Martha & The Vandellas- My Baby Loves Me

[reese]

That's true! According to John A. Jackson's 2004 book about Seventies Philly Soul, A House On Fire, the producers there used background singers extensively on their recordings. They had a female vocal group, The Sweethearts of Sigma [their equivalent to Motown's Andantes], Bunny Sigler and others who either augmented or replaced the background vocals on the classic songs by The Spinners, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, The Stylistics, The O'Jays and so on. The Philly Soul producers were looking for the perfect blend of background vocals on their records and that was how they did it.

I read A HOUSE ON FIRE many years ago. If I remember correctly, the O'Jays were mentioned as the only act that didn't have additional background vocalists added to their recordings. But yes, this type of thing wasn't unique to Motown.

[Motown Eddie]

I read A HOUSE ON FIRE many years ago. If I remember correctly, the O'Jays were mentioned as the only act that didn't have additional background vocalists added to their recordings. But yes, this type of thing wasn't unique to Motown.

That's true; producer Thom Bell says in A House On Fire that The O'Jays 'can handle their singing, those boys can sing'. However Bell also states that Gamble & Huff did add additional background vocals to their records [provided by Bunny Sigler & Phil Hurtt] since they were only a trio a they 'needed a forth or fifth voice' just to beef up their sound.

[lockhartgary]

That's true; producer Thom Bell says in A House On Fire that The O'Jays 'can handle their singing, those boys can sing'. However Bell also states that Gamble & Huff did add additional background vocals to their records [provided by Bunny Sigler & Phil Hurtt] since they were only a trio a they 'needed a forth or fifth voice' just to beef up their sound.

I do remember reading that Thom Bell said the Spinners were bottom heavy - I believe that was the term - so he used the Sigma Sweethearts.