We never tire of this one – and we think it's a landmark soul LP that forever changed the face of soul music! Teddy Pendergrass is in perfect form, and he really gets into it on the album's 2 incredible long tracks – "I Miss You", and "Be For Real" – both with amazing monologues that will knock your socks off! The rest of the LP is prime Philly stuff with a sound that's a lot more soulful and less uptempo than their later ones – and tracks include the hit "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Ebony Woman", "Yesterday I Had The Blues", and "Let It Be You". CD

One of our favorite all-time vocal groups – even if they did sell a bazillion records during the 70s! Of course, we have to give the lion's share of the credit to Teddy Pendergrass – whose darkly warm vocals pushed most of the group's tracks over the top, and forever set a new standard for male vocals in soul music. Teddy's singing strong and clear on this 15 track set of hits by the group – a nice batch that includes some of their best mellow material, and more than enough of their strident hits, the sort that still show up day and day again on oldies stations, with no complaints from us! Titles include "The Love I Lost", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Yesterday I Had The Blues", "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "Everybody's Talkin", and the sublime "I Miss You", done in the full 8 minute version. CD

Not really the Collectors Item promised by the title – but an excellent collection of work from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, pulled from their earliest albums for Philly International! The set's worth it for two tracks alone – "I Miss You" and "Be For Real" – both from the first album, and both masterpieces of slow drawn-out, monologue-centered soul – the sort that Teddy Pendergrass did with the group, at a level that was way beyond other harmony soul on the east coast at the time! Other tracks are good too, and offer up the group in some upbeat, grooving modes that are equally wonderful – thanks to vocals from Teddy P! Other titles include "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "Where Are All My Friends", "Bad Luck", "The Love I Lost", and "Wake Up Everybody". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great post-Philly International album from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – the group's first after the departure of Teddy Pendergrass, and a set that shows them hardly missing a beat! The group are still recording at Sigma Sound, with Melvin at the production helm – and they've also got that great balance between a deep-voiced lead singer (new arrival David Ebo) and the soaring harmonies of the rest of the group. Tunes are wonderfully written – the right mix of personal and political from the group's biggest years – and the album's got a really great sense of pace and timing overall, maybe even more so than previous records. Titles include "Hostage", "He Loves You And I Do Too", "Stay Together", "Sandman", "Big Singing Star", and "Reaching For The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly great post-Philly International work from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – recorded at a time when the group had actually let a female singer into their ranks! Sharon Paige is the lady here – and she creates a nice sense of interplay with the male singers in the group – that sort of back and forth that you might find in some of Al Hudson's work with One Way, or in a variety of other funky club acts who were rising in the mainstream at the time. Harold Melvin produced, and there's some definite late Philly moments in the tracks "Prayin" and "Baby I'm Back" – but the greatest charm of the album possibly comes from tracks that change things up a bit, including "I Should Be Your Lover", "Tonight's The Night", and "Your Love Is Taking Me On A Journey". CD

Surprisingly great post-Philly International work from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – recorded at a time when the group had actually let a female singer into their ranks! Sharon Paige is the lady here – and she creates a nice sense of interplay with the male singers in the group – that sort of back and forth that you might find in some of Al Hudson's work with One Way, or in a variety of other funky club acts who were rising in the mainstream at the time. Harold Melvin produced, and there's some definite late Philly moments in the tracks "Prayin" and "Baby I'm Back" – but the greatest charm of the album possibly comes from tracks that change things up a bit, including "I Should Be Your Lover", "Tonight's The Night", and "Your Love Is Taking Me On A Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the legendary classics from the Philly International years of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a time when the group was featuring the tremendous lead vocals of the great Teddy Pendergrass! The set's a stunner all the way through – one of the best Philly mixes of smooth, professional backings and deeply personal lyrics – as Teddy soars to the top of the mix with his excellent leads, and gets excellent support from the rest of the Blue Notes on harmonies – but also steps aside to make a bit of space to introduce singer Sharon Paige on one cut, who'd have a greater role in the group in years to come. The songwriting, production, and other Sigma Studios touches are sublime – and titles include "Hope That We Can Get Together Soon", "Where Are All My Friends", "Bad Luck", "To Be True", "Nobody Could Take Your Place", and "All Because Of A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A post-Philly International album from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, but one that still keeps their groove very much intact – thanks to instrumental help from Norman Harris, Ron Baker, Vince Montana, Earl Young, and a host of other Sigma Sound talents! Although recorded in the early 80s, the set's actually got a stripped-down quality that really reminds us of the earliest days of Philly International – kind of a back-to-basics approach that really works well for The Blue Notes, at a time when so many other groups might have been tempted to push off into clunkier territory. We might miss Teddy Pendergrass a bit in the lead, but the vocals are still totally top-shelf – very much in the best group soul mode of the time – and titles include "Hang On In There", "Come Go With Me", "Ain't That Love", "Tell Me Why", "I'm In Love With You", and "Have I Told You I Love You Today". CD

