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

Five years of amazing sounds from Dexter Wansel – a keyboardist who could be as far out as his fiercest fusion contemporaries of the 70s, yet also groove with enough soulful styles to be a key part of the Philadelphia International explosion of the 70s! This massive collection really gets at all that made Wansel so great back in the day – his incredible ear for inventive arrangements, spacey way of spinning out a soul tune, and great sense of balance that never made his music sound overdone – always an effortless blend of jazz, soul, and funk – in ways that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to touch! Many of these tunes have vocals, but they also have plenty of keyboard solos too – kind of like CTI hitting a Philly groove, but one that was definitely reserved for the hipper spaces of the clubs – or the hipper clubs out there in outer space. 2CD set features great notes, sublime sound, and a killer batch of 32 tracks that includes "Life On Mars", "Disco Lights", "Let Me Rock You", "I'll Never Forget My Favorite Disco (12" version)", "The Sweetest Pain", "Holdin On", "One Million Miles From The Ground", "Rings Of Saturn", "Theme From The Planets", "Funk Attack", "Stargazer", "Ode Infinitum", "Latin Love", "Let Me Rock You", "Holdin On", "Prelude 1", "New Beginning", "Time Is The Teacher", "A Prophet Named KG", "I Just Want To Love You", "All Night Long", "It's Been Cool", "Voyager", and "Time Is Slipping Away". CD

Just in case you were fearing that Lou's late 70s talents were only part of the studio magic of Gamble & Huff, this set proves that Mr Rawls could really sparkle in a spontaneous live setting – working here with a totally top-shelf set of arrangements that display a really wide range of his talents. Lou's a consummate entertainer throughout, and slips into some great patter that recalls some of the best bits on his Capitol albums – working the audience with charm and wit, then slipping into a tune without missing a beat. Titles include "This One's For You", "Groovy People", "Lady Love", "Charge Card Blues Medley", "Stay Awhile With Me", "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening", "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", and "When You Say Budwiser, You've Said It All" – Lou's version of the famous 70s commercial, dedicated to his sponsor! LP, Vinyl record album

The setting is the Golden Gate, but the sound is pure Philly International – a rare early live performance from the label, featuring some of its key vocal heavyweights working here with live accompaniment from MFSB! Although the instrumental group backed Philly artists often in the studio, this 1973 concert marks the only time they worked live with the singers – in a stunning showcase for the young label, performed as part of a Columbia Records convention in San Francisco! Given the setting, and the uniqueness of the whole event, the release of this rare material is a treasure for soul fans of many generations – a rare addition to the amazing run of music the label first started giving us at the time. The set begins with MFSB doing a version of "Freddie's Dead" – then runs into Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes singing "I Miss You", "The Love I Lost", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – followed by Three Degrees on "I Didn't Know" and "Dirty Ol Man". MFSB then follow with "TSOP", then Billy Paul sings "East" and "Me & Mrs Jones", and the set ends with The O'Jays on "Love Train", "Sunshine", "Back Stabbers", and "When The World's At Peace". LP, Vinyl record album

A half dozen great soul and dance cuts from the label that dominated commercial R&B throughout the latter half of the 70s: "Love Is The Message" and "Mysteries Of The World" by MFSB, "For The Love Of Money" by the O'Jays, "Breaking & Entering" by Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice and "Music Is My Way Of Life" by Patti Labelle. LP, Vinyl record album

A masterful collection of Philly soul – hand-picked by the man who was spinning most of the classics back in the day! British DJ Norman Jay was the king of rare groove even before these grooves were rare – collecting American imports for play in the underground London scene, and really getting to know the Philly scene in a slightly left-of-center way. Norman's take on the sound of Philly International is really fresh – and nicely different from that offered on some of the other collections of work from the famous label. The set's got a good blend of lesser-known cuts and classic underground numbers – with tracks that include "Ain't No Time Fa Nothin" by The Futures, "Bump De Bump" by Monk Montgomery, "We Got Some Catchin Up To Do" by Jean Carn, "This Air That I Breathe" by The O'Jays, "In Good Faith" by Norman Harris, "It's Hard No To Like You" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Let's Party Down" by MFSB, and "The Whole Town's Talking" and "East" by Billy Paul. 20 tracks on 2CDs! CD

