Philadelphia soul

Philadelphia soul
Stylistic origins	Soul funk R&B big band Philly music
Cultural origins	Late 1960s, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Typical instruments	Strings horns vocals
Derivative forms	Disco Smooth jazz
Regional scenes
Philadelphia

Philadelphia (or Philly) soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia sound or Sweet Philly, is a genre of soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns. The subtle sound of a vibraphone can often be heard in the background of Philly soul songs. The genre laid the groundwork for disco and what are now considered quiet storm and smooth jazz by fusing the R&B rhythm sections of the 1960s with the pop vocal tradition, and featuring a slightly more pronounced jazz influence in its melodic structures and arrangements.

Style

Due to the emphasis on sound and arrangement and the relative anonymity of many of the style's players, Philadelphia soul is often considered a producers' genre.^[1]

Philadelphia soul, or the sound of Philadelphia songwriters and producers, included Bobby Martin;^[2][3] Thom Bell; Linda Creed; Norman Harris; Dexter Wansel and the production teams of McFadden & Whitehead; and Gamble & Huff of Philadelphia International Records, who worked with a stable of studio musicians to develop the unique Philadelphia sound used as backing for many different singing acts. Many of these musicians would record as the instrumental group MFSB, which had a hit with the seminal Philadelphia soul song "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" in 1974.

Notable extensions of the Philadelphia sound were bassist Ronald Baker; guitarist Norman Harris and drummer/Trammps baritone Earl Young (B-H-Y), who also recorded as the Trammps and would produce records themselves. These three were the base rhythm section for MFSB, and branched off into a sub-label of Philadelphia International Records called Golden Fleece, distributed by CBS Records (now Sony Music). Soon after, Harris created the Gold Mind label in conjunction with Salsoul Records. Gold Mind's roster included First Choice, Loleatta Holloway, and Love Committee, all of whom would feature Baker/Harris/Young productions of their material. Their 1976 hit by Double Exposure, "Ten Percent", was the first commercial 12-inch single.

The Salsoul Orchestra was composed of key players from MFSB. Salsoul Orchestra, as its name implies, leaned toward R&B-Latin-fused musical flavor. The group was conducted by one-time Mike Douglas television show bandleader/vibraphonist, Vincent Montana Jr., another founding MFSB member.

Philadelphia soul was popular throughout the 1970s, and it set the stage for the studio constructions of disco and urban contemporary music that emerged later in the decade.

This style of music had a very heavy influence on later Philadelphia acts, most notably Vivian Green, Boyz II Men, Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild.

Notable artists

Archie Bell & the Drells Blue Magic Jerry Butler Jean Carne The Delfonics William DeVaughn Double Exposure Ecstasy, Passion & Pain First Choice Hall & Oates Major Harris Loleatta Holloway Eddie Holman Phyllis Hyman

Instant Funk The Intruders The Jones Girls Patti LaBelle McFadden & Whitehead The Manhattans Barbara Mason Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes MFSB New York City Cliff Nobles The O'Jays Billy Paul Teddy Pendergrass

The People's Choice Lou Rawls The Ritchie Family Todd Rundgren Salsoul Orchestra Dee Dee Sharp The Soul Survivors The Spinners Bobby Starr The Stylistics Sweet Sensation The Trammps The Three Degrees The Vibrations

Producers and songwriters

Ronnie Baker Vinnie Barrett Thom Bell Cynthia Biggs Victor Carstarphen Dave Crawford Linda Creed Bobby Eli Allan Felder Gamble and Huff

Cary Gilbert Von Gray Norman Harris Bruce Hawes Joseph B. Jefferson Ron Kersey McFadden & Whitehead Charles Mann Sherman Marshall Bobby Martin

Vincent Montana, Jr. Phillip Pugh Jerry Ragovoy Bunny Sigler Charles Simmons Phil Terry Ron Tyson Dexter Wansel Ted Wortham Earl Young

See also

• Philadelphia International Records
• Sigma Sound Studios

Further reading

• Cummings, Tony (1975). The Sound of Philadelphia. London: Eyre Methuen.
• Jackson, John A. (2004). A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514972-6.

References

1. "Philly Soul". Allmusic.
2. http://www.soultracks.com/story-bobby-martin-dies Bobby Martin obituary
3. Bobby Martin discography at Discogs