Classic Philly soul from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a killer batch of studio tracks, despite the live image of the group on the cover! The album's got a slightly more expansive feel than some of the other Teddy Pendergrass-era albums by The Blue Notes – almost a mini-symphony of soul, and one that takes arrangements from Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana – and wraps the vocals up in a soaring, righteous sort of feel! The rougher, more personal Teddy Pendergrass style of I Miss You is folded a bit more into the harmonies of the rest of the group here – and the result is a powerful wave of soul that pushes The Blue Notes right to the top of the pack. The album features classics like "The Love I Lost" and "Is There A Place For Me" – plus other nice material like "Concentrate On Me", "It All Depends On You", and "I'm Weak For You". CD

Classic Philly soul from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a killer batch of studio tracks, despite the live image of the group on the cover! The album's got a slightly more expansive feel than some of the other Teddy Pendergrass-era albums by The Blue Notes – almost a mini-symphony of soul, and one that takes arrangements from Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana – and wraps the vocals up in a soaring, righteous sort of feel! The rougher, more personal Teddy Pendergrass style of I Miss You is folded a bit more into the harmonies of the rest of the group here – and the result is a powerful wave of soul that pushes The Blue Notes right to the top of the pack. The album features classics like "The Love I Lost" and "Is There A Place For Me" – plus other nice material like "Concentrate On Me", "It All Depends On You", and "I'm Weak For You". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great post-Philly International album from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – the group's first after the departure of Teddy Pendergrass, and a set that shows them hardly missing a beat! The group are still recording at Sigma Sound, with Melvin at the production helm – and they've also got that great balance between a deep-voiced lead singer (new arrival David Ebo) and the soaring harmonies of the rest of the group. Tunes are wonderfully written – the right mix of personal and political from the group's biggest years – and the album's got a really great sense of pace and timing overall, maybe even more so than previous records. Titles include "Hostage", "He Loves You And I Do Too", "Stay Together", "Sandman", "Big Singing Star", and "Reaching For The World". CD

One of the legendary classics from the Philly International years of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a time when the group was featuring the tremendous lead vocals of the great Teddy Pendergrass! The set's a stunner all the way through – one of the best Philly mixes of smooth, professional backings and deeply personal lyrics – as Teddy soars to the top of the mix with his excellent leads, and gets excellent support from the rest of the Blue Notes on harmonies – but also steps aside to make a bit of space to introduce singer Sharon Paige on one cut, who'd have a greater role in the group in years to come. The songwriting, production, and other Sigma Studios touches are sublime – and titles include "Hope That We Can Get Together Soon", "Where Are All My Friends", "Bad Luck", "To Be True", "Nobody Could Take Your Place", and "All Because Of A Woman". CD

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. CD

Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of 70s gems from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes! Black & Blue is classic Philly soul from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – a killer batch of studio tracks, despite the live image of the group on the cover! The album's got a slightly more expansive feel than some of the other Teddy Pendergrass-era albums by The Blue Notes – almost a mini-symphony of soul, and one that takes arrangements from Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Vince Montana – and wraps the vocals up in a soaring, righteous sort of feel! The rougher, more personal Teddy Pendergrass style of I Miss You is folded a bit more into the harmonies of the rest of the group here – and the result is a powerful wave of soul that pushes The Blue Notes right to the top of the pack. The album features classics like "The Love I Lost" and "Is There A Place For Me" – plus other nice material like "Concentrate On Me", "It All Depends On You", and "I'm Weak For You". On Wake Up Everybody, Teddy Pendergrass and crew get a bit more political than on earlier releases, and adopt the righteous bubbling soul groove that had put the O'Jays over the top a few years earlier – with incredible results! The title cut – "Wake Up Everybody" – would prove to be a great example of the political Philly International hit formula applied to socially conscious themes, but the record probably scored even bigger with the club crossover hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Other tracks include "Keep On Lovin You", "Tell The World How I Feel About Cha Baby", "I'm Searching For A Love", and "You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good" – the latter two of which also feature female vocals by Sharon Paige. Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, and Ronnie Baker did the arrangements – and this was Teddy's last LP with the group. CD

