The Sound of Philadelphia Music Reflects Rhythms of the City

About every 13 minutes, a Gamble and Huff song is played somewhere in the world. Their music can be heard from the streets of Philadelphia to the United Kingdom, France and even Japan. Teddy Pendergrass’ “Love TKO” has been used in a television commercial in the U.K. for several years and Billy Paul’s “Best of” album was hot on the music charts in France. The long-running theme of Soul Train, called “The Sound of Philadelphia” (or TSOP), was written by the legendary song-writing and producing duo Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. According to the duo, TSOP was written to “reflect the music of Philadelphia and the sound and spirit of the City of Brotherly Love, the freedom at Independence Hall, the vibrations of the Liberty Bell, or the locomotive rhythm of a SEPTA subway train.” For more than 30 years, the music of Gamble and Huff, natives of the region, became associated with the city that spawned it, and the unique sound dominated the rhythm and blues and pop charts for two decades to earn them a Lifetime Achievement Grammy from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Their sweet and sexy music, referred to as The Philadelphia Sound, includes passionate soul ballads and funky dance tracks; and songs of peace, love, social conscience and turmoil. Their repertoire includes well-known and loved songs such as “Love Train,” “Me and Mrs. Jones,” “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” and “If You Don’t Know Me By Now.” Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom,” another No. 1 hit, was recorded in Gamble and Huff’s studio in Philadelphia. “TSOP music gives people a sense of the emotion, feel and taste of Philadelphia before they get here. We want people to use all five of their senses and feel the beauty of our city,” said Chuck Gamble, executive vice president of Gamble and Huff’s recording company, Philadelphia International Records, and nephew of songwriter/producer Kenny Gamble. “Our music allows us to appeal to the emotions of people and to help bring them together. We are proud of the city that inspired some of the world’s greatest hits.” Kenny Gamble, a native of Philadelphia, and Huff, who grew up just across the river in Camden, N.J., met in the Shubert Theatre where they both had offices in 1965. They became the hottest independent R&B producing team of the late 1960s, writing for such artists as Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin. In 1971, after their early successes, the team, with partner Thom Bell, created Philadelphia International Records (PIR). The artists on their label began to dominate the pop charts, starting with Billy Paul who brought PIR its first Grammy with “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Throughout the early 1970s, PIR was a dominant force in the R&B and pop industries. In 1974, the trio placed more than 25 songs on pop and R&B charts making it the biggest selling music publishing company of the year and the second-largest African American-owned music company in America, just behind Motown. During these fertile years, they wrote songs for Lou Rawls and the Jackson Five that captured the nation’s heart. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, PIR wrote top 10 hits for artists, including Teddy Pendergrass, the O’Jays, Jones Girls and Patti LaBelle. In 1993, their song-writing and producing genius was recognized by the Philadelphia Music Alliance’s Walk of Fame and their names were engraved in brass plaques on Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts, just a stone’s throw from their studios on South Broad Street. By 1995, they had co-written more than 3,000 songs, including R&B and pop No. 1 hits, and were inducted into the National Academy of Songwriters Hall of Fame. Gamble & Huff Music still exists today, and the duo continues to write songs together. Gamble and Huff’s extensive catalog of recorded songs often find their way into feature films, sitcoms and background tracks for famous recording artists. Gamble and Huff songs are used in television commercials for Verizon, Old Navy and Gap. Altogether, the team has sold 50 million records, including 300 No. 1 hits. Huff gets special satisfaction from watching his children and grandson grow up, especially his son, Leon Jr., who has begun recording his own tracks. Gamble serves as founder and chairman of Universal Companies, which is helping to redevelop his South Philadelphia neighborhood and is a model for urban redevelopment. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Avenue of the Arts and the Philadelphia Music Alliance, and plays an active role in charitable organizations. History of the Sounds of Philadelphia Philadelphia’s role as the birthplace of America is well known throughout the world. And so is Philadelphia’s reputation as a city that has contributed significantly to the world of music, including jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and a style of rhythm and blues known as the “Philly Sound.” Philadelphia’s musical history was the foundation for much of the popular hip-hop and rap music of today. From jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie in the 1930s to John Coltrane in the 1940s, rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop legends such as Chubby Checker and the Orlons in the 1950s and 1960s, the Philly Sound of MSFB and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes in the 1970s, to today’s pop, R&B, hip-hop and rap music such as Pink, The Roots and Jill Scott, Philadelphia’s contribution to the music industry is legendary. Philly Jazz Along with other cities in the U.S.A., such as New Orleans and Chicago, Philadelphia has a strong jazz heritage. Broad Street, north of City Hall (part of the Avenue of the Arts), was a base for jazz music with clubs that nurtured some of the country’s jazz greats. The Heath Brothers, Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Jimmy Oliver, Clifford Brown, Stan Getz, Billy Holiday, Benny Golson, Miles Davis, Sun Ra and Philly Jo Jones were some of the famous jazz musicians that were either born, raised or professionally proven in Philadelphia, as were Lee Morgan, Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, Trudy Pitts and Jimmy Smith . In the early days of jazz, violinist Joe Venuti, who grew up in South Philadelphia, worked with Eddie Lang, the genre’s first internationally famous jazz guitarist. Many of their recordings are essentials of classic jazz, achieving a unique style and jazz chamber music quality that were ahead of