| MFSB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 33:09 | |||
| Label | Philadelphia International | |||
| Producer | Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff | |||
| MFSB chronology | ||||
| ||||
MFSB is the debut album by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB, released in 1973.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.6/10 [2] |
It also included instrumental covers of "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays, "Family Affair" by Sly & The Family Stone, and "Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield.
The 2002 reissue on Epic/Legacy Records adds a live version of "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)". The only single from the album was "Family Affair", having "Lay In Low", as a B-side. The third track, "Something for Nothing" was sampled by Groove Armada (feat. Jeru the Damaja) for their track Suntoucher, Tracey Lee on his 1997 album Many Facez with the song "Keep Your Hands High" featuring The Notorious B.I.G, as well as Jay-Z's 2003 song "What More Can I Say", Canibus' song "How We Roll" and JoJo's "Breezy" from her debut album.
| Chart (1973) | Peak [3] |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top LPs | 131 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs | 20 |
Philadelphia soul, sometimes called Philly soul, the Philadelphia sound, Phillysound, or The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP), is a genre of late 1960s–1970s soul music characterized by funk influences and lush string and horn arrangements. The genre laid the groundwork for the emergence of disco later in the 1970s by fusing the R&B rhythm sections of the 1960s with the pop vocal tradition and featuring a more pronounced jazz influence in its melodic structures and arrangements. Fred Wesley, trombonist with the J.B.'s and Parliament-Funkadelic, described the Philadelphia soul sound as "putting the bow tie on funk."
MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O'Jays, the Stylistics, the Spinners, Wilson Pickett, and Billy Paul.
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and production duo credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre of the 1970s. In addition to forming their own label, Philadelphia International Records, Gamble and Huff have written and produced 175 gold and platinum records, earning them an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category in March 2008.
Philadelphia International Records (PIR) was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. It was known for showcasing the Philadelphia soul music genre that was founded on the gospel, doo-wop and soul music of the time. This sound later marked a prominent and distinct era within the R&B genre. During the 1970s, the label released a string of worldwide hits that emphasized lavish orchestral instrumentation, heavy bass and driving percussion.
"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. It was written by Gamble and Huff as the theme for the American musical television program Soul Train, which specialized in African American musical performers. The single was released on the Philadelphia International Records label. It was the first television theme song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Jacksons is the eleventh studio album by the Jacksons, the band's first album for Epic Records and under the name "the Jacksons," following their seven-year tenure at Motown as "the Jackson 5". Jackson 5 member Jermaine Jackson stayed with Motown when his brothers broke their contracts and left for Epic, and he was replaced by youngest Jackson brother Randy. The album was released in 1976 for Epic Records and Philadelphia International Records as a joint venture.
Gonna Take a Miracle is the fifth album by New York City-born singer, songwriter and pianist Laura Nyro, with assistance by vocal trio Labelle. It was released on Columbia Records in November 1971, one year after its predecessor Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. The album is Nyro's only all-covers album, and she interprets mainly 1950s and 1960s soul and R&B standards, using Labelle as a traditional back-up vocal group.
Norman Ray Harris was an American guitarist, producer, music arranger and songwriter, closely associated with Philly soul. He was a founding member of MFSB, the Philadelphia studio band, and one of the Baker-Harris-Young record production trio.
A Brand New Me is the sixth studio album by English singer Dusty Springfield, released in 1970.
The Three Degrees Live is a 1976 live album by Philadelphia-based female vocal trio The Three Degrees who scored major international success with 'When Will I See You Again?'. The album charted at #34 in the US R&B Album chart and at #199 in the Billboard Top 200.
International is a 1975 studio album released by the female girl group The Three Degrees.
Travelin' at the Speed of Thought is an album by the American R&B group the O'Jays, released in 1977 on Philadelphia International Records. Unusual for the time, there had been no advance single release from the album; the only single subsequently issued, "Work on Me", became a #7 R&B hit but failed to reach the pop listings, making this the first O'Jays PIR album without a top 100 pop single. Travelin' at the Speed of Thought peaked at #6 on the R&B chart and reached #27 on the pop chart. The album achieved a gold certification.
Bobby Eli was an American musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. He was a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio band MFSB.
Love Is The Message is the second album by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB. The album includes the number one pop, R&B, and adult contemporary hit and winner of the 1974 Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "TSOP ". The song was the theme song for the television show Soul Train.
My Mood is used on the closing credits on Friday evenings on, NBC4, WRC-TV in Washington, DC.
Philadelphia Freedom is the fourth album to be released by Philadelphia International Records house-band MFSB. It is also noted as the debut of PIR producer, artist and musician Dexter Wansel. Of the songs on this album, the bassline of the song "Smile Happy" was used in the song "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy.
Summertime is the fifth album to be released by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB.
Going East is an album by soul singer Billy Paul. The album was arranged by Bobby Martin, Lenny Pakula and Thom Bell.
MFSB: The Gamble & Huff Orchestra is the sixth album to be released by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB.
Dennis Harris is an American session guitarist, songwriter and arranger. Historically he played a significant part in the Philly Sound, playing on many of the hits during the 1970s. The hits include, "Only the Strong Survive" by Billy Paul, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead and "Lady Love" by Lou Rawls. He also played the guitar intro on Rawls' hit "You'll Never Find Another Love like Mine". He is a former member of The Philly Groove Orchestra, The Trammps, MFSB and The Salsoul Orchestra. In recent years he has been part of the New MFSB. He is also a guitar teacher.
