Sweet Philly Soul

featherboy wrote:The classic Syl Johnson break is "Different Strokes", which a lot of people think is James Brown. I've got a great Syl Johnson 45 called "Annie Got Hot Pants Power" where I reckon he really is trying to imitate James. I think Syl Johnson was from Chicago & he mainly did bluesy deep soul, but there is a house track by Deep Sensation on the Chicago label Guidance where his voice is riding a Philly disco beat. The guy who did it either managed to find an acapella of Syl's "Is It Because I'm Black?", or he somehow extracted the vocal from the music. He worked that over the instrumental section of "Where On The Right track" which Wand records released twice with different singers over exactly the same backing, once by Ultra High Frequency & a better version by The South Shore Commission.

RZA Also used "Is It Because I'm Black" for the Wu's "Hollow Bones"!

And I'm sure you all are hip that Syl is Syleena Johnsons Father.

South Shore Commission - "Freeman"

Speaking of Philly... what about Billy Paul?
"Only The Strong Survive"
A true Classic!!!

And don't forget... anything on Salsoul records.

Juke ...... showing your Chicago house roots with Billy Paul's version of "Only The Strong Survive". A two copy workout of the breakdown in that often crops up on old Ron Hardy mix tapes. Actually there is a Philly/Chicago connection with that song because Gamble & Huff originally wrote it for ex-Impression Jerry Butler, and there was a Chicago house version that Frankie Knuckles did with Ricky Dillard singing..........& I think it was the only Gamble & Huff song that Elvis recorded.

But, rather than the uptempo disco-y side of Philly, I'm thinking more of the downtempo string-drenched ballads, with french horns & a sitar following the lead vocal line when I say "sweet philly". Songs like The Delfonics "Hey Love" & Blue Magic's "Sideshow".

Another Blue Magic classic is "Welcome to the Club".



Man... ya'll got me reminiscing!

The SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE ISH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!



WOW CLASSICS

The digs yall come up with are short of incredible. long live the bloved art of digging.