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. This version also includes the bonus track "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by People's Choice. CD

After working with Gamble & Huff on his big hits for Mercury in the late 60s, Jerry returned to work with the pair in the late 70s on their own Philly International label – stepping out with the same sweet groove that the Philly sound had brought to Lou Rawls, in a way that helped Butler really revive his sound at the time! The full rich approach really works magic with Butler's great vocals – in a way that showed that Jerry had never faltered during the 70s, but had just lost some of his steam through a bit of mis-handling by Motown on earlier albums. There's a proud, warm, all-adult sound to the album that we really love – heard to best effect on the anthemic "(I'm Just Thinking About) Cooling Out" and the great mellow groover "Let's Make Love" – but still pretty darn great on other tracks too! Titles include "Mighty Good People", "I'm Glad To Be Back", "Dream World", and "Are You Lonely Tonight". LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment for the Philly soul scene of the 70s – and the first album to feature the MFSB backing group as a solo act on their own! The ensemble were responsible for key sounds on countless soul singles of the time – yet also find a way to soar beautifully on their own – in a sweet instrumental groove that matches the strength of Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra, and which was definitely a key inspiration for the sound of the Salsoul Orchestra! There's definitely a bit of early disco in the mix, but the style's more uptempo east coast overall – that pre-disco groove that was going down in the clubs – with larger strings added to a core group of funky rhythm players. Gamble & Huff production make the whole thing sparkle, and arrangements are by Vince Montana, Bobby Martin, and Jack Faith – on titles that include "Love Is The Message", "Cheaper To Keep Her", "TSOP", "Zack's Fanfare", "Touch Me In The Morning", and "My One & Only Love". LP, Vinyl record album

2LP set of some of the best O'Jays tracks from their Philly years, including "Darlin' Darlin' Baby", "Love Train", "Back Stabbers", "I Love Music", "Give The People What They Want", "For The Love Of Money", and lots lots more! The sound of a generation, and nearly every cut's a winner! LP, Vinyl record album

A great sense of righteousness and groove – the key mix that made the O'Jays so great back in the day – and which really helped put the Philly International enterprise on the map! The album's miles from the group's simple harmony soul roots – even though those were pretty darn great – and it blends together soaring backings with a sweet Gamble/Huff finish, and really makes some magic in the way the whole thing comes off. Titles include the great mellow ballad "Stairway To Heaven", the party groovers "Livin For The Weekend" and "I Love Music" – and the cuts "Unity", "You & Me", and "She's Only A Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

