{{For|the song by T.I.|Rubber Band Man}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox song | name = The Rubberband Man | cover = The Rubberband Man.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = the Spinners | album = Happiness Is Being with the Spinners | B-side = Now That We're Together | released = August 1976 | recorded = | studio = Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | venue = | genre = *Soul • funk • Philadelphia soul | length = * 7:23 (album version) * 3:33 (single edit) | label = Atlantic | writer = Thom Bell, Linda Creed | producer = Thom Bell | prev_title = Wake Up Susan | prev_year = 1976 | next_title = You're Throwing a Good Love Away | next_year = 1977 | misc = {{External music video|header=Official audio|{{YouTube|KoE0paDCcls|"The Rubberband Man"}}}} }}
"'''The Rubberband Man'''" is a song recorded by American vocal group the Spinners. The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer-songwriter Linda Creed, originated because of Bell's son Mark, 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".<ref>{{cite book|isbn=0-8230-7695-4|title=The Billboard Book of No. 2 Hits|publisher=Billboard Books|year=2000|author=Feldman, Christopher G.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/billboardbookofn00chri}}</ref>
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 US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, number 3 on the US ''Cash Box'' Top 100 and topped the U.S. R&B chart.<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=545}}</ref> It also reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/k10807|title=The Detroit Spinners: The Rubberband Man|work=45cat.com}}</ref>
The song was included in the ''Detroit Free Press''{{'}}s "Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs" list, ranking 70th.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/2016/06/05/detroits-100-greatest-songs-full-list/84830602/|title=Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs|website=Freep.com|access-date=May 10, 2018}}</ref>
==Arrangement and structure== 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."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/the-rubberband-man-mt0011921057 |title=The Rubberband Man |author=Planer, Lindsay |website=AllMusic |access-date=January 30, 2013}}</ref>
==Instrumentation== Reviewing the song for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer says: "The opening clavinet and percussion establish the jaunty pace before the entry of Bell's legendarily subtle Philly strings arrangement. The tempo is punctuated by brief bursts from the horn section and a tasty piano building up to Wynne's elastic lead. There are arguably no better examples of the synergy that existed between Bell's scores and Wynne's singularly expressive delivery."<ref>https://www.allmusic.com/song/the-rubberband-man-mt0015759141#review</ref>
The bassline of the song is intended to mimic the sound of a rubber band. This sound was achieved by bassist Bob Babbitt, an experienced Motown session musician, by running the instrument through a device he called a "funk box."<ref name="funkbox">{{Cite web|url=https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-spinners/the-rubberband-man|title=The Rubberband Man by The Spinners|website=Songfacts.com|access-date=October 15, 2025}}</ref>{{better source|reason=source is user-generated|date=June 2025}}
==Later uses== {{more citations needed section|date=June 2021}} * Performed by Lynda Carter twice on TV in 1980: during her first (of five) ''Lynda Carter Special'', and in an episode of ''The Muppet Show'' accompanied by a band of Rubberband Men Muppets. * The song also appears in the 1981 movie ''Stripes''. * "The Rubberband Man" was used on the TV show ''Suits'' in the 2012 episode "Discovery". * In 2018, the song was featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film ''Avengers: Infinity War.'' Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) sings it to the mostly non-receptive Guardians of the Galaxy. The song was chosen by executive producer and director of the ''Guardians'' trilogy James Gunn, and it enjoyed a surge in popularity as a result of its use. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Buchanan |first=Kyle |date=April 30, 2018 |title=''Avengers: Infinity War'': How They Decided to Split Up the Characters |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/04/avengers-infinity-war-how-they-decided-to-group-the-heroes.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180501225400/http://www.vulture.com/2018/04/avengers-infinity-war-how-they-decided-to-group-the-heroes.html |archive-date=May 1, 2018 |access-date=March 12, 2026 |website=Vulture |language=en}}</ref> * From 2004–2007 in several back-to-school advertising campaigns for OfficeMax, the song Rubberband Man was used as the theme for The 'Rubberband Man', a character played by actor Eddie Steeples, who would happily distribute school / office supplies to surprised and somewhat disappointed children or thankful office employees. In one commercial, Steeple's character has lost his rubber ball, and the commercial documents his search for the missing ball.