their time. Saxophonist and jazz pioneer, John Coltrane was among the most important and exciting figures in jazz history, creating his most memorable work in Philadelphia. In the 1940s and ‘50s, he played with Eddie Vinson, Howard McGhee, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk. Coltrane was part of The New Miles Davis Quintet, and in 1958 appeared on the landmark album, Kind of Blue. Coltrane and his bandmates created a body of work that was filled with a vigor and vitality that influenced countless musicians who would follow in his giant steps. John Coltrane’s legacy still continues in Philadelphia with the John W. Coltrane Cultural Society, which is located at his former home in North Philadelphia. In the 1980s, a new crop of famous Philadelphia jazz musicians made their mark on the music scene, including Grover Washington, Jr., Stanley Clarke and McCoy Tyner. Following in their footsteps in the 1990s were Philadelphians Christian McBride, Uri Caine, Joey deFrancesco, Terell Stafford and the Eubanks Brothers. Today, Philadelphia is still lively with the sights and sounds of jazz. The Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts, located along the Avenue of the Arts, was the first-ever club designed and constructed specifically as a jazz institution. It features weekly jazz performances in a first-class performance hall. The city hosts a number of annual jazz festivals, including the First Union Jam on the River each Memorial Day Weekend (the last weekend in May), which features jazz, along with New Orleans-type Dixieland and zydeco music, and the Mellon Jazz Festival (June). Jazz-lovers can hear live jazz at a number of clubs, including Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus, Zanzibar Blue, Chris’ Jazz Café and Allie’s Jazz Bistro. Another top Philadelphia club, Warmdaddy’s features live blues music. And the newest gem on Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, also features jazz music on its schedule. Philadelphia’s Roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll Many people consider Philadelphia the home of rock ‘n’ roll because so many of the rock ‘n’ roll entertainers of the 1950s and early 1960s came from Philadelphia. In fact, many of them grew up in the same neighborhood in South Philadelphia. They included Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, James Darren, Fabian and Frankie Avalon. American Bandstand, one of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll dance and entertainment shows of the 1950s originated in Philadelphia, hosted by a young TV host named Dick Clark. It quickly became an institution in American pop culture and local teenagers who danced regularly on the show became instant, national celebrities. The building where the studio was located still stands in West Philadelphia and is now the site of the West Philadelphia Enterprise Center. In addition to rock ‘n’ roll, doo-wop (a type of a cappella) was popular and made famous by Philadelphia entertainers, including the Dovells and the Orlons, who popularized Philadelphia’s South Street in their famous hit with the same name. Philly’s Soulful Sounds The rhythm and blues (R&B) style of soul music, which came to be known as “The Philly Sound,” was inspired by the evolution of jazz and other forms of music such as blues and doo wop. The elements that made the Philly Sound so special were its great melodies and orchestrations that bordered on the classical. Strings, horns and layers of background vocals brought R&B music to a new level. The Philly Sound was also a precursor to the explosion of disco music in the mid-1970s. Philadelphia record producers and musicians Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff were instrumental in the 1970s to the development of soul and R&B music. In 1971, Gambel and Huff founded Philadelphia International Records. Along with Thom Bell, they wrote and produced scores of hits for the Delfonics, Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, the O’Jays, MSFB, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Patti LaBelle, Phyliss Hyman, Jean Carne, Dee Dee Sharp, the Stylistics, Wilson Pickett and even Elton John. Their raw, gospel-driven sound combined with sophisticated, precise musical arrangement and socially conscious lyrics earned them 175 gold or platinum albums and 18 No. 1 pop singles. The company, which still exists today, maintains a catalogue of more than 3,000 recorded songs, which often find their way into commercials (for clothing retailers such as Old Navy) and background tracks for famous recording artists. Philadelphia’s Sigma Soundrecording studios was where many Gamble and Huff performing artists recorded their hits. From the day Sigma opened its doors in 1968, hit recordings emerged that put Philadelphia and Sigma into the musical spotlight. By 1974, Sigma’s success was attracting artists and producers from all over the world to Philadelphia, including David Bowie. Sigma also worked on the sound track for the disco hit album, Saturday Night Fever. Today, Sigma still maintains a high-quality recording studio in Philadelphia that offers tours, and is listed in the book, An American Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour as a national rock ‘n’ roll landmark. Philly’s New Sound Philadelphia’s contribution to the music industry continued into the 1990s with a group of hip-hop artists with jazz and R&B backgrounds. Will Smith(who has also become famous as an actor, starring in such movies as Men in Black and Independence Day) and Jazzy Jeff still collaborate and produce records and music videos in Philadelphia. Philadelphians Musiq Soulchild, The Roots and Pink have hit the R&B and pop charts,respectively. Also, from Philadelphia, performer Jill Scott has made her mark on the music industry with her own brand of neo-soul, as have Boyz II Men (graduates of Philadelphia’s High School for the Creative and Performing Arts). Visitors walking along the Avenue of the Arts (Broad Street, south of City Hall between Walnut and Spruce streets) will find Philadelphia’s Walk of Fame – more than 100 bronze plaques honoring Philadelphia musical entertainers, along with other famous Philadelphia actors and performers. The plaques, including musical greats such as Pearl Bailey, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Patti LaBelle, Daryl Hall and John Oates and many more, were installed by the Philadelphia Music Alliance, a group of industry executives and cultural leaders dedicated to preserving the musical heritage that has made Philadelphia one of the great music capitals of the world.