Your Ten Top P.I.R. favorite titles...?

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

Hello again, soul brothers & sisters!

As surely some of you knows I'm a Philly Soul Lover since my teens: this was the soul music I discovered when I was aged 14 years - old. After the first year in the High School I started to work as barman in a restaurant along the entire summer and there's was a turntable and different speakers distributed in the local. The vynil collection included the typical "hits" from these years, first half of the 70's: Raffaella Carrá, Fausto Papetti, Adriano Celentano, Ornella Vanoni, María Dolores Pradera, Los Panchos, Carlos Mejía Godoy y Los Indios Tabajaras; Demis Roussos, Albert Hammond, Abba, Sylver Convention, Boney M, Barry White, Love Unlimited Orchestra... AND THE COMPILATIONS "EL SONIDO DE FILADELFIA, VOL. 1" AND "EL SONIDO D EFILADELFIA, VOL. 2" and the album "El Sonido de Filadelfia" by MFSB (the "Love Is The Message" album with the title changed). Those compilations included Johnny William's "Slow Motion", Soul Survivor's "City Of Brotherly Love", Billy Paul's "Thanks For Saving My Life"... those tracks captivated me at the first moment, so, despite the fact I started to buy Atlantic, Stax, Hi, Motown, Chi - Sound, and other stuff, Philly Soul was my favorite soul sound until the present day.

Here in Spain there was a radio program conducted by Antonio Fernández (RIP) called "Área Reservada" in Radio 3 / Radio Nacional de España. The program was focused in Soul, Fusion, Smooth Jazz,... (Marvin, Curtis, Stevie, the Tempts, contemporay fusion artists as Ben Sidran, Incognito, etc. were regulary played and some of these artists were interviewed live in the studio). And he confessed his passion for The Sound Of Philadelphia and dedicated some monographic programs to the stuff of the "Green Label". One time he explained what were his Top Ten P.I.R. favorites (and also played):

01- "Life In Mars" - Dexter Wansel

02- "Let's Clean Up The Ghetto" - Philladelphia Intl. All-Stars

03- "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead

04- "Let Me Show You The Way To Go" - The Jacksons

05- "Love TKO" - Teddy Pendergrass

06- "Mysteries Of The World" - MFSB

07 - "Tight Money" - Leon Huff

08 - "She's A Winner" - The Intruders

09 - "Sunshine" (Live in London) - The O'Jays

10 - "Wake Up Everybody" - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

I "hate" the "top lists" as I can change my taste day by day or I can't condensed in a limited list my "favorites" (if is ten top I can have 20; if is 50 top I can have 200...) but I made the effort to say what P.I.R. titles are, today, at the present moment, my favorite 10:

01- "Don't Call Me Brother" - The O'Jays

02- "Bitter Sweet" - MFSB

03 - "Virgin Girl" - Soul Survivors

04- "Don't Send Me Away" - People's Choice

05- "Where I Belong" - Billy Paul

06- "For The Love Of Money" - Thad Jones / Mel Lewis

07- "Theme From The Planets" - Dexter Wansel

08- "No Greater Love" - Leon Huff

09- "Tell Me Girl" - Jerry Butler

10- "What Color Is Love" - Dee Dee Sharp

 

Cheers To All!

[Ladymidnight]

Ok, it's a tough one, but something like this for me:

Archie Bell & The Drells - Don't let love get you down

Teddy Pendergrass - When somebody loves you back

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Bad luck

Jones Girls - This feeling's killing me

O'Jays - Back stabbers

Silk - I can't stop turning you on

Anthony White - Never let you get away from me

Ebonys - Do you like the way I love you

Jean Carn - Time waits for no one

Futures - Ain't no time fa nothing

Such a load of fantastic tunes on the label, looks like PIR afternoon at home when I get off work:)

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

46 minutes ago, Ladymidnight said:

Ok, it's a tough one, but something like this for me:

Archie Bell & The Drells - Don't let love get you down

Teddy Pendergrass - When somebody loves you back

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Bad luck

Jones Girls - This feeling's killing me

O'Jays - Back stabbers

Silk - I can't stop turning you on

Anthony White - Never let you get away from me

Ebonys - Do you like the way I love you

Jean Carn - Time waits for no one

Futures - Ain't no time fa nothing

Such a load of fantastic tunes on the label, looks like PIR afternoon at home when I get off work:)

Good choices!

