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Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits - Out 16/01/12


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Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits

Released 16/01/2012

The first release of the 'Philly 40' campaign celebrating the 40th Anniversary Of Philadelphia International Records.

This labour of love originally commenced sometime around February 2010 and has subsequently gone through numerous different drafts and licensing hassles until we eventually managed to complete the package below.

The idea behind 'Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits' was really to examine the effect that the label has had upon subsequent generations of fans throughout the last 40 years. The sheer volume of credible new re-edits that have emerged throughout the last 10 years or so from the PIR stable is truly astonishing and underlines the enduring nature and international appeal of the label's repertoire. Thus we have a truly international flavour to the project with key re-edits from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, West Palm, Miami, Brooklyn and Philadelphia in the USA, Bristol, Grove, Sunderland and Manchester in the UK, Dublin in Ireland, Glasgow In Scotland, Stuttgart in Germany, Brescia in Italy and Toronto in Canada to name but a few.

One reason why there has never been a package like this before is because it's extremely difficult to improve upon perfection anyway plus the quality control standards at Philadelphia International have always been top level and generally out of reach in order to preserve the integrity of the catalogue. However, with the advent of re-edit culture and the increasing sophistication of affordable new technology, suddenly there was no longer the need to physically access the original master tapes - a costly and expensive process at the best of times. Now a re-editor could work from the comfort of his laptop and craft a re-edit at his or her leisure. This meant that rather than working in an expensive studio and compressing all your ideas into several hours or even several days, now re-edits can be done to each re-editors individual time-scales, whether they be over a couple of weeks or even a couple of years in some cases. The result has been that now a finished re-edit can finally be presented once someone has lived with it and tweaked it for weeks, months or even years. So, essentially, the disadvantages in not having access to the original multi-track tapes (and being able to isolate each track separately) can often be outweighed by the sheer time you can spend in getting something absolutely right without the time constraints of using an expensive studio.

So in the case of 'Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits' we were able to submit 2 full CD's worth of re-edits which had been fully completed and honed to perfection by everyone. In many cases the structures of the songs had been extended quite radically, the breaks toughened up, the beats altered and, in one case, a stone-killer ballad was transformed into a House anthem.

My sincere thanks go out to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, not only for their stunning musical legacy, but also for their vision in understanding that today's audiences often require an additional slant on such evergreen classics. Thank you gentlemen!

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CD 1 Uptempo Good Time Philly

1) Satisfaction Guaranteed - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 7.22

Re-Edited by Morning Star

2) Only The Strong Survive - Billy Paul 8.19

Re-Edited by J*Ski

3) Save A Place - The Trammps 6.37

Re-Edited by J*Ski

4) Free Love -Jean Carn 7.04

Re-Edited by Victor Rosado

5) Do It Anyway You Wanna - People's Choice 6.35

Re-Edited by Keep Schtum

6) Life On Mars - Dexter Wansel 5.35

Re-Edited by DJ Mila

7) Mysteries Of The World - MFSB 6.00

Re-Edited by J*Ski

8) Ain't No Stopping Us Now - McFadden & Whitehead 7.30

Re-Edited by Noodleman

9) Dance Turned Into Romance - The Jones Girls 6.55

Re-Edited by DJ Friction

10) Be For Real - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 7.43

Re-Edited by Tim McAllister

11) Message In Our Music - The O'Jays 9.16

Re-Edited by Jimmy The Twin

CD 2 Mellow Slinky Philly

1) If You Wanna Go Back - Jean Carn 6.46

Re-Edited by Morning Star

2) Darlin' Darlin' Baby - The O'Jays 8.08

A Deep&Disco Rework

3) You're Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else - The Jones Girls 8.36

Re-Edited by Henry Greenwood

4) Strategy - Archie Bell & The Drells 6.05

Re-Edited by Touchsoul

5) Let The Dollar Circulate - Billy Paul 6.41

A scratchandsniff re-rub

6) Easy Money - Dee Dee Sharp Gamble 6.56

Re-Edited by Todd Terje

7) Was That All It Was - Jean Carn 7.59

Re-Edited by Morning Star

8) Nights Over Egypt - The Jones Girls 6.59

Re-Edited by Womack & TOT

9) Don't Let Love Get You Down - Archie Bell & The Drells 8.00

Re-Edited by Ed Zone

10) Wake Up Everybody - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 9.31

Re-Edited by Apt One

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philadelphia-International-Re-Edits-Various-Artists/dp/B0067FGO7U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1323478170&sr=1-1

HMV Link:

https://hmv.com/hmvwe...its&primaryID=0

i-tunes Link:

https://bit.ly/rC9ZYE

Should be a blinding start to the new year!

