The Philadelphia Signature Soul Sound during the 1980s Pt 4

                                              

                                                 Featuring female solo artist

The album featuring the hit single
"Baby,Be Mine"

Another female artist who achieved success with the “Philadephia Soul sound” of the 1980s was  Miki Howard, who was once signed to Atlantic Records. Her first top five hit single on the Billboard Hot Black Singles Chart was “Baby, Be Mine”, which reached number five , was also produced by Nick Martinelli. It features on her second studio album “Love Confessions”. She also recorded “That’s What Love Is” as a duet with the late Gerald Levert, which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot Black Singles Chart. It was produced by the then up-and-coming production team of Gerald Levert and Marc Gordon who used Sigma Sound Studios as their key recording base and also used both new and old musicians who were instrumental  to development of “The Sound of Philadephia” during its golden era during the 1970s.

"Love Under New Management"
according to Miss Howard

The next monster track was a brilliant Philly classic entitled “Love Under New Management”. The song reached its peak at number two on the Billboard Hot Black Singles Chart week-ending 24^th March 1990 (2 weeks). The track was taken from her self-titled second studio album released in the month of November in1989.

During the same period when both Stephanie Mills and Miki Howard were at top of their game and ruling the top of the chart. Two other female artists, neither originally from Philadelphia, enjoyed tremendous sucesses with both albums and singles partially recorded at Sigma Sound Studios with the help of producers,sound engineers and studio musicians  who resided in Philadelphia during the 1980s.

                                           Researched and compiled by               
                                          Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                          ©Signaturesoundsonline2013-2015 

The Philadelphia Signature Soul Sound during the 1980s Pt 3

                                                       

                                       Featuring female solo artist

All  the tracks and albums featured in these series of articles were recorded at the world famous recording studio; Sigma Sound Studios and the short lived recording studio Alpha International Recording Studios both based in the city of Philadelphia during the 1980s with some singles reaching Top five and number one in the 1990 due to the time of it release by respective recording labels.

Mills' platinum certified album.

Before Stephanie had successful run of hits at the Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia during the 1980s. She  had three brilliant gold certified albums recorded during the late 1970s into the early 1980s that were recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios in New York City. All the albums were  produced by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas. The three albums were “What Cha’ Gonna Do with My Lovin’” (1979), “Sweet Sensation” (1980), and “Stephanie” (1981).

Her final gold certified album.

Stephanie Mills is the only black female artist to have actually achieved gold certified albums successes between the two studios She was one of a number of established female artists not originally from Philadelphia to record several brilliant tracks at Sigma Sound Studios. The number one track was produced by the late Ron Kersey (studio musician and member MFSB Band) on Stephanie Mills’ self -titled album released on MCA Records in 1986.  The track "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love" which charted at number-one week-ending 3^rd May 1986 (2 weeks) on the Billboard Hot Soul and R&B Singles Chart. It was Mills’ to first number one single. 

The following year she reached number-one with a beautiful Soul ballad; “Feeling Good All Over” This track was produced by other producer originally from Philadelphia by the name of Nick Martinelli The song peaked at the top of the summit of the Billboard Hot Soul and R&B Singles Chart week-ending 4^th July 1987(3 weeks). The single was taken from her first platinum certified album “If I Were Your Woman”. The album was well-received by critics and became a commercial success, peaking at number thirty on the Billboard Hot 200 Albums Chart and also reached the number one position on the Billboard Hot Soul and R&B Albums Chart week-ending 5^th September 1987 (1 week). Staphanie Mills had her finally number one single from her gold certified album “Home” which features Philadelphia record producer Nick Martinelli as the main producer on the project.The single was simpily titled “Home”. It peaked at number one week-ending 25^th November 1989 (1 week).





