"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" | ||||
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Single by MFSB featuring The Three Degrees | ||||
from the album Love is the Message | ||||
B-side | "Something for Nothing" | |||
Released | February 6, 1974 (U.S.) March 29, 1974 (UK) | |||
Recorded | 1973 | |||
Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:43 (album cut) 3:29 (single version) 5:48 (12" version) | |||
Label | Philadelphia International Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | Gamble and Huff | |||
Producer(s) | Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff | |||
MFSB featuring The Three Degrees singles chronology | ||||
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"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. [2]
The song is an instrumental, featuring a blend of string instruments and a horn section. There are two vocal parts: a passage where The Three Degrees sing "People all over the world" and "Let's get it on. It's time to get down". The words "People all over the world" are not heard in the original version. The version heard on Soul Train, released on a 1975 Three Degrees album, International, had the series title sung over the first four notes of the melody, "Soul Train, Soul Train".
"TSOP" hit No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 and remained there for two weeks, the first television theme song to do so. [2] [3]
Don Cornelius, the creator and host of Soul Train, refused to allow any references to the name of the television series when the single was released, leading Gamble and Huff to adopt the alternate title for the release. [4]
Although it was rerecorded for future versions of the show and different themes were used during the 1970s and 1980s, "TSOP" returned in the 1980s and remained the theme song for Soul Train.
"TSOP" was covered by Dexys Midnight Runners and released as a B-side on the 12" version of the "Jackie Wilson Said" single, and was issued on the remastered version of the album Too-Rye-Ay .
In 1978, the song was covered by reggae band Inner Circle.
George Duke) covered the song in 1986 and Sampson covered it in 1999.
In 1998, German act BMR featuring Dutch singer Felicia Uwaje sampled the single in their song Check It Out.
A similar melody is used in the anime series Haré+Guu .
The song is played at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia prior to every Philadelphia Phillies home game. It was played after Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984) NASL home games at Empire Stadium in the 1970s and 1980s, and after Vancouver Whitecaps (1986–2010) CSL home games in the 1980s and 1990s.
Game Ka Na Ba? , a Philippines game show hosted by actor/politician Edu Manzano, used an adaptation of "TSOP" called "Papayo Yowza" as its theme. The opening was sampled as program identification for Philadelphia 76ers games broadcast on WPHT in the 1970s and during timeouts and before commercial breaks for NBA on CBS games in the 1975 NBA playoffs until the 1976 NBA Finals.
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [25] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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.
"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" from the duo's United LP. The first release off the duo's second album: You're All I Need, the song—written and produced by regular Gaye/Terrell collaborators Ashford & Simpson—became a hit within weeks of release eventually peaking at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart, the first of the duo's two number-one R&B hits. In the UK "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" reached number 34.
"Theme from Mahogany" is a song written by Michael Masser and Gerry Goffin and produced by Masser. It was initially recorded by American singer Thelma Houston in 1973, and then by Diana Ross as the theme to the 1975 Motown/Paramount film Mahogany that also starred Ross. The song was released on September 24, 1975 by Motown Records as the lead single for both the film's soundtrack and Ross' seventh studio album, Diana Ross. Masser and Goffin received a nomination for Best Original Song at the 48th Academy Awards. Also, the song was nominated for AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs list constructed by the American Film Institute in 2004.
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" is a song written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and recorded by the Philadelphia soul musical group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. It became their first hit after being released as a single in September 1972, topping the US R&B chart and peaking at number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The Electric Indian was a studio group assembled and produced by The Dovells lead singer Len Barry which included Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates fame. Barry had an interest in Native American history, possibly inspired by watching The Lone Ranger TV series as a child. Their best-known song was "Keem-O-Sabe" which charted in 1969.
"Love Train" is a hit single by the O'Jays, written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Released in 1972, it reached No. 1 on both the R&B Singles and the Billboard Hot 100 in February and March 1973 respectively, and No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart and was certified gold by the RIAA. It was the O'Jays' first and only number one record on the US pop chart. The song has been considered one of the first songs of disco music.
"When Will I See You Again" is a song released in 1974 by American soul group The Three Degrees from their third album, The Three Degrees. The song was written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Sheila Ferguson sang the lead, accompanied by Fayette Pinkney and Valerie Holiday. Billboard named the song number 67 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.
"Rock the Boat" is a song by American trio The Hues Corporation, written by Wally Holmes. "Rock the Boat" was first featured on their 1973 debut studio album Freedom for the Stallion. It was released as the third single from the album in early 1974, to follow up Stallion's title song, which had peaked at number sixty-three on the Hot 100, and "Miracle Maker " which did not chart.
"I'll Be Around" is a song recorded by the American R&B vocal group The Spinners. It was co-written by Thom Bell and Phil Hurtt and produced by Bell.
"Show and Tell" is a popular song written by Jerry Fuller and first recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1972. This original version made it to #36 on the Easy Listening chart.
"This Is It" is a song by American musician Kenny Loggins. It was released in 1979 as the lead single from his 1979 album Keep the Fire. It reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Adult Contemporary chart. "This Is It" was also successful on the Hot Soul Singles chart, reaching number 19; it was one of two entries on this chart.
"Feel Like Makin' Love" is a song composed by singer-songwriter and producer Eugene McDaniels, and recorded originally by soul singer-songwriter Roberta Flack. The song has been covered by R&B and jazz artists including D’Angelo, Roy Ayers, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Lou Rawls, Isaac Hays, George Benson, Jeffrey Osborne, Larry Coryell, Johnny Mathis, and Marlena Shaw.
"I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby" is a song written, produced and recorded by Barry White.
"You Make Me Feel Brand New" is a 1974 single by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. An R&B ballad, the song was written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed.
"Bad Luck" is a song recorded by American vocal group Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes from their album To Be True. Released as a single in 1975 by Philadelphia International Records, the song was written by Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden, and John Whitehead and produced by Gamble and Huff, with MFSB providing instrumentals. The single was number one on the Billboard Disco Action chart for eleven weeks, also peaking at no. 4 on Hot Soul Singles and no. 15 on the Hot 100. With an unusually loud hi-hat by session drummer Earl Young, "Bad Luck" is considered a signature disco song.
"Love Won't Let Me Wait" is a hit 1975 single by Major Harris, a former member of R&B/soul group The Delfonics. Written by Vinnie Barrett and Bobby Eli, the single is considered to be a staple of classic soul playlists, and was Harris' only entry into the top five on both the soul and pop charts. The single hit number five on the pop chart, and also hit number one on the soul chart for one week. Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song for 1975. It was awarded a gold disc by the R.I.A.A. on 25 June 1975.
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.
This is the discography of American female vocal group the Three Degrees.
"Love Is the Message" is a 1974 song by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees, written by Gamble and Huff and the follow-up to their #1 hit TSOP. It reached #85 on the Billboard Hot 100.