Ian D :D

Edited by Ian Dewhirst
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Hi Ian

Who chose the person to re- edit these tracks ? & is there a chance of a sneaky sample :D

It was myself and Jay Negron who basically managed the process. We both seriously collect every PIR re-edit we can get our hands on, so we had to whittle down from over 100 different re-edits. Some tracks fell through due to licensing restrictions, namely Onur Engin's brilliant 8.00 re-edit of "Show You The Way To Go" - The Jacksons and Julian Love's athemic re-edit of "Living Together" - The Jacksons. Hopefully we'll be able to clear those two at some point in the future.

And samples would be handy wouldn't they? OK, They should be on Juno shortly but I think I'll get a soundcloud link so people can hear how special these are. Good thinking Garv!

Ian D :D

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hopefully a future vinyl release ?

Yep, there should be a limited-edition vinyl 4 x LP Version out at the same time touch wood. Details will follow.

Incidentally for anyone who's interested there's also a limited-edition vinyl version of Philly Re-Grooved Vols 1 & 2 that will be on the way soon too. Will post the details up shortly!

Ian D :D

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hope it turns out better than the motown remixes they did a few years ago

No worries on that score Jimmy! It's a wonderful package and worth it for the price for the Morning Star (aka Larry Sanders) re-edits alone. Also, a reminder about the Moulton PIR remixes which are coming in mid February, which should be right up your street. In fact, here's the itinerary for the Philly 40 campaign:-

Philly 40

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The Philadelphia International Records 40th Anniversary Campaign

Harmless Records are proud to announce a campaign to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest black music record companies of all time - Philadelphia International Records. Founded by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971, the label launched with the album "Going East" by Billy Paul in October 1971 but really hit its stride throughout 1972 with a brace of international hits from veteran Philadelphia based signings like the O'Jays, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes and the Three Degrees. Legendary A&R visionary Clive Davis was responsible for bringing the Philly hit machine to the Columbia group for distribution - a gamble which proved to be extraordinarily successful as the major distributor struggled to keep up with the hits that were pouring out from Sigma Sound studio in downtown Philadelphia - the recording home of P.I.R. where smashes like "Backstabbers", "Love Train", "Me & Mrs Jones", "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and numerous others all rolled out in 1972 alone. Just two years later, Philadelphia International became the second largest black-owned company in the U.S.A. following Berry Gordy's Motown, which had similarly forged its identity with a trademark sound from Detroit.

Jump forward 40 years and Philadelphia International is still independent and still owned by its original founders, Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff - an extraordinary achievement in an age where most other independent companies (including Motown) have long since been absorbed into large conglomerates.

We are delighted to be welcoming Kenny Gamble to the UK in mid November where he will doing a number of specially selected interviews to support the launch of the campaign in January through February 2012. Details of these will follow shortly.

In light of the above, we felt it was only fitting to celebrate the 40 anniversary of Philadelphia International with some brand new "Philly 40" PIR releases which have been long overdue and will be eagerly anticipated around the world.....

HURTXCD111 Released: 16/01/12 Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits

21 of the hottest PIR Re-Edits which have been done by PIR enthusiasts from around the world. Fully approved by Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff.

HURTXCD118 Released: TBC Philadelphia International: The Roots of PIR

What happened before PIR? Ace historian and compiler Richard Searling compiles the pre PIR gems from the Gamble & Huff stable plus an exclusive DVD interview with Kenny Gamble..

HURTXCD112 Released: 13/02/12 Philadelphia International: The Tom Moulton Remixes

The godfather of the Disco Mix and inventor of the 12" format returns to the label where he started and remixes 15 more original PIR tracks to add to 16 of his best original PIR mixes.

HURTBOX1 Released: 27/02/12 Philadelphia International: 40th Anniversary Box Set

PIR expert Ralph Tee goes through the complete history of PIR with a lovingly compiled 10CD deluxe box set with 60 page booklet.