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/Y7scdHgc4Jw Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20210202075109/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7scdHgc4Jw Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7scdHgc4Jw| title = officemax "rubberband man" | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/7AXn2KhjHtc Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170813011857/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AXn2KhjHtc Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AXn2KhjHtc| title = Rubberband Man Back-to-School - OfficeMax | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> At that time, Steeples was popular portraying the character of Darnell "Crab Man" Turner on the television sitcom ''My Name Is Earl''. * The song was featured in the CBS sitcom ''Young Sheldon'' in the final episode of the series. It played right before ''Sheldon Cooper'' was baptized.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgpcferXYwA| title = Sheldon gets baptised Scene / Young Sheldon 7x14 | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> * The song was covered on the 2010 album ''Zodiac'' by Electric Six. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://genius.com/albums/Electric-six/Zodiac| title=Electric Six - Zodiac Lyrics and Tracklist |website=Genius|access-date=2026-01-23}}</ref>
==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 L. Benson and Yvette Benton) * Instrumentation: MFSB: **Thom Bell: keyboards **Tony Bell, Bobby Eli: guitars **Bob Babbitt: bass guitar, funk box<ref name="funkbox"></ref> **Andrew Smith: drums **Larry Washington: percussion *Produced, arranged and conducted by Thom Bell
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable" !align="left"|Chart (1976–1977) !align="left"|Peak<br />Position |- |align="left"|Canada Top Singles (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5141a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5141a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5141a|title=RPM Top Singles - Volume 26, No. 13|website=Library and Archives Canada|access-date=November 7, 2024}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|7 |- |align="left"|Australia (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 |title=Forum – 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts) |website=Australian-charts.com |access-date=October 11, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602084720/http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092 |archive-date=June 2, 2016 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|20 |- |align="left"|UK Singles Chart (The Official Charts Company)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14822/detroit-spinners/|access-date=November 7, 2024|title=Detroit Spinners |publisher=The Official UK Charts Company}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|16 |- |align="left"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name="auto">{{cite book|title=Top Pop Singles 1955-2010|year=2011|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|publisher=Record Research}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|2 |- |align="left"|US ''Billboard'' Hot Soul Singles<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-spinners/chart-history/bsi/ | title=The Spinners Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) | magazine=Billboard | access-date=November 7, 2024}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |align="left"|US ''Cash Box''Top 100<ref>{{cite book|title=Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Whitburn|year=2014|publisher=Record Research}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|3 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable" |- !align="left"|Chart (1976) ! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |- |Canada Top Singles (''RPM'') <ref>{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160319222559/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5173a&type=1&interval=20&PHPSESSID=u9874ano8k0c5b6bkp4r8qrbp3 |title=Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada |website=collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=October 1, 2004 |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|92 |- |US ''Cash Box''Top 100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/1976YESP.html |title=Top 100 Year End Charts: 1976 |work=Cashbox Magazine |access-date=June 5, 2016 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|24 |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- !align="left"|Chart (1977) ! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |- |Canada Top Singles (''RPM'') <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.5502b&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.5502b.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.5502b |title=Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada |website=Bac-lac.gc.ca |date=July 17, 2013 |access-date=October 11, 2016}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|101 |- |US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name="auto"/> | style="text-align:center;"|81 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Spinners|title=The Rubberband Man|award=Silver|relyear=2006|certyear=2023|id=19052-6394-1|access-date=June 16, 2023}} {{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{SecondHandSongs|138858|The Rubberband Man}} * {{YouTube|KSMVflSBKx8|The Spinners: The Rubberband Man}}
{{The Spinners (American group)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubberband Man, The}} Category:1976 singles Category:The Spinners (American group) songs Category:Songs written by Linda Creed Category:Songs written by Thom Bell Category:1976 songs Category:Atlantic Records singles Category:Song recordings produced by Thom Bell