A huge selection of work from Double Exposure – maybe our favorite group on the legendary Salsoul label from the 70s! The set features three full albums, plus lots of bonus tracks – and the first set is Ten Percent – a wonderful album and one of those underground classics that seems to show up in everyone's record collection, even though it was never a huge chart hit. Double Exposure are part of the "second wave" of East Coast vocal groups – and like their contemporaries, they mix the sweet harmony soul tradition of earlier years with the burgeoning clubby sound that was coming out of Philly. The set's produced by the Baker/Harris/Young team – who also play on the album along with the rest of the Sigma Sound crew – and the songs feature some stunning anthemic club numbers, plus a few surprisingly sweet harmony tunes. Includes their huge cut "Ten Percent", the amazing positivist groover "Everyman" – and the cuts "My Love Is Free", "Gonna Give My Love Away", and "Just Can't Say Hello". Next is Fourplay – sublime work from one of our favorite groups ever on Salsoul Records – the amazing harmony quartet Double Exposure – soaring out here in a set of Philly gems produced by Norman Harris! The album's got a wonderful sound right from the start – rich in rhythms, yet also soaring on harmonies that few other Philly acts could even touch – especially at this point in the 70s, when the group sound seemed to be waning a bit on other fronts. In a way, Double Exposure really carry on the best tradition of the east coast scene with a set like this – pushing things forward with rolling grooves for the clubs, yet also showing that they still can have a special way with a ballad too – a blend that's maybe only matched by Teddy Pendergrass-era work by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. Titles include "Newsy Neighbors", "Perfect Lover", "There's Something Missing", "Handy Man", and "Why Do You Have to Leave". The last full album is Locker Room – a record with a bouncy groove that's topped by the quartet's wonderfully warm harmonies – easily some of the best from the disco generation, served up in a careful classy style that makes them a perfect heir to some of the initial harmony grooves from the east coast scene of the early 70s! Norman Harris here handles production with associates Bruce Hawes, Ron Kersey, and Ron Baker – all of whom ensure just the right blend of Philly poise and soulful swing – and titles include "Can We Be In Love", "(Where Have You Been) All My Life", "I've Got The Hots For Ya", "I Wish That I Could Make Love To You", and "Why Do We Have To Go Our Separate Ways". 4CD set features 24 bonus tracks too – all the rare 12" and 7" mixes of cuts from the Salsoul period – plus other rarities and remixes too, even some great later remixes by folks like Frankie Knuckles, Masters At Work, and Joey Negro! CD

John Legend shakes loose of the contemporary pop soul style of his previous couple of records with a comparatively raw and direct soul vibe – revisiting some of best socially aware, emotionally resonant and still relevant songs of the 60s & 70s! The best tracks on the set are the ones that have the rawest, most live sounding groove – and there's plenty of that, as he's backed by The Roots. There's no denying John Legend's truthful love of this material, and he sings with genuine depth. They wisely choose numbers with lyrics that stand true to this day, a few of which feature fresh rhymes by guest MCs that further bridge the eras. The track selection is excellent – covering classics by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway and they also go as deep as Baby Huey & Eugene McDaniels. Includes "Hard Times" with Black Thought, "Compared To What", "Wake Up Everybody" with Common & Melanie Fiona, "Our Generation" feat CL Smooth, "Little Ghetto Boy" feat Black Thought (plus the prelude with Malik Yusef), "Hang On In There", "Wholy Holy", "Shine" and more. CD