That should keep you going for a while ay?

Ian D :D

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If it's the same remix of Jean Carn - If You Wanna Go Back that you sent me a while back it's worth the purchase price for that alone.

One of the few occasions I have actually filled a dancefloor :D

Heard the Gloria Scott edit yet Doobury? If not why not & I feel a haggling session coming on :yes::lol:

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Hey Ian

I never told you that I used to have a Saturday Job at PIR did I ?

post-16505-0-19747800-1323636398_thumb.j

Me & my boss, ok, it's in the Souvenir Shop

post-16505-0-71139800-1323636546_thumb.j

A really friendly place to hang out. My boss friend, Leroy, phoned Dexter Wansel while I was there, for me to say hello (I'd previously met Dexter at the Minehead weekender) but Dexter was in recording. A great place, so I wish you well with these c.d's

I'll certainly be buying :thumbsup:

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If it's the same remix of Jean Carn - If You Wanna Go Back that you sent me a while back it's worth the purchase price for that alone.

Yep, absolutely the same re-edit plus his brilliant edits on "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Was That All It Was" - a remarkable trio from this San Franciscan veteran!

One of the few occasions I have actually filled a dancefloor :D

You've never forgiven me for gazumping you with this in Morcambe a few years ago have ya???? :lol:

Heard the Gloria Scott edit yet Doobury? If not why not & I feel a haggling session coming on :yes::lol:

The new Walter Mengon re-edit? Played it on the show last week dude! :thumbup:

But let's do some haggling over the hols. I can feel some swaps coming up! :wink:

Ian D :D

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Ian what actually constitutes a re - edit here, did they have access to the masters, or are these just done from recordings of the finished product?

I refer the honourable Geeselad to the answer I gave earlier.....

"However, with the advent of re-edit culture and the increasing sophistication of affordable new technology, suddenly there was no longer the need to physically access the original master tapes - a costly and expensive process at the best of times. Now a re-editor could work from the comfort of his laptop and craft a re-edit at his or her leisure. This meant that rather than working in an expensive studio and compressing all your ideas into several hours or even several days, now re-edits can be done to each re-editors individual time-scales, whether they be over a couple of weeks or even a couple of years in some cases. The result has been that now a finished re-edit can finally be presented once someone has lived with it and tweaked it for weeks, months or even years. So, essentially, the disadvantages in not having access to the original multi-track tapes (and being able to isolate each track separately) can often be outweighed by the sheer time you can spend in getting something absolutely right without the time constraints of using an expensive studio".

So, no. No master tapes required for re-edits.

However, the upcoming Tom Moulton project is all from the original master tapes, which cost a fortune in tape location, baking and transfer costs (which is why it will be more expensive than the usual Harmless release and also 'cos it'll be 4 x CD's in a mini box).

There's a lot to be said for re-edits though. Because they have to work with the finished master it means that none of the original production can be changed too much which really suits a lot people since the originals were so brilliant. Sometimes remixing the master tapes means that a lot of the original instruments are replaced or over-dubbed which can mutate the record into something it was never intended to be. It's a fine line though Geeselad.....

Ian D :D

Edited by Ian Dewhirst
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Hey Ian

I never told you that I used to have a Saturday Job at PIR did I ?

post-16505-0-19747800-1323636398_thumb.j

Me & my boss, ok, it's in the Souvenir Shop

post-16505-0-71139800-1323636546_thumb.j

A really friendly place to hang out. My boss friend, Leroy, phoned Dexter Wansel while I was there, for me to say hello (I'd previously met Dexter at the Minehead weekender) but Dexter was in recording. A great place, so I wish you well with these c.d's

I'll certainly be buying :thumbsup:

Hi Ali!

Hope yer well and all is good!

You lucky bugger! Even I haven't been over there yet! :ohmy:

The guys over @ PIR will be reading this thread at some point I'm sure, so I'll point 'em to the pics. I keep telling 'em that PIR is one of the holy grails over here but they think I'm exaggerating.......

Ian D :D

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I refer the honourable Geeselad to the answer I gave earlier.....

