Philly Soul-The Blueprint for Disco

[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by Nano

DiscoFunk, do you have a list of Philly records with Instant Funk as house-band? They're one of my favorite disco artists, but I didn't have much luck with the material I found from them working for other singers, like Evelyn King or Patti Brooks. For instance, I like the work Evelyn King did with Kashif much better than the album I have with IF backing her.

Unfortunately I don't have a list of tracks or LPs they played on. In addition to the people you mention above, I think they played on the Pips LP from '78 (I don't recall the name of it). On Salsoul, they were on a number of Loleatta Holloway tracks, like I May Not Be There. And I do believe Raymond Earl is the bass player on USA European Connections 'Baby Love-Love's Coming'. He's playing that slap bass in the middle of the song. I don't know if they also played on the Mystique LP from 1977. Sigler produced some tracks on that. And wasn't there an LP Sigler did with Linda Clifford or Barbara Mason? Don't know if they played on that - I haven't heard it. Allmusic says they also played on T Life's 'That's Life', but I don't recall the LP sounding like they were on it. It would make sense, since they played on the T Life produced Evelyn King LP from 78 with Shame.

I don't know if you were aware of it, but in addition to their Philly Jump LP, they had a single-only release called 'Float Like A Butterfly'. There's two versions of the single, one of which as an instrumental B side.

Oh...I just remembered a great LP they were on that Sigler produced: Nightflight by Gabor Szabo. Awesome classic Instant Funk from '76. Highly recommended.

Disco Funk

[Nano]

Thank you! I will look for those

Just this afternoon I was cleaning my apartment to the sound of "Philly Jump". What an awesome groove...

[Disco Funk]

Philly Jump is a great track. That whole Instant Funk LP was awesome. Too bad Philly International didn't give those guys more chance to prove themselves on the label.

I was going through my CDs and uncovered another LP with Bunny Sigler produced cuts: Curtis Mayfield's 'Heartbeat' album from '79.

Disco Funk

[Disco Funk]

I didn't want to start a new thread for this new philly discovery. Jimmy Ruffin - Tell Me What You Want. Originally released back in '74 on Chess, and produced by Richie Rome. It was already released in its short form on one of the volumes of Super Rare Disco (about 3 min)

Now, I've discovered a CD compilation called 'Disco Gold' from Hip-O (Universal?), which features a previously unreleased Tom Moulton extended mix of 7 1/2 minutes! Just an fyi if you are a Philly soul completist such as myself:

Disco Gold

Audio sample:

Tell Me What You Want

Disco Funk

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

I didn't want to start a new thread for this new philly discovery. Jimmy Ruffin - Tell Me What You Want. Originally released back in '74 on Chess, and produced by Richie Rome. It was already released in its short form on one of the volumes of Super Rare Disco (about 3 min)

Now, I've discovered a CD compilation called 'Disco Gold' from Hip-O (Universal?), which features a previously unreleased Tom Moulton extended mix of 7 1/2 minutes! Just an fyi if you are a Philly soul completist such as myself:

Disco Gold

Audio sample:

Tell Me What You Want

Disco Funk

Ohhh .... would love to have that TM seven minute version

I haven't taken my Nyquil yet this evening ....so I presume what I'm about to say is apparent to all ..... .....
This song is a nice homage to Al Green ....



...and a huge early disco tune .... peaking at #2 :

41) TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT - Jimmy Ruffin
(Chess/ 1974) P/W: Jimmy Ruffin
Timing: 3:12; BPM: approx. 102 bpm
Pop: n/c; R&B: #42; Disc-o-la Fortune 500: #307 out of 500
45: A) Tell Me What You Want; B) Don't You Know Me
CD Availability: "Super Rare Disco, Vol. I"
A= 73; B= 53; C= 68; D= 51; Total points = 245
14 weeks on the chart (*incomplete total) (*10/26/74 - 2/1/75)/ 6 weeks in the Top 10/ Peak: #2 for 2 weeks

*****

[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

Ohhh .... would love to have that TM seven minute version

I haven't taken my Nyquil yet this evening ....so I presume what I'm about to say is apparent to all ..... .....
This song is a nice homage to Al Green ....