One of the greatest voices ever in soul music – served up here in a stunning set of new mixes by the legendary John Morales – king of the edit, with a talent that goes way back to the best modes of the early club scene in NYC – and an equally great ability to find all the best bits in a cut and make them even better! In other words, these aren't the kind of remixes that seek to bludgeon an original track to death in service of putting the remixer in the spotlight – and instead, Morales has a superb way of helping Teddy Pendergrass shine even more than ever – letting the vocals soar over majestic Philly soul grooves – on tracks that are both from the Pendergrass years in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and some of Teddy's later solo cuts too. Titles include Morales mixes of "The More I Get The More I Want", "The Love I Lost", "Come Go With Me", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Only You", "Now Is The Time To Do It", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "If You Know Like I Know", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", "Is There A Place For Me", "Where Are All My Friends", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now". 2CD set features 18 tracks in all – 6 more than the vinyl version! CD

One of the greatest voices ever in soul music – served up here in a stunning set of new mixes by the legendary John Morales – king of the edit, with a talent that goes way back to the best modes of the early club scene in NYC – and an equally great ability to find all the best bits in a cut and make them even better! In other words, these aren't the kind of remixes that seek to bludgeon an original track to death in service of putting the remixer in the spotlight – and instead, Morales has a superb way of helping Teddy Pendergrass shine even more than ever – letting the vocals soar over majestic Philly soul grooves – on tracks that are both from the Pendergrass years in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and some of Teddy's later solo cuts too. Titles include Morales mixes of "The More I Get The More I Want", "The Love I Lost", "Come Go With Me", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Only You", "Now Is The Time To Do It", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "If You Know Like I Know", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", "Is There A Place For Me", "Where Are All My Friends", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now". LP, Vinyl record album

Upbeat grooves from the second wave of Philly International – some of those killer cuts the label was putting out in the late 70s, after virtually helping invent the sound of disco with their first great batch of singles! The tracks here are mostly nice and long – the album or 12" single versions, and not the shorter cuts edited for radio – which makes the package a treasure for both fans of later Philly soul, and of the kind of disco groovers the city's scene could always be trusted for! Titles include "If You Wanna Go Back" by Jean Carn, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Summertime" by MFSB, "I Love Music" by The O'Jays, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead, "Was That All It Was" by Jean Carn, "Bring The Family Back" by Billy Paul, "Jam Jam Jam" by People's Choice, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells, and "Breaking & Entering" by Dee Dee Sharp Gamble. CD

Massive mixes from the mighty Tom Moulton – a huge 4CD package that not only includes some classic lost and rare mixes from the 70s, but also a whopping 17 previously unreleased Moulton mixes, appearing here for the first time ever! If there's anyone who's ever been well-suited to reworking a Philly groove, it's Tom – given his long standing association with the soul scene in the City Of Brotherly Love – and his crucial role in pushing soul tracks into the clubs during the 70s. As with most of Tom's best work, the mixes here are richly faithful to the originals – and never try to overstate themselves at all, just focus on the best elements, and bring them to the forefront of the groove! 4CDs, 31 tracks, and Moulton remixes of "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "Trusting Heart" by The Trammps, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice, "Nights Over Egypt" by The Jones Girls, "I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass, "Year Of Decision" by Three Degrees, "Slow Motion" by Johnny Williams, "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "She's A Winner" by The Intruders, "Trammps Disco Theme/Zing Went The Strings" by The Trammps, "Let's Groove" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "The Devil Made Me Do It" by Robert Upchurch, "Love Is The Message" by MFSB, "Party Time Man" by The Futures, and "See You When I Get There" by Lou Rawls. CD

Tracks include "Everybody Plays the Fool" by The Main Ingredient, "Use Me" by Bill Withers, "Hearsay" by The Soul Children, "Rip Off" by Laura Lee, "Starting All over Again" by Mel & Tim, "Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield, "If You Don't Know Me by Now" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash, "Work to Do" by The Isley Brothers, "992 Arguments" by The O'Jays, "Keeper of the Castle" by The Four Tops, and "Me and Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul. CD

Tracks inlcude "Love Train" by The O'Jays, "Soul Makossa" by Manu Dibango, "Stoned Out of My Mind" by The Chi-Lites, "Theme from Cleopatra Jones" by Mainstreeters & Joe Simon, "Love I Lost, Pt. 1" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson, "Boogie Down" by Eddie Kendricks, "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang, "T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)" by MFSB & The Three Degrees, "Lookin' for a Love" by Bobby Womack, "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely" by The Main Ingredient, and "Be Thankful for What You Got" by William DeVaughn . CD

