The Stylistics, The Miracle | Music Lifts

In the 32^nd edition of Music Lifts (2023), we’re uplifted by iconic Philly soul collective, The Stylistics, performing, “The Miracle.”

Welcome to Music Lifts , a column that seeks to highlight songs that encourage, inspire, and uplift the spirit; songs that exude fortitude, positivity, and resolve, even in the face of adversity.  Featured songs aren’t genre-specific; songs may or may not be faith-based. The goal is for these songs to make you feel better – be LIFTED to new heights!  So, for the 32^nd edition of Music Lifts (2023), we highlight “The Miracle” as performed by The Stylistics.

“Thank God for the miracle / You belong to me.” “The Miracle” is one of many stunning songs by the iconic soul collective, The Stylistics.  Underrated compared to the Philly soul group’s more renowned hits, “The Miracle” is a gem, nonetheless. It graces the final album where Russell Thompkins, Jr. and company collaborated with the late, great Thom Bell. Thematically,  The Stylistics, once skeptical of the miraculous happenings of life, become believers, thanks to finding that special somebody in their lives .  “I used to think that time was just a thing to pass away / Love was just the game that children play / God was just another word to say,” the second verse goes, later confirming the paradigm shift, “Now I believe, I believe / Miracles can be / And in my song, I thank God / You belong to me.” 

It is the belief in miracles, and the positive vibes that earns “The Miracle” a spot on Music Lifts .  Besides the theme, the singing, the musical underpinnings, and the arrangement and production make “The Miracle” triumphant too.  Harmonically, there are some marvelous chord changes that go beyond simple, standard chords.  This adventurous, innovative approach helps The Stylistics navigate numerous modulations (key changes) seamlessly.  Beginning in the key of E, the collective serves up modulations to A, C, F, Db, Gb, G, and Ab in that sequence . Ear-catching is an understatement regarding “The Miracle”. So, how did I arrive at this gem from The Stylistics’ 1974 album, Heavy? Thanks to Shareefa, who samples the classic on her 2006 R&B gem, “Cry No More”, a vibe in its own right. Be lifted by the miraculous vibes of “The Miracle”!

The Stylistics • Heavy • Amherst • 1974

The Stylistics, “The Miracle”: Music Lifts No. 32 (2023) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Amherst; cottonbro studio, Itzel Sandoval, Neeraj Nagdeve via Pexels]