SECTION D
April 7-13, 2010
Reflections
By Steve Holsey
Badu crosses a line
By now you have probably seen or at least
heard of Erykah Badu’s controversial video for “Window Seat,” a song from her oddly titled album “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh).”
In the video she walks down a downtown
Dallas street and, step by step, takes off all of her clothes. At the point she is naked, she is “shot” by a sniper — in the same spot where John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Dee Dee Sharp Gamble Lou Rawls Jean Carn Billy Paul
By Steve Holsey
Just as Detroit, thanks mostly to Motown
Record Corporation, came to be known for more than cars, Philadelphia gained a repu- tation for music, thanks primarily to Phila- delphia International, the record company started by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.
Before that, the City of Brotherly Love
Erykah Badu: Outrageous.
The nudity part doesn’t bother me a lot.
After all, Badu thrives on outrageousness, perhaps as much, or more, for shock value as for art. Plus, there is nothing wrong with the human body, although there is a time and place for being without clothes, and walking down the street is not one of them.
What does bother me is the Kennedy im-
agery. It is in very poor taste, no matter what message is intended.
But people are talking and the media is
covering, which is just what Badu wanted. USHER said recently
that due to marriage, fatherhood, etc., he had “lost a little of his edge,” which he promised to recapture on his new album.
“Raymond v Ray-
Usher: Believes he got his “edge” back.
mond” is a pretty good set, although not much different from previ- ous albums. But there is plenty of excitement on uptempo songs like “Monster,” “So Many Girls” and, yes, “Lil Freak.”
Slowing down the pace, one has to assume
that numbers like “Foolin’ Around” and “Papers” are at least partially connected to Usher’s much publicized failed marriage to Tameka Foster.
Indeed, “Raymond v Raymond” opens
with the spoken words, “There’s three sides to every story. There’s one side, there’s the other, and then there’s the truth.”
CONGRATULATIONS to Fats Domino,
one of the founding fathers of rock ’n’ roll, rhythm ’n’ blues and New Orleans soul. The legendary star recently celebrated his 82nd birthday — and he is still going strong, perform- ing his biggest hits for apprecia- tive audiences, including “Walk- ing to New Or- leans,” “Ain’t It a Shame” and the classic “Blue- berry Hill.”
Speaking of
legendary, “The T.A.M.I. Show,” a historic 1964 concert featuring an array of R&B, pop and rock stars, has been released on home video. It features Marvin Gaye, Lesley Gore, the Supremes, the Roll- ing Stones, the Miracles and more. (Smokey, unfortunately, is hoarse.)
But the amazing performance is that of
James Brown. It is without question one of the greatest live performances of all time. Brown said it was his best. The soul is raw and the showmanship is masterful.
You won’t
James Brown: On fire during “The T.A.M.I. Show.”
believe your eyes and ears as Brown (very slim with a huge pompadour) and the exciting Famous Flames rip through early hits “Out of Sight,” “Pris-
oner of Love,” “Please Please Please” (in- cluding the classic cape routine) and “Night Train.” (This was before Brown crossed over into pop territory.)
Although there is much to enjoy in “The
T.A.M.I. Show,” this performance alone makes it well worth its moderate cost.
See Reflections Page D-2 The O’Jays Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Fats Domino: 82 and still going strong.
Kenny Gamble (standing) and Leon Huff.
we
(and “Sisterly Affection,” as one songstress from Philly put it) was most closely associ- ated with historical events and sites, such as Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
It stand”
where “Ameri- can
is also Band-
was
introduced, a highly influen- tial show on many levels.
But before examine
Phi ladelphia International, it must be noted that before its creation there was
another
p r o m i n e n t record compa- ny in Phiadelphia, Cameo-Parkway, that was a powerhouse, especially in the early 1960s.
Teddy Pendergrass
Although many of the artists who record-
ed for Cameo-Parkway were Black, the label always had a pop slant. The hitmakers there included Chubby Checker, the Orlons, Bobby Rydell, the Dovells and Dee Dee Sharp. Later came Eddie Holman, Bob Seger, the Tymes and others.
Interestingly, in 1967 Dee Dee Sharp mar-
ried record producer Kenny Gamble and in the ’70s recorded for Philadelphia Interna- tional as Dee Dee Sharp Gamble.
LIKE MOTOWN, Philadelphia Internation-
al had a stellar group of musicians, songwrit- ers and producers. The musicians, comprising a full orchestra, developed a lush, distinctive sound, augmented by a trio of ladies often identified as the Sweethearts of Sigma. (The company recorded at Sigma Sound Studios.)
The Sweethearts were comparable to Mo-
town’s Andantes, Atlantic Records’ Sweeet Inspirations and, on the West Coast, the Blossoms.
A number of the Philadelphia Inter-
national musicians worked together as MFSB. In the spring of 1974 they had a No. 1 hit with “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia).” This song was used as the theme music for “Soul Train” for several years. The group also reached No. 2 with “Sexy.”
Philadelphia International’s pro-
ducers and writers included Gene Mc- Fadden, John Whitehead (who topped the charts as a duo with “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”), Thom Bell,
Linda
Creed, Dexter Wansel, Bunny Sigler
and
Norman Harris as well as Huff and Gamble.
Gamble
K e n n y and
Leon Huff, as a production team,
landed
their first hit 1967 with “Ex- pressway
to
Your Heart” by the Soul Sur- vivors. They also wrote and produced for a number of other artists for various labels, including Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, the Intruders and, most notably, Jerry Butler.
The Three Degrees
That was very nice, but it wasn’t as
the same as having their own record label, something they envisioned early on. Philadelphia International was formed in 1971. Clive Davis, then head of CBS Records, knew a good thing when he heard it.
A DEAL WAS worked out for CBS
to distribute Philadelphia Internation- al product. It proved to be a very smart
(and, of course, lucrative) move, as the hits tumbled out by an impressive roster of artists, including the O’Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the Three Degrees, Teddy Pendergrass, Billy Paul, Lou Rawls, Jean Carne and Detroit’s own Jones Girls.
The long string of superhits and
hits includes… The O’Jays: “Back Stabbers,” “Love
Train,” “Use Ta Be My Girl,” “For the Love of Money,” “Livin’ For the Week- end,” “I Love Music,” “Put Your Hands Together,” “Let Me Make Love to You.”
Harold Melvin
& the Blue Notes: “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “Bad Luck,” “I Miss You,” “The Love I Lost,” “Wake Up Everybody,” “Hope That We Can Be Together Soon” (featuring Sharon Paige).
The Three
Degrees: “When Will I See You Again?” They also did the back- ground vocals on MFSB’s “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia).”
Teddy Pendergrass: “Close the
Door,” “Love T.K.O.,” “Turn Off the Lights,” “You’re the Latest, My Great- est Inspiration,” “Come Go With Me,” “I Don’t Love You Anymore.”
Billy Paul: “Me and Mrs. Jones,”
“Let’s Make a Baby,” “Thanks For Saving My Life.”
Lou Rawls: “You’ll Never Find An-
other Love Like Mine,” “See You When Get There,” “Lady Love,” “Groovy People,” “Sit Down and Talk to Me.”
See Sound of Philadelphia Page D-2
Philadelphia
T h e s o u n d o f
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32