In fact you includes three acts who have done only one album for the company (Ebonys, Silk and Anthony White). Very sad that they don't made more stuff with the label (I knows there are unissued stuff by them, enough material for another or more than one more albums!). Curiously I likes a lot many album tracks (never published as A or B 45 sides!) by the P.I.R. artists (O'Jays "Stand Up!", Billy Paul "Next To Nature", Intruder's "Hang On In There", Teddy's "Now Is The Time To Do It",...)

[Ladymidnight]

Pretty much impossible to make a top ten, too much good stuff to choose from. I forgot to include Intruders - Hang on in there. That one was actually released as a 45, on Gamble though.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Ladymidnight

[Twoshoes]

8 minutes ago, Ladymidnight said:

Pretty much impossible to make a top ten, too much good stuff to choose from. I forgot to include Intruders - Hang on in there. That one was actually released as a 45, on Gamble though.

it was released on PIR also ,B side of I Wanna Know Your Name.

[The Yank]

Here's my Top in no particular order off the top of my head (which could change) 

1) Harold Melvin/ Blue Notes- "Bad Luck"

2) "                                       "- "The Love I Lost"

3) Harold Melvin/ Blue Notes with Sharon Paige- "Hope That We Can Be Together Soon"

4) Johnny Williams- "Slow Motion"

5) O'Jays- "Love Train"

6) O'Jays- "Time To Get Down"

7) People's Choice- "Do It Any Way You Wanna" ( on P.I. subsidiary TSOP)

8) Teddy Pendergrass- "I Don"t Love You Anymore"

9) Teddy Pendergrass- "Love TKO"

10) Jean Carn- "Free Love"

Jones Girls- "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else"

Edited March 16, 2018 by the yank

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

50 minutes ago, Ladymidnight said:

Pretty much impossible to make a top ten, too much good stuff to choose from. I forgot to include Intruders - Hang on in there. That one was actually released as a 45, on Gamble though.

Thanks for the correction. I think I'm confused with "Be On Time", anyway, here in Spain I only knows the only ones I have published here in the 70's by The Intruders: the 45's "I'll Always Love My Mama" / "I Wanna Know Your Name" and "A NIce Girl Like You" / "To Be Happy Is A Real Thing" and the "Super Hits" LP. Much after, in the first 80's in Barcelona in a second hand store I found "Save The Children" and "Energy Of Love", both printed in Holland!! Another thing remarkable in the spanish market was the fact that ALL those stuff was published exclusively under the main label logo (the "ying-yang" double "P") despite the fact that originally was published on TSOP Archie Bell & The Drells, people's Choice), Gamble (Intruders), Golden Fleece (Trammps), Tommy or Thunder (Derek & Cyndi). Only The Stylistics "Hurry Up This Way Again" and O'Jays "The Year 2000", both in 1980 were published here with the TSOP logo in the labels.

Edited March 16, 2018 by josep manuel concernau robles

[Twoshoes]

Teddy Pendergrass           I just Called to Say I Love You

Jean Carn                           Was That All It Was

Silk                                     I Can't Stop Turning You On

Harold Melvin                   Love I Lost

Trammps                          Trusting Heart

Teddy P                             Nine Times Out Of Ten

Teddy P                             Love TKO

Jones Girls                         Nights Over Egypt

Teddy P                             You're My Latest My Greatest Inspiration

O'Jays                                  Ship Ahoy

As with all these things ask me tomorrow........