"However, with the advent of re-edit culture and the increasing sophistication of affordable new technology, suddenly there was no longer the need to physically access the original master tapes - a costly and expensive process at the best of times. Now a re-editor could work from the comfort of his laptop and craft a re-edit at his or her leisure. This meant that rather than working in an expensive studio and compressing all your ideas into several hours or even several days, now re-edits can be done to each re-editors individual time-scales, whether they be over a couple of weeks or even a couple of years in some cases. The result has been that now a finished re-edit can finally be presented once someone has lived with it and tweaked it for weeks, months or even years. So, essentially, the disadvantages in not having access to the original multi-track tapes (and being able to isolate each track separately) can often be outweighed by the sheer time you can spend in getting something absolutely right without the time constraints of using an expensive studio".

So, no. No master tapes required for re-edits.

However, the upcoming Tom Moulton project is all from the original master tapes, which cost a fortune in tape location, baking and transfer costs (which is why it will be more expensive than the usual Harmless release and also 'cos it'll be 4 x CD's in a mini box).

There's a lot to be said for re-edits though. Because they have to work with the finished master it means that none of the original production can be changed too much which really suits a lot people since the originals were so brilliant. Sometimes remixing the master tapes means that a lot of the original instruments are replaced or over-dubbed which can mutate the record into something it was never intended to be. It's a fine line though Geeselad.....

Ian D :D

Thanks Ian, I agree personally that re- edits tend to be a little more respectful. I general a re- edit to me cant be about returning to the masters as the original re- editors only had reels of the final recording to work with.

Edited by geeselad
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For anyone who fancies a sneak preview of "Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits", my good friend and co-compiler Jay Negron threw a Philly Re-Edits launch party on his HUGE Saturday night show on New York's Disco 935. Download Link here:-

Jay Negron Presents "Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits" Preview Party On Disco 935

https://rcpt.yousend...a8e772503a72368

Nice to know there's plenty of excitement abroad too! But there again PIR sold worldwide so maybe it's no surprise.

Nice one Jay!

Ian D :D

Edited by Ian Dewhirst
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Yep, absolutely the same re-edit plus his brilliant edits on "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Was That All It Was" - a remarkable trio from this San Franciscan veteran!

You've never forgiven me for gazumping you with this in Morcambe a few years ago have ya???? :lol:

Got my own back when I phoned your hotel landlord & told him you were smoking in your hotel room :lol:

The new Walter Mengon re-edit? Played it on the show last week dude! :thumbup:

But let's do some haggling over the hols. I can feel some swaps coming up! :wink:

Ian D :D

Who's Walter Mengon? Can't remember who did the one I'm playing but not him.

Swaps??? Sounds interesting....

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Hi Ali!

Hope yer well and all is good!

You lucky bugger! Even I haven't been over there yet! :ohmy:

The guys over @ PIR will be reading this thread at some point I'm sure, so I'll point 'em to the pics. I keep telling 'em that PIR is one of the holy grails over here but they think I'm exaggerating.......

Ian D :D

Hi Ian

Here's a few more pics to wet your appetite :D

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post-16505-0-62087800-1323731474_thumb.j

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The day I called in, Leroy made me feel very welcome, even though he told Dexter's voicemail that it was Alison from London :ohmy: Such a friendly and down to earth feel about the place, I met a current artist (a lovely young lady who's name escapes me) It was this future songstress who took our picture :thumbsup:

If Leroy ever reads this, thanks for being so charming, and welcoming me into your fold. You are a credit to PIR :hatsoff2: Sorry for not calling back and hanging out when I said I would (a tropical storm got in the way) Please hold that rare footage for the next time I visit as there WILL be a next time :thumbsup:

Great downloads Ian, they're playing as I type.... can't wait for January !!!

All the very best

Ali x

Edited by Alison H
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Hi Ian

Here's a few more pics to wet your appetite :D

post-16505-0-53373500-1323731346_thumb.j

post-16505-0-62087800-1323731474_thumb.j

post-16505-0-25574000-1323731412_thumb.j

The day I called in, Leroy made me feel very welcome, even though he told Dexter's voicemail that it was Alison from London :ohmy: Such a friendly and down to earth feel about the place, I met a current artist (a lovely young lady who's name escapes me) It was this future songstress who took our picture :thumbsup:

If Leroy ever reads this, thanks for being so charming, and welcoming me into your fold. You are a credit to PIR :hatsoff2: Sorry for not calling back and hanging out when I said I would (a tropical storm got in the way) Please hold that rare footage for the next time I visit as there WILL be a next time :thumbsup:

Great downloads Ian, they're playing as I type.... can't wait for January !!!

