{"id":31195,"date":"2016-05-05T18:34:15","date_gmt":"2016-05-06T01:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soulofamerica.com\/?p=31195"},"modified":"2017-05-19T17:15:11","modified_gmt":"2017-05-20T00:15:11","slug":"the-sound-of-philadelphia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.soulofamerica.com\/us-cities\/philadelphia\/the-sound-of-philadelphia\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sound Of Philadelphia"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Phl-International_Records,<\/p>\n

The former Philadelphia International Records Building<\/h2>\n

Just as Motown and STAX were closely associated with a specific sound from a specific city (Detroit and Memphis) in the 1960s and early 1970s, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff created “The Sound Of Philadelphia<\/em>” in the 1970s, catapulting Philadelphia International Records (PIR) to worldwide fame.<\/p>\n

Kenneth Gamble (born 1943 in Philadelphia) was a background singer and lyricist who first met Leon Huff (born 1942 in Camden, NJ) in 1962 at Philadelphia\u2019s Shubert Theatre. They complimented each other as songwriter and pianist. Eventually, Gamble and Huff became members of a local band, the Romeos, along with Thom Bell, who later became a famous songwriter and producer. <\/p>\n

Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff collaborated on a number of earlier R&B songs, but the pop hits did not arrive until 1966 with the Intruders and Soul Survivors\u2019 We’ll Be United, Together, Cowboys To Girls<\/em>, and Expressway To Your Heart <\/em>among others. They also wrote and produced Atlantic hits for Archie Bell & the Drells and Wilson Pickett. But most of all, they were instrumental in reviving the career of ex-VeeJay singer, Jerry Butler in 1967 with hits like Only The Strong Survive, What’s The Use Of Breaking Up<\/em> and Hey Western Union Man<\/em> on the Mercury record label. <\/p>\n

\"Kenny

Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff<\/p><\/div>\n

These Jerry Butler records really set the scene for what was to come: silk voices singing in high register, a tight rhythm section and lush string arrangements. Gamble got the entrepreneurial bug and started his own record company in 1967, but it folded due to distribution and collection issues common to small record labels. He next tried his hand co-founding Neptune Records with Huff in 1969. Wiser from the first experience he signed a national distribution deal with Chess Records. <\/p>\n

In 1969, the Neptune label was founded and distributed through Chess Records. Although Neptune released only 4 albums, it marked the starting point for Gamble and Huff\u2019s collaboration. Upon recommendation by the Intruders, they also brought in the O’Jays. And in 1970, Thom Bell joined the label as an arranger, writer, producer and musician. By 1971, Chess Records\u2019 involvement with Soul Music declined, so Gamble and Huff signed a national distribution, music catalog and financial deal with CBS Records, then changed the company name to Philadelphia International Records (PIR). Though no longer an independent record label, with distribution and financial issues behind them, PIR was free to go in the positive message artistic directions it desired.<\/p>\n

What elements lead to the creation of their musical signature? Gamble and Huff learned that a successful record label needed a strong cache of writers, musicians, arrangers and producers to maintain a stream of hits. They had the brilliance and luck to hire Gene McFadden and John Whitehead as associate producers and arrangers. Linda Creed joined Thom Bell to form a high-impact Soul Music writing, arranging and producing tandem at the company. Next, Gamble and Huff constructed a house band from accomplished session artists. In keeping with their mission statement to deliver positive messages, they called their session band, Mother Father Sister Brother (MFSB) comprised of Roland Chambers and Norman Harris (guitars), Vince Montana (vibes), Ronnie Baker (bass) and Earl Young (drums). <\/p>\n