Wonderful Band" and "If You Wanna Do A Dance (All Night)", conducting, production
  • Charles Collins – drums, synth drums
  • Bobby Eli – guitar
  • Tim Gorman – synthesizer
  • Casey James – guitar
  • Larry Washington – percussion

Technical personnel

  • Michael Guinn – production assistance
  • Stephen Marchesi – cover illustration
  • Don Murray – chief engineering
  • Eric Porter – art direction
  • Buzz Richmond – assistant engineering
  • John Rosenthal – assistant engineering
  • Jeffery Stewart – assistant engineering
  • Wally Traugott – mastering at Capitol Mastering
  • Linda Tyler – assistant engineering

This album was mixed at Producers Workshop, Hollywood, California, United States.

Chart performance

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From Here to Eternally was the least commercially successful Spinners album in almost a decade, reaching only 61st place on the R&B chart and peaking at 165 on the Billboard 200.[10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Burgess, A. Ace (March 25, 1976). "The Spinners Celebrate 20th Anniversary". Jet. Vol. XLIX, no. 26. Johnson Publishing, Company, Inc. p. 60. ISSN 0021-5996.
  2. ^ Williams, Jean (April 2, 1977). "Vocalist Wynn Is Learning Finances". General News. Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 11. p. 35. ISSN 0006-2510.
  3. ^ Grein, Paul (November 10, 1979). "Wonder-ful Party Plugs New Album". Soul Sauce. Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 45. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. ^ Grein, Paul (November 17, 1979). "Spinners Spinning to Belated Dance Beat on New LP". Talent. Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 46. pp. 34, 40. ISSN 0006-2510.
  5. ^ a b Elias, Jason. "The Spinners – From Here to Eternally". AllMusic Guide. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Spinners". Robert Christgau. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 93.
  8. ^ "Soul". Billboard's Top Single Picks. Billboard. Vol. 90, no. 27. July 8, 1978. p. 70. ISSN 0006-2510.
  9. ^ "Soul". Billboard's Top Album Picks. Billboard. Vol. 91, no. 19. May 12, 1979. p. 74. ISSN 0006-2510.
  10. ^ "US Albums Charts > The Spinners". AllMusic Guide. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
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