All the very best

Ali x

There's something very very wrong in my life Ali. :g:

How come I can't even get to Philly and you're sending random holiday snaps of PIR headquarters....?

You always were blessed with stuff like this. I'm in the wrong job......... :lol:

Ian D :D

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There's something very very wrong in my life Ali. :g:

How come I can't even get to Philly and you're sending random holiday snaps of PIR headquarters....?

You always were blessed with stuff like this. I'm in the wrong job......... :lol:

Ian D :D

Whatever you do then please don't start a thread on Detroit, Chicago, New York, Baltimore or Washington, as I'm sure the good folk on Soulsource would not welcome holiday snaps of me taking a bite out of the Big Apple, or hanging out of a glass box 103 floors up the Sears Willis Tower, or getting a parking ticket in front of the Whitehouse :facepalm: ........ though I have got some cool photo's of Detroit :thumbsup: (but I'll save them for another thread :D )

Right, back to Philly, and the re-edits, courtesy of everywhere :thumbsup: Will Ralph/Simon/Anyone? have them for sale at the Hilton. I know it's 10 days before the official release date, but it would make a lot of sense (to me) if I could get my grubby little hands on the re-edits before the 16th :thumbup:

Cheers

Ali x

P.S. Get a proper job :P:lol:

Edited by Alison H
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Right, back to Philly, and the re-edits, courtesy of everywhere :thumbsup: Will Ralph/Simon/Anyone? have them for sale at the Hilton. I know it's 10 days before the official release date, but it would make a lot of sense (to me) if I could get my grubby little hands on the re-edits before the 16th :thumbup:

Cheers

Ali x

P.S. Get a proper job :P:lol:

LOL, 'a proper job'. You sound like my Dad! :lol:

PM me your e-mail address and I'll thwack you some goodies over. :thumbup:

By the way, I just got off the phone with Tom Moulton after a one hour session and what we have coming up with the 4 x CD 'Philadelphia International Classics:The Tom Moulton Remixes' is basically the best album I've ever heard in my life. No joke.

Tom was complaining about the 'emotional drain' this project had on him due to the wealth of beautifully recorded stuff on the original 2" masters. It's so good it's scary. Will release the info on the 2nd January 2012.

Ian D :D

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LOL, 'a proper job'. You sound like my Dad! :lol:

PM me your e-mail address and I'll thwack you some goodies over. :thumbup:

By the way, I just got off the phone with Tom Moulton after a one hour session and what we have coming up with the 4 x CD 'Philadelphia International Classics:The Tom Moulton Remixes' is basically the best album I've ever heard in my life. No joke.

Tom was complaining about the 'emotional drain' this project had on him due to the wealth of beautifully recorded stuff on the original 2" masters. It's so good it's scary. Will release the info on the 2nd January 2012.

Ian D :D

Hi Ian

Can't wait for the information regarding these remixes, can we download anything now or you gonna make us wait.

Have a great Christmas

Barry

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Whadayya think Steve? :thumbup:

Moulton's now finished up on the PIR remixes - 31 in total, so I'll let you when they're ready! Obviously they're unbelievable!

Merry Xmas by the way!

Ian D :D

Not listened to em all yet Ian just the 1st 2hours n its a big thumbs up from me. Cant wait to hear the rest.

Cheers Ian and i hope you have a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and soulful New Year

Steve

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Hi Ian

Can't wait for the information regarding these remixes, can we download anything now or you gonna make us wait.

Have a great Christmas

Barry

Hi Barry,

I'm thinking about 'leaking' a couple of tracks over the holiday period to some of the key radio shows. Maybe a couple of the lesser-known but brilliant tunes like:

The Whole Town's Talking 8.39 Billy Paul

The Devil Made Me Do It 10.35 Robert Upchurch

What Tom unearthed on the master tapes is phenomenal. The Robert Upchurch track is the Sigma Sound players at the top of their game - a jam to die for that had to be edited down for a 7" single! This is the way it should be heard!

