The Sound of Philly.. All Boxed Up!

The O’Jays, Jean Carne, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, Teddy Pendergrass, MFSB, Three Degrees, Bunny Sigler, Patti LaBelle, The Spinners, Archie Bell & The Drells, Billy Paul and The Stylistics, are just a sampling of the artists that became synonymous with the Philly Sound.

Long overdue, “Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia” is a 4 CD Set collection of continuous hits that will invoke memories, both good an bad.

Below you will find a clip from the PBS “Love Train” program, featuring Harold Melvin’s Bluenotes.



About Philadelphia International Records

In 1971, Gamble and Huff founded PIR as the outlet for their creative vision. Building a stable of Philly-based talent, PIR reached the tops of the charts from day one. In one memorable nine month period during 1972-73, they sold over 10 million records as Billy Paul’s Grammy-winning “Me & Mrs. Jones,” the O’Jays’ “Back Stabbers” and “Love Train,” Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes’ “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” and the Intruders “I’ll Always Love My Mama” all charted at the same time.

PIR became the birthplace, incubator and launching pad for the Philly Soul sound, a unique blend of R&B rhythms, sweet soul vocals, deep funk grooves, pulsing horn charts and lush string arrangements with melodic structures combining elements of pop, jazz and world music. A sophisticated sound lovingly crafted by engineer Joe Tarsia at his Sigma Sound studios by some of the 20th century’s most influential producers and production teams – including Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Gene McFadden & John Whitehead, Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, and others, including Gamble & Huff themselves – Philly Soul set the stage for disco, smooth jazz, adult contemporary music, quiet storm, and more.

Gamble & Huff’s PIR songs and productions have truly permeated the musical DNA of contemporary culture. They have been covered or sampled by a vast array of artists including Jay-Z, Babyface, Nelly, OutKast, Angie Stone, Simply Red (whose #1 version of “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” in 1989 earned Gamble & Huff the Best R&B Song Grammy), Bette Midler, Mary J. Blige, Michael Bublé, Kanye West, 50 Cent, and T.I., among many others.

When asked by Russell Hall of Performing Songwriter magazine, “What are the characteristics of a great song?” Kenny Gamble replied, “A great story.” To which Leon Huff added, “And a great melody.” And Gamble responded, “Like Duke Ellington said, ‘It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.”

::Related Links http://rhythmflow.net/
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