[Guest Polyvelts]

As people have said - too many greats to narrow down ! But in the last month or so I’ve been big on

O’Jays - 992 Arguments

O’Jays - Put our heads together

Archie Bell and the Drells - Old People

The Jacksons - Show you the way to go

The Jacksons - Living together

Jean Carn - If you wanna go back

 

 

[Ladymidnight]

2 hours ago, Twoshoes said:

it was released on PIR also ,B side of I Wanna Know Your Name.

Is that UK/Euro only or is there a US 45 on PIR?

[Guest Shufflin]

I'm currently playing Archie Bell "Strategy" LP a lot, so many nice tracks on that album, anyone got any recommendations for lesser known PIR stuff that is underplayed but danceable?

 

my fav though

 

Edited March 16, 2018 by Shufflin

[The Yank]

2 hours ago, Ladymidnight said:

Is that UK/Euro only or is there a US 45 on PIR?

"Hang On In There" is the flip side of "I Wanna Know..." on U.S. Gamble #2508.

I can't find anything about the 45 being on U.S.  Philly Int'l.

Edited March 16, 2018 by the yank

[The Yank]

Great promo only sampler album. The cover concept is thought to have been conceived by Weldon McDougal.

[Eddie Hubbard]

4 hours ago, Twoshoes said:

it was released on PIR also ,B side of I Wanna Know Your Name.

Yes ,I’ve got it on U.K. also .Great Record ..

[Neiljon31]

My favourite ever* double sided 7” comes courtesy of TSOP (* I reserve the right to change my mind on a whim but maybe won’t on this one)

Happy ‘bout the whole thing / Touch My Life. Dee Dee Sharp 

The output is so classy that whatever you play or hear can just fly straight into any top x list there and then. I played Bunny Sigler Keep Smilin’ the other week and was just so taken by it - more so than ever !

Also recently whilst on a jazzy voyage : 

Dexter Wansell First Light of Morning ; 

Monk Montgomery Reality

both just smacked me about the chops while revisiting the 14 LP street sounds box that came out in 1986. Great that 32 years on it still brings joy and surprises. Great Stuff

 

 

 

 

 

[Chris Turnbull]

Archie Bell - Where do you go when the party is over
Carolyn Crawford - Just got to be more careful
Ebonys - Do you like the way I love you
Intruders - I'll always love my mama
The Futures - Party time man
Dee Dee Sharp - Happy 'bout the whole thing
Robert Upchurch - The devil made me do it
O'Jays - Put our heads together
Anthony White - Hey Baby
McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't no stopping us now
Harold Melvin - The love I lost

Sorry, that's 11 

[Soulman58]

 Off the top of my head as it could take forever otherwise and I'm certain some will change tomorrow.

1. The Sweetest Pain - Dexter Wansell

2. The Love I Lost - Harold Melvin

3. When Somebody Loves You Back - Teddy Pendergrass

4.  Days Go By - Bobby Bennett

5.  Don't Let It Go To Your Head - Jean Carne

6.  Ship Ahoy - O'Jays

7.  You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine - Lou Rawls

8.  If You Wanna Go Back - Jean Carne

9.  The More I Get, The More I Want - Teddy Pendergrass

10.  Stairway To Heaven - 0'Jays

Edited March 16, 2018 by Soulman58
B hell I forgot Phyllis Hyman - You Just Don't Know

[Psychedelic Soul]

Where Do We Go From Here - The Trammps

Soul City Walk - Archie Bell & The Drells

Wake Up Everybody - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

Sexy - MFSB

I Love Music - The O'Jays

Be For Real - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

Message In The Music - The O'Jays 

Me & Mrs Jones - Billy Paul

If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

T.S.O.P (The Sound Of Philadelphia) - MFSB

[Eddie Hubbard]

A few current faves .....

