Album of the Day

When it comes to '70s R&B, the Spinners were the cream of the crop and PICK OF THE LITTER shows why. The collection was the group's fourth for Atlantic Records, and like their others for the label, was cut with Philly soul genius Thom Bell behind the boards. The quintet sing like angels; if tenor Philippé Wynne got most of the attention, don't discount the velvety vocals of Bobbie Smith and Henry Fambrough (Dionne Warwick makes an uncredited guest appearance for good measure). Eight tracks and not a dog among them - while ballads like “Sweet Love of Mine” predominate, there are several uptempo numbers as well, such as “Games People Play,” which topped the R&B singles chart on this day in 1975. PICK OF THE LITTER reached the Top 10 on Billboard's album chart as well, becoming the Spinners' most successful LP.