The Rubberband Man - wikipedia The Rubberband Man For the song by T.I., see Rubberband Man. `` The Rubberband Man '' Single by The Spinners from the album Happiness Is Being With the Spinners B - side `` Now That We 're Together '' Released August 1976 Format 7 - inch single Recorded 1976 Genre Pop / Soul / Funk Length 3 : 33 ( single edit ) 7 : 22 ( album version ) Label Atlantic Songwriter ( s ) Thom Bell Linda Creed Producer ( s ) Thom Bell The Spinners singles chronology `` Wake Up Susan '' ( 1976 ) `` The Rubberband Man '' ( 1976 ) `` You 're Throwing a Good Love Away '' ( 1977 ) `` Wake Up Susan '' ( 1976 ) `` The Rubberband Man '' ( 1976 ) `` You 're Throwing a Good Love Away '' ( 1977 ) `` The Rubberband Man '' is a song recorded by the American vocal group The Spinners ( known as `` The Detroit Spinners '' in the UK ). The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer - songwriter Linda Creed, was about Bell 's son, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight. Intended to improve his son 's self - image, the song eventually evolved from being about `` The Fat Man '' to `` The Rubberband Man ''. The last major hit by the Spinners to feature Philippé Wynne on lead vocals, `` The Rubberband Man '' spent three weeks at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and topped the U.S. R&B chart at the end of 1976. It was also a top - 20 hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 16 in October 1976. Contents 1 Arrangement and structure 2 Media 3 Covers 4 Personnel 5 Charts 5.1 Weekly charts 5.2 Year - end charts 6 References 7 External links Arrangement and structure The arrangement opens with rhythmic clavinet and percussion, followed by a Philly string arrangement provided by the Mother Father Sister Brother musicians. There are brief bursts of brass section and piano. Singer Wynne 's delivery is `` singularly expressive '' and the bridge and chorus provide for a classic call and response routine by supporting vocalists Bobbie Smith ( tenor ), Henry Fambrough ( baritone ), Billy Henderson ( tenor / baritone ) and Pervis Jackson ( bass ). The song also features the bass playing of Motown Legend Bob `` Funk Brother '' Babbitt. Wynne alternates between singing the verse and interjecting verbal asides and improvises the eight bars linking the chorus with the bridge. The backing singers ' retort of `` do - do - do - do, '' recalls the distinctive chorus in Stephen Stills ' song `` Love the One You 're With. '' Media This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( August 2017 ) In the 1981 film Stripes, the song is featured in the mud wrestling club scene. It also appears in the films Radio, Akeelah and the Bee and the 2014 remake of About Last Night. During an episode of US television series Martin, Gina sings the tagline of the song after informing Martin that she has reorganized his music CDs. It was also featured in episode 4 of the second season of Suits. In the early 2000s, the song was featured in a series of OfficeMax television commercials starring actor Eddie Steeples. It also appears on ads for NBA games on ESPN. The song was used at Wrigley Field to accompany Chicago Cubs closer Carlos Mármol 's entrance, and when Pittsburgh Pirates closer Kent Tekulve took the field at Three Rivers Stadium the late 1970s and early 80s. Covers The song was sung by Lynda Carter in a fourth - season episode of The Muppet Show. In 1977, Tina Turner performed the song on an episode of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour. Canadian pop - singer Tamara Silvera recorded the song in 1985. Youssou N'Dour released a version on his 1986 album Nelson Mandela. Detroit rock band Electric Six released a version on their 2010 album Zodiac. Personnel Lead vocals : Philippé Wynne Background vocals : Bobby Smith, Pervis Jackson, Henry Fambrough and Billy Henderson Additional background vocals : the Sigma Sweethearts ( Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Yvette Benton ) Instrumentation : MFSB Charts Weekly charts Chart ( 1976 -- 77 ) Peak Position Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) 7 Australia ( ARIA ) 20 UK Singles Chart ( The Official Charts Company ) 16 US Billboard Hot 100 US Billboard Hot Soul Singles US Cash Box Top 100 Year - end charts Chart ( 1976 ) Rank U.S. Cash Box 24 Chart ( 1977 ) Rank Canada 101 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 81 References Jump up ^ Feldman, Christopher G. ( 2000 ). The Billboard Book of No. 2 Hits. Billboard Books. ISBN 0 - 8230 - 7695 - 4. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 545. Jump up ^ `` The Detroit Spinners : The Rubberband Man ''. 45cat.com. Jump up ^ Planer, Lindsay. `` The Rubberband Man ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 30 January 2013. Jump up ^ Steffen Hung. `` Forum - 1970 ( ARIA Charts : Special Occasion Charts ) ''. Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016 - 06 - 02. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 10 - 21. Retrieved 2016 - 06 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada ''. Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Hits of 1977 / Top 100 Songs of 1977 ''. Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 11. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Just to Be Close to You '' by The Commodores Billboard 's Hot Soul Singles number one single October 23, 1976 Succeeded by `` Message in Our Music '' by The O'Jays The Spinners Henry Fambrough Charlton Washington Marvin Taylor Jessie Robert Peck Ronnie Moss Pervis Jackson Billy Henderson C.P. Spencer James Edwards Bobby Smith George Dixon Edgar `` Chico '' Edwards G.C. Cameron Philippé Wynne John Edwards Frank Washington Harold `` Spike '' Bonhart Studio albums The Original Spinners 2nd Time Around Spinners Mighty Love New and Improved Pick of the Litter Happiness Is Being with the Spinners Singles `` That 's What Girls Are Made For '' `` I 'll Always Love You '' `` Truly Yours '' `` It 's a Shame '' `` How Could I Let You Get Away '' `` I 'll Be Around '' `` Could It Be I 'm Falling in Love '' `` One of a Kind ( Love Affair ) '' `` Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music '' `` Mighty Love '' `` I 'm Coming Home '' `` Then Came You '' `` Sadie '' `` Games People Play '' `` The Rubberband Man '' `` Are You Ready for Love '' `` Working My Way Back to You '' / `` Forgive Me, Girl '' `` Cupid '' / `` I 've Loved You for a Long Time '' `` Yesterday Once More '' / `` Nothing Remains the Same '' `` Funny How Time Slips Away '' `` I 'll Be Around '' ( with Rappin ' 4 - Tay ) Related articles Discography Atlantic Records Motown Volt Records Book : The Spinners Category : The Spinners Portal : R&B and Soul Music Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Rubberband_Man&oldid=798880468 '' Categories : 1976 singles Billboard Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs number - one singles The Spinners ( American R&B group ) songs Songs written by Linda Creed Songs written by Thom Bell 1976 songs Atlantic Records singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2017 Articles needing additional references from August 2017 All articles needing additional references Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 4 September 2017, at 10 : 21. 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Question: when did the song rubberband man come out
Answer: August 1976