 

  Teddy Pendergrass - Come And Go With Me ( probably my all time fave ) 

Jean Carn - I Bet She Don’t Love You Like I Do 

The O’Jays - Let Life Flow 

Anthony White - I’m So Much In Love With You 

The Jones Girls - Baby Don’t Go Yet 

Patti Labelle - If Only You Knew 

Jerry Butler - I’m Just Thinking Of Cooling Out 

Bobby Bennett - Days Go By 

Dee Dee Sharp Gamble - I Love You Anyway 

The Futures - You’re The One ( Someone Special ) 

[Eddie Hubbard]

1 hour ago, Chris Turnbull said:

Archie Bell - Where do you go when the party is over
Carolyn Crawford - Just got to be more careful
Ebonys - Do you like the way I love you
Intruders - I'll always love my mama
The Futures - Party time man
Dee Dee Sharp - Happy 'bout the whole thing
Robert Upchurch - The devil made me do it
O'Jays - Put our heads together
Anthony White - Hey Baby
McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't no stopping us now
Harold Melvin - The love I lost

Sorry, that's 11 

Remember hearing Robert Upchurch the first time I went to Blackpool Mecca in ‘74 .....

[Twoshoes]

1 hour ago, Chris Turnbull said:

Sorry, that's 11 

Yes but it's a great 11 

[Twoshoes]

52 minutes ago, Eddie Hubbard said:

Teddy Pendergrass - Come And Go With Me ( probably my all time fave ) 

I think I could have  filled the ten with just Teddy ,so many class songs to his credit.

[Twoshoes]

3 hours ago, Ladymidnight said:

Is that UK/Euro only or is there a US 45 on PIR?

I would not have known but I'll go by the Yanks answer on the thread which seems to indicate no.

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

1 hour ago, neiljon31 said:

My favourite ever* double sided 7” comes courtesy of TSOP (* I reserve the right to change my mind on a whim but maybe won’t on this one)

Happy ‘bout the whole thing / Touch My Life. Dee Dee Sharp 

The output is so classy that whatever you play or hear can just fly straight into any top x list there and then. I played Bunny Sigler Keep Smilin’ the other week and was just so taken by it - more so than ever !

Also recently whilst on a jazzy voyage : 

Dexter Wansell First Light of Morning ; 

Monk Montgomery Reality

both just smacked me about the chops while revisiting the 14 LP street sounds box that came out in 1986. Great that 32 years on it still brings joy and surprises. Great Stuff

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to ALL for your enthusiastic and interesting responses, friends!

Hi, Neiljon31,

I also purchased the Street Sound 14 LP's Box (I let to a friend years ago... as I have all on CD). Nice inner book and nice notes and picks, and here's appears a "catalogue" of the label (not exhaustive but the first time I ever saw a PIR catalogue!). Here appears practically ALL the tracks by Dee Dee Sahrp`s "Happy 'Bout The Whole Thing" album and here I discovered the fantastic album long version of "O-O-Child" with the jazzy - swing chorus done by The Tymes (this is "uncredited" and explains it to us Bobby Eli on Soulfuldetroit forum!). I also likes a lot the jazzy PIR catalogue (in fact practically the 100% of the stuff have a highly jazz component, but the more jazzy ones as the Norman Harri's album including the fantastic "Zack's Fanfare 80" or the whole "Half & Half" album by Cleveland Eaton or the one done by Billy Paul "Feeling Good At The Cadillac Club" with the vocal jazz gem "Billy Boy"....!)

For Shufflin who ask for danceable stuff... I heard music and practically never dance (or I hear "dance music and don't knows? ...). Kenny Gamble said one time he produced music "for heard, for dancing and with message"... (?) Anyway my favorite PIR ones are predominantly MID-TEMPOS, but I think the more danceable stuff is by Trammps, Instant Funk, People's Choice, Frantique and some ones by MFSB. If I should to fill a dance floor playing PIR material, these were my choice:

- MFSB: "Summertime And I'm Feel Mellow"

- MFSB: "We Got The Time"

- Trammps: "Stop & Think"