The cover's pretty cool as well:-

th_MoultonPhillyPackshot.jpg

Can't wait myself!

Ian D :D

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Oh, almost forgot LOL, you can hear 3 tracks off 'Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits' on this week's Original Mastercuts show - links below playlist.......

Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show LIVE with Ian Dewhirst and the Swansong 4 boys, Spit, Spot and Stick between 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 18th December 2011 on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com.

Featuring......

1st Hour

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Satisfaction Guaranteed (Or Take Your Love Back) - Morning Star Re-Edit

Jean Carn - If You Wanna Go Back - Morning Star Re-Edit

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Be For Real - Tim McAllister Re-Edit

Odyssey - Inside Out - DJ Friction Remix

Invisible Man's Band - All Night Thing - Disco Deviance Re-Edit

Cee-Lo Green feat Wiz Khalifa - Bright Lights, Bigger City

Sade - Hang On To Your Love - Mathew Kyle Re-Edit

Rena Scott - Come On Inside - Chris Baron Re-Edit

Jocelyn Brown & Soulpersona - In The Middle

2nd Hour

Gregory Porter - 1960 What

Lee Dorsey - Who's Gonna Help A Brother

Skip Mahoney - Janice (Don't Be So Blind To Love)

The Spinners - Split Decision

Glam Sam & His Combo - The Last Days Of Disco

Mandrill - My Kind Of Girl

Master Plan - Clinton Park

The Staple Singers - Let's Do It Again

Collins & Collins - You Know How To Make Me Feel Good

McFadden & Whitehead - I've Been Pushed Aside

Shirley Jones & Jean Carn - Whatever It Takes - Joey Negro Club Mix

Cee-Lo Green - I Want You - Jack Splash Remix

Luther Vandross - Merry Christmas

https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-2011-12-18-Starpoint.mp3

https://www.originalmastercuts.com/OriginalMastercuts-2011-12-18-Starpoint.mp3

Enjoy!

Ian D :D

Edited by Ian Dewhirst
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OK, 'Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits' is now nicely positioned in the following charts:-

Amazon Soul/RnB - Disco Chart - No.1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=dp_srsubj_entry?ie=UTF8&index=music&field-keywords=R%26B%20and%20Soul%20%2F%20Disco

Amazon Main Soul/RnB Chart - No.10

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/music/761124/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_m_h__1_3_last

Amazon Main Rankings (Everything) - No.762

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philadelphia-International-Re-Edits-Various-Artists/dp/B0067FGO7U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1325772818&sr=1-1

All looking healthy 10 days before release!

Ian D :D

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Loving the look of the cover Ian. Also the Robert Upchurch is a long time favourite, can't wait to hear the new version.

Hiya Dave. Happy New Year mate. :thumbup:

What Moulton found on the full multi-track for the Robert Upchurch track is frankly astounding in my opinion. One of the best Philly sessions I've ever heard and hopefully the full 10 minute opus will propell the track to the glory it deserves. I'm actually finally receiving the final, final finished mixes tonight and then I'm gonna listen to 'em all the way through as I blast up the M42 and M6 to Blackpool tomorrow - the perfect way to listen to 'em for me.

Also we should start seeing the first proofs for the artwork and content for the 60 page booklet for the 10cd box set in a couple of weeks, so I'll expect you to proof read your comprehensive PIR and associated labels discography! Can't wait.

Oh, lest I forget, PIR send their warmest regards. I reckon Kenny and Leon will be back over here shortly. Plus the first proper access to the vault is upon us and I'll be receiving some unreleased Billy Paul and Phyllis Hyman stuff shortly!

2012 could be a watershed year! :thumbsup:

Ian D :D

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Unissued Philly sounds interesting. Steve

Yep. Mere access and potential legal issues have always traditionally been the main barrier to the vaults throughout the last 30 years as David Nathan, Tony Rounce, Ralph Tee and plenty of others will no doubt confirm. The PIR operation has always been a very, very disciplined and tight organisation which has always prioritized it's main income streams and has always been run from the top down with what many people would describe as ruthless efficiency. Outsiders come and go but the core machine has always taken care of business for the last 40 years through thick and thin which is no doubt why Philadelphia International is still independent and still run by the original founders, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff . I guess when you control a catalogue which contains dozens of million-selling records and numerous historical evergreen classics that has to be the main perogative. So whenever these crazy English guys start harping on about getting access to the legendary vaults for the obscure unheard rarities, PIR would probably be more concerned about making sure that the royalties from "Me And Mrs Jones", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "When Will I See You Again" and numerous other timeless classics and worldwide hits, are working properly and going in the right direction. And who could blame 'em? You'd be crazy to do otherwise.