The O'Jays keep on going strong – hitting a smooth mellow Philly vibe that takes them away from the style of their mid 70s hits! The sound here is a bit more uptempo than on the previous album So Full Off Love – but the group are still also really using the time to explore their mellower side – kicking back in a warm and sophisticated mode that really shows the Philly sound growing up at the end of the 70s. Ballad highlights include the mellow stepper "Hurry Up & Come Back", plus "Forever Mine" and "I Want You Here With Me" – and more uptempo cuts include "So Nice I Tried It Twice", "One In A Million", and "Sing A Happy Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from The O'Jays – and an undeniable Philly classic! The record was the third the group cut for the Philadelphia International label – but it was really the first one that pushed their strong righteous soul agenda, sort of a mix of message-oriented lyrics and heavy soul (ala The Temptations), fused with the warmer more sophisticated styles of the Philly sound! The blend is perfect – and has a way of getting the message from the underground right into the living room – and a bit onto the charts as well! From the image on the cover – which features the group in a slave ship setting – to politics of tracks like "Don't Call Me Brother", "For The Love Of Money", "Put Your Hands Together", and "This Air That I Breathe", the record's an extremely unified effort – kind of to the O'Jays what What's Going On was to Marvin Gaye. Other titles include "You Got Your Hooks In Me", "Now That We Found Love", and "People Keep Tellin Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A very obscure album on Philly International – and a rare Gamble-Huff blues session, cut by the legendary Bobby Rush. Chicago blues singer Bobby had been knocking around indie labels for the better part of the 70s, then strangely got the chance to work for Philly at the end of the decade – and the result is a compelling batch of tracks that mix blues and modern soul production, in a style that would soon become Bobby's big calling card in the underground of modern blues in which he still works heavily. Tracks include "No Axe Ta Grind", "I Can't Find My Keys", "Let's Do It Together", "Evil Is", "Intermission", and "Hey Western Union Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Masterpiece records from Philly soul maestro Dexter Wansel – stepping out here in a beautiful blend of jazz and soul! Life On Mars is a fantastic bit of space age funk, easily the best album that Wansel ever recorded – and a sublime blend of Wansel's Philly grooving sensibility with some of the more keyboard-oriented funk that was coming out of the Herbie Hancock camp during the mid 70s. The result is a tight batch of crossover tracks that work well both as jazz funk groovers, and as smoother modern soul tracks. Includes the version of "Theme From the Planets" with the much sampled breakbeat at the beginning – plus lots of other nice ones, including "Life On Mars", "Rings Of Saturn", and "Stargazer". What The World Is Coming To moves the focus back to soul a bit more than Life On Mars – but also keeps in plenty of jazzy touches! Dexter's groove here is similar to the best work he did with other Philly vocalists in the same time – and the set features guest vocals from Jean Carn and Terri Wells, sliding into a warmly soulful realm on the mellower tracks, and stepping out with a fully jazzed up groove on the more upbeat numbers. Titles include "What The World Is Coming To", "Dreams Of Tomorrow", "Holdin On", "Dance With Me Tonight", "Disco Lights", and "Prelude #1". 1978's Voyager is a bit like Dexter's space jazz classic Life On Mars – and with those fat, thumping bass lines, elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of keys – spatial work on Rhodes, Moogs and ARPs! It's all done in a funky style not always heard on Philly – plus Dexter arranged and produced just about everything! Tracks include "Solutions", "Voyager", "I'm In Love", "Latin Love", and "I Just Want To Love You". 1979's Time Is Slipping Away is a straighter Philly soul outing than some of Wansel's earlier work – a nice batch from a talent that was responsible for crafting some of the best smooth modern numbers at the end of the 70s! It features the killer cut "The Sweetest Pain" – a smooth stepper with some subtle keyboard grooving behind warm female vocals by Terri Well – plus "Funk Attack", "New Beginning", "One For the Road", "It's Been Cool", and "I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco)". CD

Two of Dexter's classic Philly albums back to back on one CD – each one featuring a slightly different side of his writing/arranging talents! 1978's Voyager is a bit like Dexter's space jazz classic Life On Mars – and with those fat, thumping bass lines, elastic lead guitar, atmospheric soul vocals and loads and loads of keys – spatial work on Rhodes, Moogs and ARPs! It's all done in a funky style not always heard on Philly – plus Dexter arranged and produced just about everything! Tracks include "Solutions", "Voyager", "I'm In Love", "Latin Love", and "I Just Want To Love You". 1979's Time Is Slipping Away is a straighter Philly soul outing than some of Wansel's earlier work – a nice batch from a talent that was responsible for crafting some of the best smooth modern numbers at the end of the 70s! It features the killer cut "The Sweetest Pain" – a smooth stepper with some subtle keyboard grooving behind warm female vocals by Terri Well – plus "Funk Attack", "New Beginning", "One For the Road", "It's Been Cool", and "I'll Never Forget (My Favorite Disco)". CD

One of Jean Carn's best tracks for Philly! Both cuts show Jean at her soulful best – with the kind of perfectly sensitive backing that Philly International gave her, which mixed jazz and soul together in a slick modern groove that worked under her vocals beautifully. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A stone Philly classic – and a record that gave the world one of the most positive, upbeat tunes ever! The team of McFadden & Whitehead were not only one of the best songwriting duos in the Philly International stable – they were also a great soul combo who really knew how to work the dancefloor – stepping out with surprising tightness on this debut set, and really earning some great fame as they moved from the background to the limelight! This first album by the team is certainly their strongest legacy – as it contains their massive cut "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now", a righteous dancefloor anthem that became as much a political rallying cry as it did a call to boogie. The cut's a monster, and it's included here with similar numbers like "Just Wanna Love You Baby", "Got to Change", "I've Been Pushed Aside", and "Mr. Music". LP, Vinyl record album