- Dexter Wansel: "Disco Lights"

- McFadden & Whitehead: "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"

- McFadden & Whitehead: "I Got The Love"

- People's Choice: "Boogie Down USA"

- People's Choice: "Changing My Life"

- Frantique: "Getting Serious"

- Frantique: "Strutt Your Funky Stuff"

- O'Jays: "Strokety Stroke"

- Teddy Pendergrass: "Do Me"

- Instant Funk: "Philly Jump"

- Billy Paul: "Love Won't Come Easy"

- Bobby Rush: "I Wanna Do The Do"

[The Yank]

I've never liked the original version of this song but I really like this remix which 

turns "love Is The Message" on its head.

 

Edited March 16, 2018 by the yank

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

Yeah, The Yank! What a groove... this is a mix blending MFSB's "Love Is The Message" and The Salsoul Orchestra's "Oh, I Love It" (and not sure if there are some little bit of Montana's "Heavy Vibes")... anyway, the same rhythm structure and the same musicians!

[Ladymidnight]

2 hours ago, Twoshoes said:

I think I could have  filled the ten with just Teddy ,so many class songs to his credit.

Yeah, so many Teddy monsters! In addition to those previously mentioned, Somebody told me, Heaven only knows, and The whole town’s laughing at me are obviously all-time classics. Lots more mileage in this.

[The Yank]

1 hour ago, josep manuel concernau robles said:

Yeah, The Yank! What a groove... this is a mix blending MFSB's "Love Is The Message" and The Salsoul Orchestra's "Oh, I Love It" (and not sure if there are some little bit of Montana's "Heavy Vibes")... anyway, the same rhythm structure and the same musicians!

When you think about it, the song went full circle when the Salsoul Orchestra used this for the basis of the later version of "Ooh I Love It (Love Break)".

    They even threw in a quick Gil Scott Heron sample in the "Love Is The Message" extended remix.

 

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

36 minutes ago, the yank said:

When you think about it, the song went full circle when the Salsoul Orchestra used this for the basis of the later version of "Ooh I Love It (Love Break)".

    They even threw in a quick Gil Scott Heron sample in the "Love Is The Message" extended remix.

 

The "Uno, dos, tres, cuatro" phrase is from Gil Scott-Heron's "The Bottle"...?

[Guest Soulatthedale]

Off the top of my head, a quick 10, could have pick several more for most of the singers, apologies for the 60s early 70s bias........

Linda Jones  Thats When I'll Stop Loving You

Volcanoes  Help Wanted

Dick Jenson  New York Citys A Lonely Town

Intruders  A Love Thats Real

Bobby Wilburn  Im A Lonely Man

Royal Five  Peace Of Mind

Ecstasy Passion And Pain  Ask Me

Terry Collins  I L.O.V.E You

Ebonys  Its Forever

Harold Melvin  Bad Luck

[Chris Turnbull]

14 hours ago, Eddie Hubbard said:

Remember hearing Robert Upchurch the first time I went to Blackpool Mecca in ‘74 .....

That's a great thought 

[Chris Turnbull]

Don't think anyone has picked O'Jays 'I love music', which is surprising

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

8 hours ago, soulatthedale said:

Off the top of my head, a quick 10, could have pick several more for most of the singers, apologies for the 60s early 70s bias........

Linda Jones  Thats When I'll Stop Loving You

Volcanoes  Help Wanted

Dick Jenson  New York Citys A Lonely Town

Intruders  A Love Thats Real

Bobby Wilburn  Im A Lonely Man

Royal Five  Peace Of Mind

Ecstasy Passion And Pain  Ask Me

Terry Collins  I L.O.V.E You

Ebonys  Its Forever

Harold Melvin  Bad Luck

You're wellcome, no necessary apologies. It's something "conventional" to classify this music as "published by PIR" (from 1971 on) or before under another label by the same folks (Neptune, Gamble, Huff-Puff) or "outside productions" by these same musicians for other labels. There's a "continuum line" from the first 45 by The Intruders on Excel to "Backstabbers" passing trough "Only The Strong Survive". It's only a matter to define some (artificial) limits.