Stunning, stunning work from The Originals – one of the best male groups on 70s Motown, stepping out here on a record that might be one of their greatest ever! Although the group could sound strong in other settings, this album seems to have something really special going on – almost a sense of righteous, personal energy that matches the evolving sound of Marvin Gaye at this point – with a similar force that really helps redefine the way that male soul harmonies come together! The mellow cuts are tremendous – as mindblowing as anything that Teddy Pendergrass cut with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – and the fuller numbers have this proud, soaring sound that's equally wonderful. Arrangements are by Paul Riser, Wade Marcus, and David Van De Pitte, and the track list includes "The Bells", "I Like Your Style", "There's A Place We'd Like To Know", "Don't Stop Now", "You Want Hearts & Flowers", and "I'll Wait For You". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record that's easily one of the most righteous albums ever from Philadelphia International – a set designed to "give back" to the communities who supported the label strongly in the 70s, as a unique fund-raising effort, done before such records were commonplace! The Philly International roster of stars teamed up to put out this stunning set of tracks aimed at cleaning up the "ghettoes", both physical and mental, that continue to haunt the African-American communities in the US – and the set features key new numbers, plus a few more older tracks pulled from other Philly records that really work well to support the righteous message of the set. The centerpiece is the long title cut – "Let's Clean Up The Ghetto" – which has Lou Rawls doing a monologue about the garbage strike in New York, then launches into performances by Teddy Pendergrass, The O'Jays, Billy Paul, and Archie Bell. Other highlights include "The Big Gangster" by The O'Jays, "Old People" by Archie Bell, "Everybody's Talkin" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and "Now Is The Time To Do It" by Teddy Pendergrass. LP, Vinyl record album

Music from BT Express, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Rufus & Chaka Kahn, the Brothers Johnson, the Manhattans, Lou Rawls, the Ohio Players, Normon Connors, Brick, the Emotions, and more. CD

One of the greatest voices ever in soul music – served up here in a stunning set of new mixes by the legendary John Morales – king of the edit, with a talent that goes way back to the best modes of the early club scene in NYC – and an equally great ability to find all the best bits in a cut and make them even better! In other words, these aren't the kind of remixes that seek to bludgeon an original track to death in service of putting the remixer in the spotlight – and instead, Morales has a superb way of helping Teddy Pendergrass shine even more than ever – letting the vocals soar over majestic Philly soul grooves – on tracks that are both from the Pendergrass years in Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and some of Teddy's later solo cuts too. Titles include Morales mixes of "The More I Get The More I Want", "The Love I Lost", "Come Go With Me", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Only You", "Now Is The Time To Do It", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "If You Know Like I Know", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", "Is There A Place For Me", "Where Are All My Friends", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now". LP, Vinyl record album

You might know Dave Lee under his other name of Joey Negro, which has long been associated with some of the best clubby cuts on both sides of the Atlantic – but whatever the case, whoever the name, the man himself has always given us nothing but top-shelf work – a tradition that's definitely continued with this wonderful set! Dave/Joey has always had a really great ear for the classic – carrying forward the best sorts of 70s and 80s elements from the world of funk, club, and soul – all with a sense of perfection that rivals the work of bigger names like Incognito or Brand New Heavies, and always served up with a killer ear for the dancefloor! Here, Dave steps forth with a dozen new tracks under an array of various group names and projects – all produced with the love promised in the title, and a heavy dose of soul as well. Titles include "Do It Again" by Rare Essence with Lifford, "Starlight" by Dave & Omar, "Love Walked In The Room" by Jayenne with Gina Carey, "Raise A Blaze" by Foreal People with Xan Blacq, "Want Me Back" by Mistura with Jemini, "Power Of The Mind (power trip mix)" by Dave Lee with Billy Valentine, "Let's Do It In Style" by The Sunburst Band, "Taste My Love" by Dave Lee with Billy Valentine, "Face The Love" by The Sunburst Band with Angela Johnson, and "If You Ever Need Someone" by Mistura With Tiffany T'Zelle. 2CD version features a full bonus CD of remixes – 10 more tracks that include "After The Rain (Dave Lee destination boogie mix)" by Str4ta, "Don't Leave Me This Way (Dave Lee Philly World mix)" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Mountains (Dave Lee live & direct ext mix)" by The Vision with Adreya Triana, "Prospect Park (Dave Lee disco reshake)" by Prospect Park, "Use Your Imagination (Dave Lee reimagined mix)" by Kokomo, and "One Plus One (Dave Lee ext mix)" by Leroy Burgess. CD

