The Recording Academy Honors Gamble and Huff, Philadelphia Orchestra, Other Philly Faves - Page 4

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): they were leading.

In addition to making hits, G&H allowed 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 [ironic now, eh?]. I used to go the O'Jays concerts and they would drive people insane when they would close the show with that song," he says.

Of course G&H were also writing and producing great ballads for the Bluenotes ("If You Don't Know Me By Now," "I Miss You," "Yesterday I Had the Blues"), Billy Paul ("Me and Mrs. Jones"), the Three Degrees ("When Will I See You Again") and many others.

The roll continued through the '70s and into the early '80s when hip-hop, hard funk and electronic dance styles rendered soul and disco (temporarily) obsolete, and an industry-wide slump soured everyone's milk. When Teddy Pendergrass had his paralyzing car accident in 1982, G&H decided to take a little break from making music.

Most of the songs mentioned herein are available on various collections in Legacy's Rhythm and Soul Series, most notably compilation producer Leo Sacks' exceptional The Philly Sound, 1966-1976, a three-CD extravaganza with photos, copious liner notes and commentary from a small army of notables, putting G&H's accomplishments in musical, political and cultural perspective and arousing the envy of fellow compilers from Philadelphia to the Philippines.

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