New and Improved (The Spinners album)

New and Improved is the fifth album by American R&B group The Spinners, released in December 1974 on the Atlantic label. Like the Spinners' two previous Atlantic albums, New and Improved was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.

New and Improved
Studio album by The Spinners
Released	December 1974
Recorded	Sigma Sound Studios (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Genre	R&B
Length	34:56
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Thom Bell
The Spinners chronology
Mighty Love (1974) New and Improved (1974) Pick of the Litter (1975)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Christgau's Record Guide	B[2]

History

New and Improved became the Spinners' third consecutive R&B albums chart-topper and reached #9 on the Billboard 200, their first top 10 album on this chart. The album includes "Then Came You", featuring Dionne Warwick and the group's only single to top the Billboard Hot 100 (it was denied the top spot on the R&B chart by Kool & the Gang's "Higher Plane"), and the top 10 R&B singles "Living A Little, Laughing A Little" and "Sadie" – the latter track was covered by R. Kelly on his 1993 debut solo album 12 Play.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Sitting on Top of the World"	Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons	4:42
2.	"Smile, We Have Each Other"	Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes, Joseph B. Jefferson	4:30
3.	"Then Came You" (with Dionne Warwick)	Sherman Marshall, Phillip Pugh	3:59
4.	"There's No One Like You"	Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes	4:16

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
5.	"Living a Little, Laughing a Little"	Thom Bell, Linda Creed	5:03
6.	"Sadie"	Joseph B. Jefferson, Bruce Hawes, Charles Simmons	5:26
7.	"Lazy Susan"	Linda Creed, Thom Bell	3:34
8.	"I've Got to Make It on My Own"	Charles Simmons, Bruce Hawes	3:26

Personnel

• Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson – vocals
• Dionne Warwick – vocals on "Then Came You"
• Linda Creed, Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson, Evette Benton – backing vocals
• Tony Bell, Bobby Eli, Don Murray – guitars
• Thom Bell – keyboards
• Walter Pfeil – harp
• Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
• Don Renaldo – strings
• Andrew Smith – drums
• Larry Washington – congas, bongos
• Jack Faith – alto saxophone, flute
• Rocco Bene, Bobby Hartzell – trumpet
• Joe DeAngelis, Milt Phibbs, Danny Davis – French horn
• Freddie Joiner, Bobby Moore, Richie Genevese, Ed Cascarella – trombone

Charts

Chart (1974)	Peak [3]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs	9
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs	1

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		US [3]	US R&B [3]	US A/C [3]	UK [4]
1974	"Then Came You"	1	2	3	29
1975	"Living a Little, Laughing a Little"	37	7	—	—
	"Sadie"	54	7	—	—

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1975 (U.S.)

References

1. Hamilton, Andrew. New and Improved review at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
3. "US Charts > The Spinners". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
4. "UK Charts > Detroit Spinners". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-09-24.

External links

• New and Improved at Discogs (list of releases)