Fire At TSOP; Studio Spared

Fire struck the location of world famous Philadelphia International Records on Sunday night, the site of a studio that spawned a string of rock and soul gems written and produced by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff and producer Thom Bell. Initially labelled "suspicious" by fire officials, a local man was charged this evening with arson at the building located at 309 South Broad Street, a stone's throw from The Academy of Music and the Kimmel Center.

In a joint statement, owners Gamble & Huff cited the famous McFadden & Whitehead hit: "Ain't no stoppin' us now. Our space has been violated by someone who chose to set fire to it. But what's most important is that we will build it again and continue to rebuild. Nothing is going to stop us."

Gamble, Huff and Bell took over the venerable brick building in 1970, and the hits were plentiful from a stable of artists that became known collectively as "The Sound of Philadelphia": The Intruders ("Cowboys To Girls"); Billy Paul ("Me & Mrs. Jones"); Jerry Butler ("Only The Strong Survive"); Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes ("If You Don't Know Me By Now"); Joe Simon ("Drowning In The Sea of Love"); Mel & Tim ("Backfield In Motion"); The Three Degrees ("When Will I See You Again"); The Jacksons ("Enjoy Yourself"); MFSB ("TSOP [The Sound of Philadelphia])"; and, perhaps most memorably, The (Mighty! Mighty!) O'Jays ("For The Love Of Money," "Back Stabbers," "992 Arguments," and "Love Train").

The production duo estimates that they lost 40% of their memorabilia that adorned the walls, filled offices and was kept in storage, including gold records, awards and private tape collections of artists like Lou Rawls, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass and The Jacksons. "Some of the things we lost in the fire are irreplaceable," said Gamble & Huff. "We will know better in the days ahead what our total losses will be."


Amazingly, the recording studio itself, located on the third floor, was relatively unscathed. Gamble & Huff use the studio to broadcast their Sirius XM radio series. It is also a popular attraction for students and tourists.


Before housing Philly International, the studio was the site where Chubby Checker's "The Twist" and Dee Dee Sharp's "Mashed Potato Time" were cut for the Cameo-Parkway label.


"The No. 1 thing that went through our minds as we walked through the facility is that thankfully, no one was hurt," the statement from Gamble & Huff concluded. "After all the years our building has been there, we've never had any problems that come close to this. The devastation is just horrible. It's unbelievable."


In 1999, four years after being inducted into the National Academy of Songwriters' Hall of Fame, Gamble & Huff were honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences with the Trustees Award for their extensive body of work, both as producer and songwriter, and their contribution to the entire fabric of popular music. In 2008, Gamble & Huff were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock Hall is currently in the midst of a month long celebration of the Philly Sound.


Well, most of a rock monument was saved, so let's not worry about things we can't control, right? "Enjoy Yourself" instead with The Jacksons from 1976! [Chair dancing in the office allowed.]

The Dictionary of Soul: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Since their last full-length release in 2007, Brooklyn soul collective Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings has hardly faded into the woodwork. In addition to touring, the band has contributed notable work to 2009's Dark Was The Night benefit compilation (a cover of Shuggie Otis' "Inspiration Information") and the soundtrack to the film Up In The Air. Ms. Jones acted in and contributed music to the Denzel Washington helmed The Great Debaters; the versatile Dap-Kings followed their praised backup work on Amy Winehouse's Grammy-winning Back In Black by working with soul legend The Rev. Al Green on 2008's Lay It Down.

On 6 April, the fourth album drops, titled I Learned The Hard Way. Again produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an old Apex eight-track machine by Gabe Roth at independent Daptone Records, a sneak preview was provided this week: the title track, which to our ears echos the under appreciated Laura Nyro & LaBelle classic Gonna Take A Miracle, produced by Philadephia masters Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff back in 1971. "I Learned The Hard Way" is available via free download or you can listen here:

The Dictionary of Soul: Teddy Pendergrass

The screaming women called him "Teddy Bear." At the beginning of the 1980s he was a superstar, the sexiest baritone on record. He could be magnetic on stage, but his performances could border on camp. The image of his bearded, rugged features combined with the open shirts and medallions was seemingly everywhere.

Then, in March 1982, Teddy Pendergrass was driving his Rolls Royce when the brakes or electrical system failed and the car careened into a highway divider and a tree, and spinal cord injuries rendered him a quadriplegic. After extensive physical therapy, he would resume his career and even though the loss of breath control effected his voice, many of his new records became hits.

Theodore DeReese Pendergrass Jr. was born in South Carolina and raised in Philadelphia. Influenced at an early age by the gospel and soul music, he dropped out of high school and worked as a drummer in R&B and doo-wop groups. In 1969, he joined Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, a long-standing local group.

Signed to Philadelphia International Records, the Blue Notes benefited from the production magic of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Pendergrass moved from behind the drum kit to lead vocalist, and the hits started to flow. The duo's distinctive production, a sound emphasizing sweet strings and big beat, was paired with Pendergrass' powerhouse of a voice, and the result was the monster hits "If You Don't Know Me By Now" (1972), "The Love I Lost" (1973), "Bad Luck" and "Wake Up Everybody" (both 1975).

It was reported that Pendergrass and Melvin did not continue to see eye-to-eye, and Pendergrass went off on his own in 1976. His venture as a solo act was an immediate success. Pendergrass had four platinum and two gold albums in the six years before the accident. He was in the same category of sales and popularity as Al Green and Marvin Gaye. But even Pendergrass thought some of the gimmicks used at his shows - for instance, handing out lollipops shaped like teddy bears to female fans - bordered on schmaltz: "As outgoing as I am, I'm still a country boy," he said. "It was complimentary, but it was hard to handle."

Pendergrass' later years were spent not only on music but active philanthropy on behalf of individuals with spinal chord injuries. After a bout with colon cancer, Teddy Pendergrass died on 13 January at the age of 59. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.

His vital contribution to soul and in particular the unique "Sound of Philadelphia" will endure among music enthusiasts. In an interview today with the New York Times, Leon Huff said: "Teddy had that big, booming baritone voice, but he was a tender man. He was very lovable. You could hear it in his music."

FURTHER READING, LISTENING AND VIEWING

Teddy Pendergrass first steps into the spotlight: "If You Don't Know Me By Now" with Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes on Soul Train in 1972.

Listen to the great Philly soul opus "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes. TNOP still thinks it is the best vocal performance of Pendergrass' career, and a definitive example of the Gamble & Huff production sound.

Reports on the life and death of Teddy Pendergrass:
The Philadelphia Enquirer
The Washington Post (AP video) (story)
The New York Times
The Los Angeles Times
The Times of London

Art Fennell's television interview with Teddy Pendergrass from 2007.