I didn't quite catch that when I heard it, but now that you mention it, his vocals do sound like Al's. Funny about this track: I've had the Super Disco CD for almost a decade now. I've been a Philly disco fan for even longer. Yet, I didn't even realize that Jimmy Ruffin track was a Philly disco cut until I listened to it again yesterday. I don't how that one got past me! The way Earl Young plays the drums reminds me of The Ebony's Hook Up To Get Down, and a whole host of other mid-tempo dance groovers.

Jimmy Ruffin actually did a number of Philly-produced singles in the mid 70s. Another good one of his was Falling In Love... (I can't remember the full titled), which was included on the Spirit Of Philadelphia Vol.2 compilation. It was also produced by Richie Rome.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

Jimmy Ruffin actually did a number of Philly-produced singles in the mid 70s. Another good one of his was Falling In Love... (I can't remember the full titled), which was included on the Spirit Of Philadelphia Vol.2 compilation. It was also produced by Richie Rome.

Disco Funk

So there was no album done at the time ?? And yes .... you can sure tell that's my man Earl on the drums !
Looking at Marky's additional info TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT did not break the Hot 100 nor even the Soul Top 40 .....I'm guessing there wasn't the feel for the need for yet another "Al Green" tune on the radio programmers' tight playlists .

That makes this one of those secret pleasure songs known only to the disco going crowd ......


*****

[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

So there was no album done at the time ??

I tried to find info on an album, but no luck. His singles were on Chess and Epic.

And yes .... you can sure tell that's my man Earl on the drums !
Looking at Marky's additional info TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT did not break the Hot 100 nor even the Soul Top 40 .....I'm guessing there wasn't the feel for the need for yet another "Al Green" tune on the radio station's tight playlists .

That makes this one of those secret pleasure songs known only to the disco going crowd ......


*****

Perhaps he didn't get enough promotion going from Chess? It's hard to say. There are lots of great Philly tracks that just never made it to the top. Not a big deal for me, because it's always a treat coming across an undiscovered gem on some non-Philadelphia International label.

Disco Funk

[STEPHEN L FREEMAN]

Originally Posted by originalbigm

Having presented the above information I'd be interested in comments from the forum members.Personally Philly Soul was and remains my favourite style of disco. It still is a joy to listen to today.It was the class and creme de creme of disco.

You can't argue with the facts stated above. But, personally, I'd say Norman Harris was a step ahead of Gamble and Huff, with regards to club play. While a step behind in overall airplay. I started working in clubs in 1973, as a barback in my brother-in-law's club in Newark, NJ. Progressing to DJ in 1976, in NY. And the Harris Machine produced tracks were, as I recall, bigger on the dancefloors, faster.

And keep in mind that once a sound, like Philadelphia International, broke huge on the radio, "club" DJ's were less likely to push a now "pop" sound. It's always been that way. And all of the "sounds" that we, individually love and remember, were only around for a year, or two, or three at the most. Eurodisco being my personal favorite, as it forced producers to tighten-up the arrangements and brought a much higher degree of precision to the genre. But that doesn't mean I'll EVER part with my copy of The First Choice's "Guilty"! OMG! What an incredible piece of work from Norman Harris and Vince Montana.

There's a place for everyone at the Disco-table. But "when it actually began...?" That will always be subject to interpretation. Was it with "TSOP"? Or "Smarty Pants"? Or "Trans Europe Express"? It was all percolating, at the same time, all over the world. "Disco" didn't, simply start in the US. Although the genre is now a considerable piece of Americana.

As a side note: Instant Funk did have their 1976 release "The Philly Jump" (An AWESOME track, that I have the pro 12" of. In the same vein as Eleventh Hour's "Hollywood Hot".) on TSOP Records, distributed by CBS. Theirs was the only release on that label. And I believe the label was quickly abandoned for the name "Philadelphia International".

[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by STEPHEN L FREEMAN

As a side note: Instant Funk did have their 1976 release "The Philly Jump" (An AWESOME track, that I have the pro 12" of. In the same vein as Eleventh Hour's "Hollywood Hot".) on TSOP Records, distributed by CBS. Theirs was the only release on that label. And I believe the label was quickly abandoned for the name "Philadelphia International".

The TSOP label was actually a sub label of PIR (Philadelphia International). The first LP released, from what I've read, was Energy Of Love by The Intruders in '74. Here's an album discography for that label:

TSOP Discography

I don't see Instant Funk's Get Down With The Philly Jump LP listed, so maybe they originally were put onto TSOP for their 12", but then were moved over to PIR for the LP release?

Disco Funk