You're totally right about we can made a top 10 or a top 20 for every one of those different artists. I have had serious difficulties for example to made a domestical DVD compilation with "the best" of The O'Jays or "the best" of Billy Paul (artists with albums whit, IMHO, not "filling" tracks!)

Making an effort to name my Top 10 O'Jays favorites: "Don't Call Me Brother"; "For The Love Of Money"; "This Air I Breath"; "The Big Gangster"; "How Time Flyes"; "Wild Flower (Live in London)"; "What A Woman"; "Undecover Lover"; "A Prayer"; "Take Me To The Stars"

Or making an effort to name my Top 10 Billy Paul favorites: "Billy Boy"; "Next To Nature"; "When It's Your Time To Go"; "Thanks For Saving My Life"; "The Whole Town's Talking"; "It's Critical"; "How Good Is Your Game"; "Where I Belong"; "Be Truthful To Me"; "Me & Mrs Jones"

Or making an effort to name my Top 10 Teddy favorites: "Now Is The Time To Do It"; "Easy, easy"; "Life Is A Circle"; "Cold, Cold World" (MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE!!); "You Can't Hide From Yourself"; "Turn Off The Lights"; "Set Me Free"; "Love TKO"; "Only You"; "And If I Haved"

And can continue with Lou Rawls or the whole stuff, all the tracks by Futures or Jerry Butler who have only 2 albums in the company... and People's Choice, Bunny Sigler or MFSB

[Guest Josep Manuel Concernau Robles]

7 minutes ago, Chris Turnbull said:

Don't think anyone has picked O'Jays 'I love music', which is surprising

Shufflin mentioned it posting a video of the track.

In my case there are some PIR tracks (and Motown, and Stax,..) that intrinsically are so good, so full of feeling and groove... but too much air played and too much played on my own turntable or CD player and I'm "tired" to hear it...and there's some others that more I hear more I likes! This is my case about "I Love Music", "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "TSOP",..

[Concrete]

Where do you start? in addition to all the tracks previously mentioned 

Billy Paul  The  Whole Towns Talking

Jean Carne  Time Waits For No One

Leon Huff  Latin Sky

Leon Huff Tight Money

Jerry Butler Lets Make Love

Teddy Pendergrass I Just Called To Say

MFSB Freddie's Dead

Jean Carne Don't Let It Go To Your Head

Ebonys  Do You Like The Way I Love You

Dexter Wansell  The Sweetest Pain 

There's ten of my current favourites 45s & LP tracks all listened to on a regular basis 

[Concrete]

9 hours ago, soulatthedale said:

Off the top of my head, a quick 10, could have pick several more for most of the singers, apologies for the 60s early 70s bias........

Linda Jones  Thats When I'll Stop Loving You

Volcanoes  Help Wanted

Dick Jenson  New York Citys A Lonely Town

Intruders  A Love Thats Real

Bobby Wilburn  Im A Lonely Man

Royal Five  Peace Of Mind

Ecstasy Passion And Pain  Ask Me

Terry Collins  I L.O.V.E You

Ebonys  Its Forever

Harold Melvin  Bad Luck

Dick Jensen splendid choice 

[Enricoacm1899]

Soooooo difficult, but I'll try to sort it out a top ten with the tunes that comes to mind. In no particular order

O' Jays Backstabbers

O' Jays Love you direct

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes The love I lost 

Lou Rawls See you when I git there

Silk I can't stop turning you on

Jean Carn There's a shortage of good man

McFadden & Whitehead Always room for one more (even if it's on TSOP and not on Pir)

Anthony White Hey Baby

Dexter Wansel The Sweetest pain

The Trammps Stop and think

[Ian Dewhirst]

A prial of Jean's is a good place to start.

