Quinton Joseph (Part 4)

"The R&B and Soul Music Drummer with a Signature Touch"




The Philadelphia Years:

"So Full of Love", 
multi-platinum 
certified  album
for O'Jays.

While Joseph was on tour during the late 1970s, a singer friend invited him to play on a session for Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records. This led to him becoming a member of the PIR studio session band at Sigma Sounds Studios, after demonstrating his excellent signature drumming techniques to Gamble and Huff and other producers, arrangers and songwriters employed on staff by the label.

Pendergrass' second 
multi-platinum album.

Joseph first success was with the O’ Jays on their multi-platinum album “So Full Of Love”, recorded in 1978, which featured the million-selling single “Use Ta Be My Girl”, that topped the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart on 27^th May 1978 (5 weeks), which was produced jointly by Gamble and Huff with arrangement conducted by the late Jack Faith. This was quickly followed by another chart-topping performance with the late Teddy Pendergrass on the gold-certified single “CloseThe Door”, which was number-one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart on 8^th July 1978 ( 2 weeks ), also co-produced by Gamble and multi-platinum Huff and with excellent arrangements by Thom Bell. Both related albums, Pendergrass’  “Life Is a Song Worth Singing” and the O’ Jays’ “So Full of Love”, sold over 2 million copies each and also peaked at number-one in 1978 on the Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart, with “So Full Of Love” at number-one on 3^rd June 1978 (3 weeks) and “Life Is a Song Worth Singing”  at number-one on 12^th August 1978 (2 weeks).

Pendergrass' third multi-platinum
 certified album.

Joseph also collaborated on the O’ Jays’ next platinum-certified album, released in 1979, with dynamic drum performances on tracks “Sing a Happy Song”, “Identify Yourself”, “Forever Mine” and finally “I Want You Here With Me”. All these tracks were produced by Gamble and Huff. He repeated the same performance on Pendergrass’ final multi-platinum number-one album of his career, simply entitled “Teddy”,

"Identify Yourself", 
platinum certified album.
  

which peaked on 21^st July 1979 (8 weeks) which showcased Joseph’s powerful contribution on drums, especially on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart number-two classic track “ "Turn Off The Lights”, a favourite for the ladies worldwide, which helped the album sell over 2 million copies in North America alone.

                                   Researched and compiled by               
                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013-2014