Philadelphia, PA. (Top40 Charts/ Philadelphia International Records) - Forty-five years ago, a chance meeting became the beginning of a legendary duo and the birth of a new American music dynasty. A decade later, producers and songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records was on its way to defining a musical era with a seemingly endless run of hits produced by the label during the 1970s and '80s.
PIR's roster of superstars - among them the O'Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass (and later TP solo), Lou Rawls, Jerry Butler, the Three Degrees, Patti LaBelle, Billy Paul, MFSB, Archie Bell & the Drells, and many others - charted hundreds of records in their prime. Motown was Hitsville, Stax was Soulsville, but nothing compared to The Sound Of Philadelphia, TSOP.
Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on March 10, 2008. The week before, in a timely tribute to the enduring appeal of the music they created, two brand new collections will arrive in stores March 4th on Philadelphia International/Legacy, a division of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT: THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA: GAMBLE & HUFF'S GREATEST HITS, a 16-song collection of top-charted signatures by the cream of the roster; and CONQUER THE WORLD: THE LOST SOUL OF PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL RECORDS, a 16-song collection of rare singles sides, most of which have not seen light of day for over 30 years.
In addition to its durable hitmakers, PIR was home to countless artists who passed through the company's busy downtown studios on their way to a big time career that eluded them. Many of the rare 45 rpm single records by those artists are cherished and sought-after collector's items; others have been forgotten by time, remembered only by R&B scholars and soul music aficionados. Among the country's staunchest PIR enthusiasts are Legacy compilation producers Joe McEwen and Leo Sacks, for whom the creation of CONQUER THE WORLD was a labor of love. The duo worked in tandem with Gamble & Huff in the creation of both CONQUER THE WORLD and THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA.
"On a desultory August day in 2007," McEwen writes in his liner notes, "I traveled to Philadelphia with Leo Sacks to listen to these singles with Joe Tarsia, the engineer/architect of the 'sound' of Philadelphia. It was a treat to listen to the Bunny Sigler (mysteriously credited as
David on the single) and
Dee Dee Sharp homage to
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, 'Conquer The World Together.' He had not heard the song since the day it was recorded and, in fact, had no memory of its existence!"
"CONQUER THE WORLD," McEwen writes, "is full of names that never went far beyond the neighborhoods and bars of Philadelphia: local stars such as
Bobby Bennett, the Soul Devalients, Pat & the Blenders, and
Love Committee (formerly the beloved Ethics). As artists they may have never conquered the world, but on LOST SOUL their music remains wonderful forever." Other acts rounding out the package include Johnny Williams, Frankie & The Spindles, Carolyn Crawford, Love Committee, Yellow Sunshine, Ruth McFadden, (and on the four bonus tracks) People's Choice, the Futures, Ruby & The Party Gang, and the Mellow Moods.
On the same release date, a definitive new hits package arrives, THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA: GAMBLE & HUFF'S GREATEST HITS. More than a dozen of its 16 selections were Billboard No 1 R&B and pop crossover chart hits, standards by any definition: "
Love Train" and "Back Stabbers" by the O'Jays, "
If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (featuring Teddy Pendergrass), "Me And Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul, "When Will I See You Again" by the Three Degrees, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" by Lou Rawls, "
Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead, and more.
TSOP and CONQUER THE WORLD are the third and fourth album releases in an historic new agreement announced last August 2007, in which the complete Philadelphia International Records catalog of music has been licensed by SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, to be released through its Commercial
Music Group and Legacy Recordings.
The first two releases under this agreement were The Essential Teddy Pendergrass and The Essential Lou Rawls, which arrived in stores October 30, 2007.
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' "Backstabbers" 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 in the studio 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, Joe Tarsia 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 No 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 Bubl?, Kanye West, 50 Cent, and T.I., among many others. It has been reported that one of Gamble & Huff's songs is played on the radio somewhere in the world every 13.5 minutes.
