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This piece highlights the groundbreaking Backstabbers album and the O'Jays musical history leading up to it.
Maybe it is not realistic, but I wish everyone in the world right now could adopt the sentiments of their Love Train recording.
Be well.
Jim
https://jimbagleyphillymusic.wordpress.com/
Just read your blog entry on The O'Jays and it's great. I didn't know all the details that led the group to Philadelphia International such as the desire to have Eddie Levert as a solo act [[something that Eddie wisely turned down). Thanks again for your work.
Lots of interesting info. Many thanks!
Nice. I disagree with you saying the sentiments in "Love Train" aren't realistic. They are and one day we WILL get there! :)
Hi Midnightman.
I said maybe they aren't realistic. I pray every day of my life for peace and I appreciate your positive belief.
You know you had me running over to youtube to listen to that William Powell led song
Let It All Out from their early years, Jim. I didn't know as much about them as I've thought
all these years...
Learned something in the first sentence! When pointing it out , of the many , yes of course The O'Jays were PI's most successful act .
And I'm glad to hear that Gamble himself considers LOVE TRAIN to be the quintessential song of the MFSB camp. I feel the same ! My favorite still to this day.
Splanky,what did you think of Let It All Out and William Powell's lead? Let It All Out is my favorite O'Jays recording on Imperial Records and next to the Philadelphia International stuff, the Imperial Records tracks are my favorite O'Jays music. The singles I pointed out [[Lonely Drifter, Stand Tall, Lipstick Traces, Let It All Out, and Stand In For Love) are very different from each other. That is very impressive for the time, as is the use of three strong lead singers [[who besides the Temptations could boast that in the mid-60s?).
Boogie, I always thought the O'Jays were Philadelphia International's most successful act and then I got out my Billboard chart books and it was confirmed. I was a bit surprised that they outdid Teddy Pendergrass and the Blue Notes combined stats in every singles category as well as most gold albums [[Teddy did have more platinum albums). I believe Love Train is the best track to play when introducing someone to The Sound Of Philadelphia. If any Soulful Detroiters think another Philadelphia track is more representative, please explain below. Would love your input.
Be well. Jim
Jim, I loved Let It All Out. William deserved more leads in my opinion. I also learned today
that Nina Simone not only covered it but had an album with the full lyric as a title,Break Down and Let It All Out [[which I'd never heard) and when a biography [[of sorts) was published in 2004 by Sylvia Hampton that was the title...I've had this book for 16 years
and I've just learned these side notes today.....LOL!.....I know all of those other tracks you mentioned, Stand In For Love was really a hot ticket amongst my crowd back then,
and I had forgotten how versatile they were. Who Am I and You Got Your Hooks In Me
are two tracks from their 70's years that showed that too....
I never heard William do a lead before.