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

Smooth female soul from one of Philly's hottest female trios – Gamble & Huff's big answer to First Choice, and an equally important force in 70s female soul! The album's got a nice mixture of Philly groove and tighter crossover arrangements from the likes of Norman Harris, Bobby Martin, Lenny Pakula, and Richard Rome – all top-shelf Philly soul talents who really help move the album past the territory of the girl group soul of the trio's earlier work! Titles include the hit "When Will I See You Again", plus the long-running classic "Dirty Ol' Man", and the cuts "Can't You See What You're Doing To Me", "I Didn't Know", "I Like Being A Woman", and "Year Of Decision". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent work by this oft-overlooked east coast harmony group! Like a rare few groups at the time, The Ebonys had a sound that mixed male and female harmonies – in a sweetly mellow sound that was a lot hipper than more famous groups that used the style, and which had all the best elements of the Philly group approach of the early 70s. The set features some great tracks by Gamble & Huff – plus the group's incredible tune "Life In The Country" – a slow mellow stepper that never gets old! Other tracks include "It's Forever", "Hook Up & Get Down", "I Believe", "Sexy Ways", "Nation Time", and "You're The Reason Why". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the harder to find albums by this great east coast group from the 70s (actually, they're all pretty hard to find), and a nice batch of smooth group soul cuts with stunning late Philly production. All the usual hands are in the mix – Gamble, Huff, and Dexter Wansel – and the album has a nice batch of Gamble/Huff compositions, like "Victory", "Peace", "I'm So Proud Of You Woman", and "We're Gonna Make it Somehow". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic Jones Girls for Philly! The record's a landmark album in the shift from Philly disco to sophisticated modern – and the smooth tight vocals of The Jones Girls are to the latter half of Philly what the runaway singing of Three Degrees were to the early half. Includes their excellent remake of the Stylistics' "Children of the Night" – which has a cool sample riff on the intro – plus the cuts "I Just Love The Man", "When I'm Gone", "At Peace With Woman", and "Back In the Day". One of the best female records on Philly International, and with excellent work by Dexter Wansel and Kenny Gamble! LP, Vinyl record album

Simply the best Philly 70s collection we've heard – ever! This one goes way past the hits, and moves into work from a variety of labels – not just the famous tunes on Philly International, but all of the Philly-produced gems that were coming out from other sources and other singers during the 1970s – a decade when the Philly sound had a golden touch that could transform the work of any singer into pure genius! The tracks on the set are really well thought-out – a sampling of work from a variety of different artists that you might not think to associate with the Philly groove at first glance, plus others who had their only really truly strong success through a brief link with the City of Brotherly Love. 18 tunes in all – and all of them warm clubby grooves with a perfectly smooth feel! Titles include "Look On The Good Side" by The Invitations, "Make It Last" by Barbara Mason & The Futures, "Good For The Gander" by Jermaine Jackson, "Stay With Me" by The Futures, "Who Loves You" by The Joneses, "I Just Can't Say Goodbye" by Touch Of Class, "Hurt So Bad" by The Philly Devotions, "Will You Be Mine" by The Whispers, "Now OR Never" by Little Dooley, "One More Time" by Dianne Steinberg, "Where It's Warm" by Revelation, and "A Little Bit Or Love" by Charen Cotton. CD

Genius work from Jerry Butler – working here with the early Gamble & Huff team, years before their 70s fame with Philly International, in a smooth soul style that would soon become known as Philly Soul! By the late 60s, Jerry's work with Vee Jay was long ended – the label had come to an end through financial misdealings, but Jerry was still growing as a vocalist, ready for new styles and challenges. Hooking up with Gamble & Huff was pure genius, as the pair were brilliant young producers, working magic with smaller groups – but ready to handle a talent as large as Jerry's with ease. Butler's name and style proved to be a perfect foil for many of their new and sophisticated approaches to soul – and the union instantly yielded some super-huge hits, including "Only The Strong Survive", "Hey Western Union Man", "Never Give You Up", "Lost", and "Moody Woman". All those great tracks are on this set – which combines Butler's first two albums with the Gamble & Huff team (Iceman Cometh and Ice On Ice), and also adds in 3 bonus tracks from other albums (many of which repeated tracks from these two, and are hence not correctly reissued on their own.) The set's a brilliant batch of late 60s soul – with a total of 25 tracks that include (in addition to the numbers named above) "Brand New Me", "Beside You", "No Money Down", "Go Away, Find Yourself", "Been A Long Time", "When You're Alone", "Don't Let Love Hang You Up", and "How Can I Get In Touch With You". CD