With selections by The O'Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Lou Rawls, The Intruders, and MFSB. LP, Vinyl record album

Teddy Pendergrass – we love you! This is one of Mr. P's greatest albums of smooth mellow soul – recorded after he left Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, and began working in a wonderfully warm solo style that had a huge influence on male vocal soul for years to come! The sound here is tremendous – nearly perfect all the way through, with a great balance between class, sophistication, and soul – clearly an indication that Teddy made the right move by going on his own. The record features the classic "The Whole Town's Laughing At Me", plus lots of other nice material like "Be Sure", "Somebody Told Me", "You Can't Hide From Yourself", "Easy Easy Got To Take It Easy", and "The More I Get The More I Want". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album by this excellent southern harmony soul group – recorded in Jackson by Frederick Knight, with a smooth sound that's much more in a Philly modern mode than most other work coming out of the city. These guys are clearly inspired by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – and have a similar mix of raspy vocals and smoothly grooving backings, and also share the Blue Notes talent for working well on both ballads and uptempo numbers. Titles include "Somebody's Gotta Win", "Heaven Is Only One Step Away", "People Want Music", and "The Reaper". LP, Vinyl record album

Kickin it is – as the album's way more than just the typical gospel you might expect – and is a perfect example of the way the Mighty Clouds Of Joy helped cross the bridge between secular and spiritual sounds in the 70s! The record has a groove that most other mainstream soul acts could ever hope for – served up by stellar southern producer David Crawford, and arrangements from Mike Terry – on an album that almost grooves enough for the clubs, and brings in lots of new energy to the male gospel quintet format! These guys are hardly your grandfather's gospel group – and instead get downright slinky and sexy with the way they approach the music – almost giving Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes a run for their money, on excellent cuts that include "Mighty High", "Leanin", "You Are So Beautiful", "I Got The Music In Me", "Millionaire", "Touch My Soul", and "Everything Is Love". CD features two bonus tracks – single mixes of "You Are So Beautiful" and "Mighty High". CD

Proof that Teddy Pendergrass was a fantastic solo act – and some of the most godlike work that he ever recorded! The record shows Teddy moving into territory all his own – with wonderfully smooth quiet storm arrangements offsetting the deeply soulful vocals he forged with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. This one's perhaps the ultimate Teddy Pendergrass album of all time – as it features the incredible track "Come Go With Me", which kicks off the album, and which has some of the most sublime backings we've ever heard on a mellow soul cut! Other killers include "Turn Off The Lights", "Life Is A Circle", and "Do Me". LP, Vinyl record album

As perfect a summation of the Teddy Pendergrass genius as you'll ever hope to find – a magnificent maturation of that incredible sound he first forged with Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, set forth in even more confident, sophisticated soul territory! As with the Melvin albums, there's a nice mix here of sultry ballads and groovers – the latter of which are changing with the Philly modes of the time, but still very much at the top of their game – light years from clunky commercial work, or easy dancefloor fodder. The album's stunner is "Love TKO" – a killer mellow soul track that's not only one of Teddy's best, but which has enjoyed recent popularity due to a heavy bit of sampling by hip hoppers – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Take Me In Your Arms Tonight", "Let Me Love You", "Girl You Know", "Is It Still Good To Ya", "I Just Called To Say", and "Can't We Try". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic collection of hits from Philly International – issued at the height of the label's popularity, and featuring some of the biggest tracks from the years 1973 to 1975! 8 tracks in all, including "I'll Always Love My Mama" by The Intruders, "Love Train" by The O'Jays, "Dirty Ol Man" by Three Degrees, "I Love Music" by The O'Jays, "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, "Love Is The Message" by MFSB, "TSOP" by MFSB, and "Bad Luck" by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. CD