Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia
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 | Product Details: Release Date: 27 October 2008 Record Label: Sony Rating:  Sales Rank: 31610 | | Look for similar items by category:
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| | Customer Reviews: Classic Soul (25 October 2008)Soul music had several regional centres in the `60's, and there was a distinctive sound from each, notably Detroit, and Memphis, but also in Muscle Shoals and Chicago. Equally, several labels became synonymous with a Soul sound, Motown, Stax and Atlantic, 3 of the best known. In late 60's Philadelphia, Thom Bell was producing and arranging for the Delfonics, adding elements not normally associated with Soul vocal groups, and in doing so, providing a blueprint for what became known as Sweet Soul. Bell carried this sound with him to The Stylistics, where his writing and arranging with Linda Creed, together with the Groups vocals, created a major stir with their first album on the Atco label in 1970. Both groups feature strongly here, including all their early hits. At the same time Gamble and Huff were working their magic on groups like The O'Jays, and Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes, both established groups who were looking for their breakthrough. That would come in 1972, with the release of "Backstabbers" and "If You Don't Know Me..." heralding a run of success for the Philadelphia International label which would last for a decade or more. Following them would come artists like Billy Paul, a jazz singer who enjoyed enormous success with "Me and Mrs Jones", The 3 Degrees, MFSB (the PI house band) and many more. Many, if not most of the labels hits are included here. With the Philly Sound riding high, producers and artists were drawn to find out whether they could share in that success - this had brought artists as diverse as Dusty Springfield and Jerry Butler to Philadelphia in the `60's and Atlantic had sent Wilson Pickett to step out of his Southern Soul groove with "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You" (all on disc 1). Newly signed to Atlantic following their inauspicious Motown career, The Spinners (Detroit Spinners in the UK), came to work with Thom Bell. The result was one of the finest Soul albums of the `70's, which provided 3 massive crossover hits, of which "I'll Be Around" is included here. They would follow that gold album with 5 more in the coming years, and a string of awards, including a Grammy for Thom Bell for Best Producer in 1974. As the `70's moved on so the hits just kept coming, especially for the Philadelphia International label, and disc 3 contains hits almost exclusively from that label, as diverse in sound as the O'Jay's impassioned "Let Me Make Love To You" , a slice of old school Soul, to the proto Disco of Archie Bell and the Drills' "Lets Groove" and the social commentary of Harold Melvin's "Wake Up everybody", which still retains it's power and message today. The later years of the Philly saw a less distinctive sound, but the success didn't end, with the O'Jays still up there, along with Teddy Pendergrass (who became a major star after leaving the Bluenotes), The Manhattans and McFadden & Whitehead, with their anthem "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". This is not all there is to the story though, as there were countless artists, throughout these years, who added to the Sound, but who never quite made superstardom - bands like The Intruders, Trammps and Peoples Choice, artists like Joe Simon and William DeVaughn, all of whom are featured here. Among those less famous artists were The Ebonys, and their "It's Forever" is on disc 2 - worth buying this set for on its own if you are a Soul fan. So this is the story of Philadelphia Soul, of a city that found a sound, that mined a rich creative seam and staked a claim as one of the most influential labels of Soul. I could quibble about some of the track selections (I'd have had more from the early '70's, especially the Spinners), but credit the compilers for including some of the less well known names. This is a wonderful reminder of what can happen when a bunch of talented people get together, what superb music they can create, and is recommended for anyone who remembers those years, for anyone who wants to check out some of the sounds beyond the hits, or for anyone who loves Soul and who may have lost their copies of these tracks. Outstanding Philly soul compilation (07 March 2005)Whereas Motown and Atlantic dominated soul music in the late sixties, other labels gave them much stiffer competition in the seventies, especially Philadelphia International, the source of the tracks for this compilation. All the big Philly stars are here (eight tracks including Back stabbers and Love train), Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes (five tracks including If you don't know me by now and Don't leave me this way), Billy Paul (four tracks including Me and Mrs Jones) and the Three Degrees (five tracks counting those backing MFSP, including When will I see you again). Other famous tracks here include You'll never find another love like mine (Lou Rawls), Soul city walk (Archie Bell and the Drells), Ain't no stopping us now (McFadden and Whitehead) and Show you the way to go (Jacksons). With forty-five tracks altogether, this offers a comprehensive overview of the sound of Philadelphia, as it was in the seventies. |
