In the early 1970s, Philadelphia was the most influential source of African-American music in the country. At the centre of this musical scene stood Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, founders and lead executives of Philadelphia International Records (PIR). At the time, PIR was the city’s largest label, and Gamble and Huff directed one of the most successful black-owned musical enterprises (second only to Motown).
At the heart of their success was their unique “Sound of Philadelphia” (sometimes referred to as Philadelphia Soul). The best-known musical exponents of the Philly Sound were soul and disco acts signed to the PIR label. These acts included the O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, the Stylistics, the Spinners, and the Three Degrees.
Gamble and Huff met in 1964, when Huff played keyboards on a tune written by Gamble, called “The 81.” By the mid-1960s, they had begun to produce sessions on a freelance basis, using recording facilities at Sigma Studios. In 1966, they started their own label, Excel, which they soon refined into Gamble Records. Their first success came with a group called the Intruders, who scored a crossover rhythm and blues (R&B)/pop hit with “United.” The Intruders followed this up with several more hits that reached both the pop and the R&B charts.
However, Gamble and Huff’s first Top 10 hit came in 1967 in the U.S., with the Soul Survivors’ “Expressway to Your Heart.” In 1969, Gamble and Huff decided to expand their label and made a deal with Neptune Records. They set up Philadelphia International Records and won a distribution deal with CBS.
From the beginning, Gamble and Huff set out to create soul music with a unique sound that differed from Motown. The Philadelphia Sound was characterised by swirling, fast-moving, orchestrated productions, and Gamble and Huff replaced the high shrills and booming bass of Motown with sharply pinpointed instruments and increasingly lush and sophisticated arrangements. The work of Thorn Bell, an arranger whose orchestral scores were featured on many of PIR’s hits, was particularly important in the development of this new sound. Bell favoured ballads accompanied by string arrangements, French horns, and woodwinds. On many tunes, such as “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time),” he created miniature symphonies within the label’s format. Bell’s approach was perfected in the 1970s with his work for the Stylistics and the Spinners.
Another influential contributor was Vincent Montana. Montana was a member of M.F.S.B.—Philadelphia’s studio band—and was instrumental in the development of disco. He was one of the first to bring a fully orchestrated sound to the dance music genre.
During the early 1970s, successful singles poured out of the Sigma studios selling millions of copies. PIR’s first hit was Billy Paul’s 1972 classic, “Me and Mrs. Jones.” This success was followed in the same year by the O’Jays’ hit, “Backstabbers” (which went gold in 1973). The O’Jays went on to become international stars with their 1973 hit single, “Love Train.”
Sadly, just as Motown had failed to keep up with changing tastes in music toward the end of the 1960s, so Philadelphia International fell out of fashion in the late 1970s. Sensing this trend, in 1982, Gamble and Huff embarked on a new venture, launching Peace International, a label devoted to gospel music. However, by this time the company was financially unsound. In February 1983, their distribution deal with Columbia ended, and with it went the legend and sound of Philadelphia International.
Judi Gerber
SEE ALSO:
DANCE MUSIC; DISCO; MOTOWN; SOUL.
FURTHER READING
Bonds, Ray. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black Music (New York: Harmony Books, 1982).
SUGGESTED LISTENING
Harold Melvin: Wake up Everybody, If You Don’t Know Me by Now; The Best of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes; Teddy Pendergrass: Truly Blessed.