Additionally, Kenny and Leon are involved in many other areas these days, not least a number of areas which are Philadelphia based, involve giving something back to their local community and, as such, are obviously close to their their hearts and social conciousness. In other words, they have much bigger priorities to deal with these days.

Essentially these guys have never stopped working since the early 1960's and never really had the time to savour the result of their hard work outside of the US in general and Philadelphia in particular. They were that busy keeping the hits rolling and making great records that they seldom had the time to appreciate the mark that their music was making throughout the rest of the world. For sure, telexes or calls would have come in to PIR in the 70's telling 'em that the O'Jays, Three Degrees or Billy Paul were hitting big in the UK, France, Germany or Japan but they were probably too busy making the next Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes or Lou Rawls smash to smell the coffee.

I think a major logjam was broken when Kenny Gamble (who was accompanied by long-term colleague and PIR minder Phil Asbury), recently visited both the UK and France on holiday and gracefully allowed us a couple of days of promotion and PR. I think it was this trip that clearly communicated the level of love and devotion that is held for PIR outside of the US. I don't think Kenny had any idea of the level of knowledge, appreciation and respect for his entire career that was demonstrated by the numerous serious afficionados that he met from the UK and France.

When I say this was one of the highpoints of my career watching all this unfold before my eyes I'm really not kidding. It really couldn't have gone any better. I think we're going to unearth some fantastic stuff from the PIR vaults over the next few years and it's really been down to the reception that Kenny received in the UK and France in mid November 2011.

So watch this space!

Ian D :D

Edited by Ian Dewhirst
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Hiya Dave. Happy New Year mate. :thumbup:

What Moulton found on the full multi-track for the Robert Upchurch track is frankly astounding in my opinion. One of the best Philly sessions I've ever heard and hopefully the full 10 minute opus will propell the track to the glory it deserves. I'm actually finally receiving the final, final finished mixes tonight and then I'm gonna listen to 'em all the way through as I blast up the M42 and M6 to Blackpool tomorrow - the perfect way to listen to 'em for me.

Also we should start seeing the first proofs for the artwork and content for the 60 page booklet for the 10cd box set in a couple of weeks, so I'll expect you to proof read your comprehensive PIR and associated labels discography! Can't wait.

Oh, lest I forget, PIR send their warmest regards. I reckon Kenny and Leon will be back over here shortly. Plus the first proper access to the vault is upon us and I'll be receiving some unreleased Billy Paul and Phyllis Hyman stuff shortly!

2012 could be a watershed year! :thumbsup:

Ian D :D

Don't, I'm dribbling like an idiot just thinking about unreleased stuff lol!

Happy New Year right :rofl: back at yer.

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OK, with just a few days to go before release, "Philadelphia International: The Re-Edits" is shaping up to be the biggest Harmless release of the last few years with a phenomenal pre-sell and ticking all the right buttons on all the key charts:-

Amazon Soul/RnB - Disco Chart - No.1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=dp_srsubj_entry?ie=UTF8&index=music&field-keywords=R%26B%20and%20Soul%20%2F%20Disco

Amazon Main Soul/RnB Chart - No.7

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/music/761124/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_m_h__1_3_last

Amazon Main Rankings (Everything) - No.364

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philadelphia-International-Re-Edits-Various-Artists/dp/B0067FGO7U/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1326188374&sr=1-1

Hopefully we'll see Philadelphia International back in the mainstream UK charts from a week on Monday!

Ian D :D

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Next few years Ian? Well I hope they hurry up and put them out before those that are interested in unissued material all end up "retired" or "programmed" only to be receptive to the singalong 70s classics. WHat timescale please Ian?

Yep, I agree. I'm hoping that we'll start getting access from early April if all goes to plan.

Ian D :D

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