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."
Louis Allen Rawls was an American baritone singer, record producer, composer and actor. Rawls released 61 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably the song "You'll Never Find Another Love like Mine". He also worked as a film, television and voice actor. He was a three-time winner of the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance Grammy Award.
Instant Funk were an American 1970s and 1980s disco band, best known for their disco classic, "I Got My Mind Made Up ".
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.
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.
"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and performed by R&B singer Lou Rawls on his 1976 album All Things in Time. The song proved to be Rawls' breakthrough hit, reaching number 1 on both the R&B and Easy Listening charts as well as number 4 on the dance chart and number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This was the first and only time that one of Rawls' records reached Billboard's pop Top Ten.
The Jones Girls were an American R&B vocal trio of sisters from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Consisting of Brenda, Shirley and Valorie Jones, the Jones Girls first signed and recorded for GM Records in 1970. The trio were best known for their singles during the late–1970s through the 1980s; most notably 1979's "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else". After a two–year tenure with GM, they then recorded for various labels before having success at Philadelphia International Records with Gamble & Huff.
"If Only You Knew" is a single written and produced primarily by Dexter Wansel and Cynthia Biggs for American singer Patti LaBelle's sixth solo album, I'm in Love Again. It was released as the album's official first single in 1983, spending four weeks at #1 on the U.S. R&B chart during January and February 1984; it reached #46 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Walter "Bunny" Sigler was an American R&B singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer who did extensive work with the team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and was instrumental in creating the "Philly Sound" in the early 1970s.
Dexter Gilman Wansel is an American R&B/jazz fusion singer, arranger, musician, composer, conductor, synthesist and A&R director.
Living All Alone is the seventh album by American soul singer-songwriter Phyllis Hyman. It was released by Philadelphia International Records in 1986. The album contains the title track, which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and has become one of Hyman's most well-known hits.
So Full Of Love is a 1978 album by the O'Jays. The album contains the No. 1 R&B hit "Use ta Be My Girl", and was awarded RIAA Platinum Certification for sales of 1,000,000 copies.
The Spirit's in It is the fifth studio album by American singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by Philadelphia International Records on August 28, 1981, in the United States, her first with the label.
Patti is the seventh studio album released by American singer Patti LaBelle. It was released by Philadelphia International Records on July 3, 1985, in the United States.
Unmistakably Lou is an album by American R&B singer Lou Rawls, released in 1977 on the Philadelphia International Records label. It was Rawls's second PIR album. It performed respectably, although its sales fell well short of his 1976 PIR debut All Things in Time. Only one single, "See You When I Git There", was released from the album in the US; alongside "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" and "Lady Love", it remains one of Rawls' best-known PIR songs. Like its predecessor, Unmistakably Lou is a well-regarded album for its mix of high-quality Philadelphia soul songs and other more jazz-influenced tracks. Rawls won the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the album in 1978.
Let Me Be Good to You is an album by the American R&B singer Lou Rawls, released in 1979 on Philadelphia International Records.
Sit Down and Talk to Me is a 1980 album by American R&B singer Lou Rawls, released on the Philadelphia International Records label. All of PIR's major production names contributed to the album, resulting in a diverse set of tracks from dance to urban blues. Although Sit Down and Talk to Me did not produce any major hit singles, its commercial performance was adequate, peaking at #19 R&B and #81 pop.
Got My Head on Straight is an album by soul singer Billy Paul. It was produced by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, arranged by Bobby Martin and Lenny Pakula, and engineered by Joe Tarsia. Released in 1975, it reached #140 on the Billboard Pop Album chart and #20 on the Soul chart. It includes the singles "Be Truthful to Me" #37 R&B; "Billy's Back Home" #52 R&B; and "July, July, July, July" which did not chart.
When Love is New is an album by soul singer Billy Paul. It was produced by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff; arranged by Bobby Martin, Dexter Wansel, Norman Harris, and Jack Faith; and engineered by Joe Tarsia. Released in December 1975, it reached #139 on the Billboard Pop Album chart and #17 on the Soul chart. It includes the singles "Let's Make a Baby" which hit #83 on the Pop singles chart, #18 on the Soul chart, and #30 in the UK and "People Power" which reached #82 on the Soul chart and #14 on the U.S. Dance chart. The album was reissued on CD in 2010 by the U.K.'s Edsel Records. This was the final album where Paul was backed by MFSB, the house band of Philadelphia International Records (PIR).
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.
