The Philadelphia Signature Soul Sound during the 1980s Pt 7

                                    Featuring female solo artist



The album "Watch Out" containing the
 Quiet Storm  single "Fantasy"

A Quiet Storm Philly classic ballad “Fantasy”, stunningly performed by Brandi Wells, is the highlight of her debut album “Watch Out”, released by WMOT Records in 1984. The track was produced by Nick Martinelli and arranged by Dexter Wansell at Alpha Recording Studio. They also produced and arranged the title track which was a top twenty hit on the Billboard Hot Soul and R&B Singles Chart.

The album "Just Like Dreamin'" featuring the Philly
 classic remake "I'll Be Around"

The now-defunct  label Philly World Records released a solo album by Terri Wells in 1984. The entire album was produced by Nick Martinelli with string arrangements by the late Norman Harris (former staff member of Philadelphia International Records during its golden era). The singles released from the album were “You Make It Heaven”, “Just Like Dreamin’” and the dance remake of the Spinners’ classic hit “I’ll Be Around”, a gold-certified single recorded originally during the 1970s at the Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. “I’ll Be Around” was a big hit for Terri Wells in the UK where both the single and album  has  a  cult following.

Joanna Gardner only solo
 album of her career

The following year her label mate Joanna Gardner released a studio solo album “Joanna Gardner”  and Veronica Underwood’s self-titled album “Veronica Underwood” also appeared. On both albums music styles include electronic, funk and soul. All three albums were recorded at Alpha Recording Studio, also known as Alpha International Recording Studios. The legendary Bobby Eli (rhythm guitar player in MFSB studio band) produced a track for Joanna Gardner called “I Could Never Love Another Like You” featuring string performance and arrangements by Don Renaldo and  his group of string players, with synthesizer performance by Donald R. Robinson.   The song has a 1980s sound with a 1970s Philly soul mix.

Featuring the Quiet Storm single
 "We're Gonna Make It"

“Victim Of Desire” from Veronica Underwood’s self-titled album is a definitive 1980s synthesizer sound, with a powerful vocal performance by Veronica Underwood and a backing designed for the dance floor. Another interesting track from the album is the sweet ballad “We’re Gonna Make It” which fits the Quiet Storm format on radio using live instruments and synthesizers.

                          
                                 



                               ©Signaturesoundsonline2013-2015 

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