| Survival | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 1974 | |||
| Studio | Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
| Genre | Philadelphia soul, R&B, funk | |||
| Length | 32:52 | |||
| Label | Philadelphia International Records | |||
| Producer | Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff | |||
| The O'Jays chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Survival | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+ [2] |
Survival is a 1975 album by American R&B group The O'Jays, released on the Philadelphia International Records label.
Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Survival includes the R&B chart-topping single "Give the People What They Want" and "Let Me Make Love to You", which reached #10 on the same chart. Survival matched exactly the chart performance of its predecessor Ship Ahoy , topping the R&B chart and peaking at #11 on the pop chart.[ citation needed ]
According to AllMusic's Ron Wynn, Survival "followed the spectacular Back Stabbers and Ship Ahoy " as a "good, but not on the same level" album featuring "many strong ballads and good message tracks". Wynn adds that, "while it may not have been as epic in its performances and compositions, it was certainly the other albums' equal in sales strength." [1] The Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote more harshly of the LP: "Except for the astonishing 'Rich Get Richer,' based on a text by Ferdinand Lundberg, this is the drabbest studio album this group has made since joining Gamble-Huff. Unfortunately, 'Rich Get Richer' is not the single." [2] The jazz writer Rob Backus cites the song as a politically charged work in progressive soul. [3]
All tracks are written by Gamble and Huff, except where noted [4] .
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Give the People What They Want" | 4:14 | |
| 2. | "Let Me Make Love to You" | Bunny Sigler, Allan Felder | 4:21 |
| 3. | "Survival" | 3:44 | |
| 4. | "Where Did We Go Wrong" | 3:40 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "Rich Get Richer" | 4:24 | |
| 6. | "How Time Flies" | 5:15 | |
| 7. | "What Am I Waiting For" | Bunny Sigler, Ron Tyson | 3:56 |
| 8. | "Never Break Us Up" | Leon Huff | 3:18 |
Album
| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] | 91 |
| Billboard Pop Albums [6] | 11 |
| Billboard Top Soul Albums [6] | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions [7] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | US R&B | ||
| 1975 | "Give the People What They Want" | 45 | 1 |
| "Let Me Make Love to You" (A-side) | 75 | 10 | |
| "Survival" (B-side) | — | ||
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