                                         Researched and compiled by               
                                          Mr K Tomlin Music Historian                   
                                          ©Signaturesoundsonline2013-2015 

Quinton Joseph (Part 6)

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

 The Philadelphia Years:

This album was LaBelle's first Grammy 
Award winning project

In the following decade of the 1990s, Joseph stayed busy working on many projects with Gamble and Huff music organisation. His first major recording project was the late Phyllis Hyman album “Prime Of Life” which obtained near gold sales in North America , he also played on the track “When I Give My Love (This Time)” . 

The album was released in 1991. During that same year he played drums on the legendary Patti LaBelle's gold certified  album “Burin’ a Grammy Award winning project for LaBelle in 1992.                   .

 In 1993 he reunited with the late Teddy Pendergrass on his “A Little More Magic” album playing both as a percussionist  and drummer  on the  track “I’m Always Thinking Of You”, co-producer by Pendergrass and his long  time producer Leon Huff while he was signed at PIR (Philadelphia International Records).

Joseph last major contribution as a drummer was on The Five Blind Boys of Alabama album released in 2003 on Philadelphia International Records, with the title track co-produced by Gamble and Huff with drums played by Joseph. The album was a landmark recording using a more up to date Post-Philadelphia Soul signature sound with great results . 

The album featured many of the old Philadelphia Soul Sound musicians and composers such as Dexter Wansel, Jack Faith, Leon Huff and also sound engineer Mike Taria the son of Joe Taria the sound engineer during the gold era of “The Sound of Philadelphia” during the 1970s.

Quinton Joseph definitely will go down in music history as one of the most successful Soul and R&B drummer to emerge out the Chicago soul and R&B era. His credits listed over a five decades period with outstanding results from to the “Windy City” of Chicago all the way to the city of the Philadelphia also known as the city of “Brotherly Love”.



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

                                     

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


 

The Impact Of R&B and Soul On British Recording Acts

Thom Bell working Elton John and Joss Stone:

Elton John’s corporate alliance with Sky Sport television has produced a UK football Premiership commercial, using a single dating from 1977, when it was produced by Thom Bell for the album entitled “Thom Bell Sessions”, supported by a multi-racial studio band consisting of Bobby Eli (guitar), Bob Babbitt (bass), Tony Bell (guitar, background vocals), Thom Bell (piano, keyboards, conductor, arranger and producer), M F S B (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother orchestra), Charles Collins (drums), Larry Washington (percussion), with additional background vocals provided by Bill Lamb, Carla Benson, Evette Benton, Barbara Ingram and The Detroit Spinners. Bell taught John how to breathe more effectively while singing, further enhancing the singer’s extraordinary gifts and talents.

This particular single featured on the project entitled “Are You Ready For Love?”, which peaked on the UK Pop single chart at number one, occupying that position for two weeks in August 2004. The track also reached number one on the US billboard dance chart listings for one week. .This is another way of using media exposure to market a re-released single from the height of the Philadelphia Sound era, which UK-based label Southern Fried Records used effectively to give the single a good start on the road to success. Out of that same project Elton obtained a gold single certification for one million copies sold for “Mama Can’t Buy You Love “(co-written by Leroy Bell and Casey James, a black and white song-writing team).The single peaked at number one on the US Pop Adult Contemporary charts on 25^thAugust 1979 for one week and received a Gammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male in 1979. Such projects may reawaken people’s interest in good quality Soul and R&B music.

In 2004, Thom Bell repeated his success yet again by collaborating with Joss Stone on her multi-platinum album “Mind, Body & Soul”, which debuted at number one on the UK Pop album charts in 2004. He conducted the string arrangement on the track “Spoiled”, which sees Stone co-writing with the legendary Lamont Dozier and his son Beau Dozier. The legendary Miami R&B rhythm section, consisting of Timmy Thomas (organ), Willie “Little Beaver” Hale (guitar) and Benny Latimore (keyboards, piano), played on this session at the famous Hit Factory/Criteria Studios, where Aretha Franklin recorded her “Young Gifted and Black” gold album in the early 1970s, co-produced by Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin, the same producers as on the late Dusty Springfield’s album “Dusty In Memphis”.

©2009RCM Music Ltd

Strings Arranged By Thom Bell

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