Pick of the Litter (The Spinners album)
# Pick of the Litter (The Spinners album)

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A− |
| Tom Hull – on the Web | B+ |

Pick of the Litter is the sixth studio album by American R&B group The Spinners, released in August 1975 on the Atlantic label. The album was produced by Thom Bell and recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia.

## History

Pick of the Litter is generally considered the last of the quartet of classic Bell-produced studio albums the Spinners released between 1973 and 1975, and to mark the end of the most creative phase of the group’s career – while future releases would have memorable moments, contemporary critical opinion is that none of the group’s later material matches the enduring quality and top-notch consistency of these four albums.

Pick of the Litter became the Spinners’ highest placing album on the Billboard 200, reaching number eight; however it was the group’s first Atlantic album to miss the top of the R&B albums chart, peaking at number two. The album includes the distinctive "Games People Play", one of the group’s signature songs, which became their fifth single to top the R&B chart and a top 5 hit on the Billboard singles chart. The second single "Love or Leave" also made the R&B top 10.

Although not credited on the album sleeve, "Just as Long as We Have Love" includes vocal contributions from Dionne Warwick.

## Personnel

* Billy Henderson, Bobby Smith, Philippé Wynne, Henry Fambrough, Pervis Jackson – vocals
* Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson, Evette Benton – backing vocals
* MFSB – strings, horns
* Tony Bell, Bobby Eli, Don Murray – guitars
* Thom Bell – keyboards
* Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
* Andrew Smith – drums
* Larry Washington – congas, bongos
* Dionne Warwick – vocals on "Just as Long as We Have Love" (uncredited)

## Charts

| Chart (1975) | Peak |
| - | - |
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 8 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 2 |

### Singles

| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Year | Single | US | US R&B | US A/C |
| 1975 | "Games People Play" | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 1975 | "Love or Leave" | 36 | 8 | — |