The Wicked Pickett takes his groove up to Philly – and comes up with a whole new sound in the process – a raw new style for the 70s, and one that's almost even more compelling than his Muscle Shoals groove! The album was recorded at the early Sigma Sound studios in Philly – and features arrangements from Bobby Martin, Lenny Pakula, and Roland Chambers – all artists who really help bring in a northern vibe to Pickett's music, yet still let those amazingly raw vocals do their thing! In a way, it's this mix of raw and smooth that almost sets the scene for Philly International gems to come a few years later – especially since a lot of the tunes are penned by Gamble & Huff – and instrumentation is provided by Thom Bell on organ, Norman Harris and Bobby Eli on guitars, Ronnie Baker on bass, Earl Young on drums, and Vince Montana on vibes and percussion. Titles include "Days Go By", "Run Joey Run", "Help The Needy", "Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You", "Ain't No Doubt About It", "Come Right Here", and the classic 2-part track "Get Me Back On Time, Engine Number 9". LP, Vinyl record album

A great great group who never lost their groove – featured here on a set that's the first-ever label-spanning collection of their genius! The set begins with a huge amount of tracks from the Atlantic Records years of Archie Bell & The Drells – records that start with their raw Texas funk groove, then move into the group hitting a Philly soul mode – which they do wonderfully, and continue to expand their sound in a really great way! The second half focuses on their sublime 70s Philly gems for Gamble & Huff – tracks that showed up on the Philadelphia International family of labels, and which had Archie and the group sounding equally great on the modern club dancefloors! There's also some rare material that was recorded in between these stretches for the Glades label – and the 44 track, 2CD set is overflowing with rare gems, well-remembered favorites, and other well-chosen tracks. Titles include "Soul City Walk", "I Love My Baby", "My Balloon's Going Up", "You Never Know What's On A Woman's Mind", "Girls Grow Faster Than Boys", "Old People", "Strategy", "Show Me How To Dance", "Glad You Could Make It (12" disco)", "Go For What You Know", "Showdown", "Dog Eat Dog", "A Soldier's Prayer 1967", "Do The Choo Choo", "Girl You're Too Young", "Don't Let The Music Slip Away", "Wrap It Up", "Deal With Him", "Archie's In Love", "Ain't Nothing For A Man In Love", "I've Been Missing You", and "Nothing Comes Easy". CD

A fantastic tribute to the great Jean Carne – a singer who started out in jazz, working with then-husband Doug Carn on spiritual sessions and drummer Norman Connors on his soulful sides of the 70s – then shifted over to the Philadelphia International label, where she really helped Philly soul find new direction moving into the 80s! Jean always brings all the sophistication of her roots into her music – making her way more than just another soul singer, and instead a vocalist with a great range of expression that has her opening up in just the right way, no matter what the setting. This excellent collection is filled with classics from her years on Philadelphia International, and also includes some rare 12" mixes and duets with other artists too. Titles include "Free Love", "No Laughing Matter", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "You Can't Come Back Now", "There's A Shortage Of Good Men", "Time Waits For No One", "Lonely Girl In A Cold Cold World", "Bet Your Lucky Star", We Got Some Catchin Up To Do", "When I Find You Love", "Was That All It Was (12" mix)", "What's On Your Mind (12" mix)", "Revelation/Infant Eyes", "Mystic Stranger", "Completeness", and "If You Don't Know Me By Now" – plus "I'm Back For More" with Al Johnson, "Sweet & Wonderful" with Glenn Jones, "You Might Be Surprised" with Roy Ayers, "Love Is Beautiful" and "Dreams Of Tomorrow" with Dexter Wansel, "Keep In Touch" and "The Look Of Love" with Grover Washington, and "Dindi", "Love's In Your Corner", and "Valentine Love" with Norman Connors. CD