[Ian Dewhirst]

Followed by a prial of Harold Melvin's...........:)

[Ian Dewhirst]

And a few O'Jay's to top it off........:)

[Still Diggin]

With the 45's i'm going with these, no particular order, but spreading across the artist roster.

O'jays                                                                      'Summer fling'

Stylistics                                                                  ' We should be lovers'

Jerry Butler                                                              ' Are you lonely tonght'

Teddy Pendergrass                                                  'It dont hurt now'

Jean Carn                                                                  'Dont let it go to your head'

Jones Girls                                                                 'Better things to do'

Anthony White                                                         ' Yes you need love'

Dexter Wansell                                                         ' Sweetest pain'

Harold Mevin & Blue Notes                                     ' Keep on loving you'   (Jamaican 45)

Silk                                                                            'I cant stop turning you on'.

Andy

[Kev Cane]

17 hours ago, Ladymidnight said:

Yeah, so many Teddy monsters! In addition to those previously mentioned, Somebody told me, Heaven only knows, and The whole town’s laughing at me are obviously all-time classics. Lots more mileage in this.

Hi Carl

The flip of "The whole town" is just as good, "And if I had" an awesome double hitter

 

Kev

[Still Diggin]

2 minutes ago, kev cane said:

Hi Carl

The flip of "The whole town" is just as good, "And if I had" an awesome double hitter

 

Kev

[Kev Cane]

Philadelphia International Records, a topic so close to my heart, in no particular order

Ebony's-It's Forever

Billy Paul-Me and Mrs Jones

Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes-If you don't know me by now

Trammps-Down Three Dark Streets (Hope Golden Fleece counts) Jimmy Ellis, so underrated

Ojays-Who am I

Silk-I cant stop turning you on

Anthony White-I'm so much in love with you

Teddy Pendergrass-The whole town/And If I had

Trammps-Where do we go from here (The late and great Jimmy Ellis is awesome on this)

Jean Carn-Free love

Will probably change in an hour, so much incredible soul on this label, impossible for a top ten, I could have done one with Harold Melvin alone, Ebony Woman, Be for real, I miss you etc etc as I have a whole album crammed with awesome ballads by them, but can't be bothered to see if they came out on 45's, same with The OJay's

Kev

[Ncfc]

1 hour ago, still diggin said:

With the 45's i'm going with these, no particular order, but spreading across the artist roster.

O'jays                                                                      'Summer fling'

Stylistics                                                                  ' We should be lovers'

Jerry Butler                                                              ' Are you lonely tonght'

Teddy Pendergrass                                                  'It dont hurt now'

Jean Carn                                                                  'Dont let it go to your head'

Jones Girls                                                                 'Better things to do'

Anthony White                                                         ' Yes you need love'

Dexter Wansell                                                         ' Sweetest pain'

Harold Mevin & Blue Notes                                     ' Keep on loving you'   (Jamaican 45)

Silk                                                                            'I cant stop turning you on'.

Andy

Did you forget about Mcfadden and whiteheads - your someone to love. 

[Still Diggin]

16 minutes ago, NCFC said:

Did you forget about Mcfadden and whiteheads - your someone to love. 

Probably Chris, but I prefere the flip 'Ive been pushed aside'. Another good reason to stick to 45's, as I felt it would run on in my head forever. Definatly a good call, as I have a couple of spares on that title. 

[Ladymidnight]

1 hour ago, kev cane said:

Hi Carl

The flip of "The whole town" is just as good, "And if I had" an awesome double hitter

 

Kev

Absolutely, and a heap of others off the same album as well.

[The Yank]

I almost forgot about this....

 

[Guest Shufflin]

9 hours ago, EnricoACM1899 said:

Jean Carn There's a shortage of good man

very nice, has it all that one

[The Yank]

19 hours ago, josep manuel concernau robles said:

The "Uno, dos, tres, cuatro" phrase is from Gil Scott-Heron's "The Bottle"...?

Yes- that' where it came from.