Rock Hall 2005 Nominees
Published September 14, 2004
Recalls Huff, "Clive was blown away by our talent, and it was a great move for us and them. Our company (Philadelphia International) really took off after we signed the O'Jays.
"I remember flying into Cleveland - a disc jockey had called to say 'Man there's a group in Cleveland that's raising hell' - so we took a flight out to Cleveland and went to see them at a club. They had lines around the corner. Those guys were tearing that club up. We stayed in Cleveland until we signed them. We took them back to Philadelphia and recorded and recorded and recorded."
With the O'Jays, and Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, the world of Gamble and Huff came together. In the '70s G&H scored ten No. 1 R&B and nine Top 40 pop hits with the O'Jays; four No. 1 R&B and four Top 20 hits with Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes.
But more importantly, all the disparate elements of the G&H sound coalesced into something new: music with rhythmic muscle, melodic sophistication and orchestral leavening, combined with a newfound social and interpersonal awareness, all funneled through the great pipes of the O'Jays' Eddie Levert and the Bluesnotes' Teddy Pendergrass.
Recorded at G&H's Sigma Sound with engineer Joe Tarsia, the roll began with the O'Jays' "Backstabbers," a remarkable combination of shimmering strings, Latin percussion, post-modern paranoia and a palpable sense of "this is it - there is nothing any of us could or should be doing other than making this music."
G&H weren't following Motown (where Norman Whitfield was making parallel strides) or anyone else (Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes were independently exploring some of the same terrain) - G&B were leading.
In addition to making hits, G&H allowed house band MFSB to stretch out in the grooves of the songs, laying a funky foundation for the extended disco remixes of the later-'70s. Album cuts of such uptempo masterworks as the Bluenotes' "Bad Luck" and "The Love I Lost"; MFSB's "TSOP" (The Soul Train theme song) and "Love Is the Message"; and the O'Jays' "992 Arguments," "I Love Music" and (best) "For the Love of Money" reached lengths of up to 10-minutes of dance floor ecstasy.
"Money" is Huff's all-time favorite "for the [anti-greed] message and for the song. I used to go the O'Jays concerts and they would drive people insane when they would close the show with that song."
Randy Newman has never been an actual rocker, but his brilliant early songwriting combined the profound empathy with the most scathing cynicism. Al Barger reviewed Newman's classic Good Old Boys here. I interviewed Newman for the school paper in the late-'70s when he performed solo at Wittenberg - I'll try to dig that up by announcement time - I think he'll get in.
- Rock Hall 2005 Nominees
- Published: September 14, 2004
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- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: News
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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I guess Eric nailed it, but to reiterate - I think U2 are the biggest and best band on the planet right now. That is said with great respect to the Boss and the Stones. The Boss has something in common with U2 though, in that I regard both of their most recent albums as the best work they have ever done. EVER.
yeah yeah yeah, tell me about the past. I was there, baby. I saw the Unforgettable Fire tour, and I was at the show in Tempe, AZ they filmed for Rattle and Hum. I know their back catalogue like crazy, but all that you can't leave behind is a 5 star masterpiece.
I like All You Can't Leave Behind quite a bit, it's a real return to form, but not as much as Boy, Joshua Tree, or Achtung. I don't hink there is a whole lot of debate about whether they belong.
Oh, and regarding Bruce, I would not put The Rising up there with anything up through Born In the USA, but I agree it's also a return to form
what do you think about the other nominees?
U2 have longevity and that is very rare in music these days with the produced artists that are being churned out to make a quick dollar. I don't think the other nominee quite compare to U2 but good luck to them
Conway Twitty? How freakin' lame ass is that for a nomination? I suppose he was a pretty talented C&W star, and I know he was a cool guy (years ago I saw him play as a guest on David Sanborn's music show, which I belive was called "Night Music", and he did a duet collaberation with The Residents......it was one of the strangest juxtapositions I have seen.). Still, I would never think of Twitty as a guy who was influencial enough to be anywhere near the R&R HOF. It seems as the years roll by that the RRHOF has increasing pressure to induct new members, and it cheapens and tarnishes the honor of being an inductee. I mean, how significant an achievement is it if Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, and Mick Jaggar are recognized with no greater honor than Conway Twitty? I understand that some folks want Peter Frampton in the Hall as well. Look, I realize that he still probably holds the record for the most sales of a live album ever, but lets face it, his heyday of popularity was short-lived relative to most of the HOF inductees who were not only influencial, but were influencial over decades of time and for more than just their peer generation.
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U2 was the obvious slam dunk here. They're almost as good as Lynyrd Skynyrd- and that's saying something.
Chrissie Hynde also constitutes a particularly welcome candidate from my point of view. I was 17 when the first Pretenders album came out, and she was THE vision of the perfect hot rock chick. "Precious" and "Tattooed Love Boys" certainly rocked my little world.