A great great group who never lost their groove – featured here on a set that's the first-ever label-spanning collection of their genius! The set begins with a huge amount of tracks from the Atlantic Records years of Archie Bell & The Drells – records that start with their raw Texas funk groove, then move into the group hitting a Philly soul mode – which they do wonderfully, and continue to expand their sound in a really great way! The second half focuses on their sublime 70s Philly gems for Gamble & Huff – tracks that showed up on the Philadelphia International family of labels, and which had Archie and the group sounding equally great on the modern club dancefloors! There's also some rare material that was recorded in between these stretches for the Glades label – and the 44 track, 2CD set is overflowing with rare gems, well-remembered favorites, and other well-chosen tracks. Titles include "Soul City Walk", "I Love My Baby", "My Balloon's Going Up", "You Never Know What's On A Woman's Mind", "Girls Grow Faster Than Boys", "Old People", "Strategy", "Show Me How To Dance", "Glad You Could Make It (12" disco)", "Go For What You Know", "Showdown", "Dog Eat Dog", "A Soldier's Prayer 1967", "Do The Choo Choo", "Girl You're Too Young", "Don't Let The Music Slip Away", "Wrap It Up", "Deal With Him", "Archie's In Love", "Ain't Nothing For A Man In Love", "I've Been Missing You", and "Nothing Comes Easy". CD

Sweet club grooving from the legendary Freda Payne – a very different album than her initial hits for Holland-Dozier-Holland, and a set that has a mature mix of disco and modern soul! Production is by Tony Camillo and Frank Wilson – and the tracks are long and nicely stretched out – getting Freda past the hooks and into territory that almost rivals the best on Philadelphia International at the time. The best cuts here are the ones that are slightly mellow, grooving in a midtempo mode – really letting Payne show off this new style to best effect. Titles include "Master Of Love", "Stares & Whispers", "Bring Back The Joy", and "I Get High On Your Memory". LP, Vinyl record album

Some folks might associate Philadelphia soul with the famous Gamble & Huff productions of the 70s disco years – but the city was already overflowing with great music in the years before Philadelphia International – as you'll hear in this totally groovy set! Philly was making as much great soul music in the 60s as Detroit, Chicago, and New York – thanks to an earlier musical framework that was set up by the city's big pop hits of the late 50s – which provided plenty of labels, studios, and other facilities for Philly's ever-growing array of soul talents, too – so much so that by the end of the 60s, the city was turning into a destination for singers outside of town – almost as much of a musical magnet as studios in Memphis or Muscle Shoals! This set does a great job of bringing together both aspects of that scene – wonderful homegrown talent, mixed with outsiders to really took off in the new Philly sound of the 60s – a joyous, positive, upbeat approach that worked wonderfully well for a variety of artists. Titles include "Your Fool Still Loves You" by Oscar Weathers, "It's All Over But The Shouting" by George Tindley, "You've Been Untrue" by The Delfonics, "Ain't Nothing But A House Party" by The Show Stoppers, "Peace To You Brother" by Lou Johnson, "Christine" by Executive Suite, "Help Me" by Honey & The Bees, "You Got What I Need" by Freddie Scott, "Rainmaker" by The Moods, "Keep On Striving" by Moses Smith, "That's The Price You Have To Pay" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "What You Gave Up" by The Continental 4, "Every Day Is A Holiday" by The Intruders, "Standing In The Darkness" by The Ethics, and "Girl You're Too Young" by Len Barry. CD

Heady sounds from The O'Jays – a set that continues the more righteous side of the style they developed on early 70s Philadelphia International – a great mix of modes that sometimes has the trio sharing some of the political spirit of The Temptations with Norman Whitfield, and sometimes has the group really shining on the kind of heartbreaking ballads that are perfect for the maturing harmony style they were hitting – a mode that was light years past the group's sound just a few years before! The message cuts are mostly upbeat and grooving, and are balanced nicely with the ballads – on titles that include "Survival", "Let Me Make Love To You", "What Am I Waiting For", "Give The People What They Want", "Rich Get Richer", and "Never Break Us Up". CD