Exactly 40 Years Ago in 1967 Gamble and Huff Had Their First Chart Hit With ......

[remicks]

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Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff wrote and produced EXPRESSWAY TO YOUR HEART
for the Philadelphia/New York based group Soul Survivors.

Even at this early stage , Gamble and Huff are creating music with a groove ...
... hard hitting , well paced , confident ... a rhythm to get up and move to ....





EXPRESSWAY TO YOUR HEART climbed the charts exactly forty years ago ... #3 R&B .....
and peaked on Billboard's Hot 100 at #4 on September 24, 1967.




There's a most fascinating footnote to this first hit for Gamble and Huff ....
a perhaps unexpected one if you aren't already aware of it .....


..... anyone???? ..............


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[remicks]

Originally Posted by remicks

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There's a most fascinating footnote to this first hit for Gamble and Huff .... a perhaps unexpected one if you aren't already aware of it .....

..... anyone???? ..............


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A wily clue could be to say that there's a strong reference to be found in the sound effects used on this record .....



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[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

A wily clue could be to say that there's a strong reference to be found in the sound effects used on this record .....



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They wrote it while driving in a car?

Disco Funk

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

They wrote it while driving in a car?

Disco Funk

Could be .........????

but this footnote has a little more notable a twist than that ....

With this first release by Gamble and Huff.... this is the first and I'm fairly certain the last time this takes place ... ( and DF , I'm sure you can , should, and will correct me if I'm wrong )... this one time and then with all their many future hits .... never again

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[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

Could be .........????

but this footnote has a little more notable a twist than that ....

With this first release by Gamble and Huff.... this is the first and I'm fairly certain the last time this takes place ... ( and DF , I'm sure you can , should, and will correct me if I'm wrong )... this one time and then with all their many future hits .... never again

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Never used a reverbed piano that sounded like it came out of the Lovin Spoonful's 'Summer In The City'? :)

Maybe it's the way the music fades out but the sound effects remain there and then eventually fade out too.

Disco Funk

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

Never used a reverbed piano that sounded like it came out of the Lovin Spoonful's 'Summer In The City'? :)

Maybe it's the way the music fades out but the sound effects remain there and then eventually fade out too.

Disco Funk

No its really more about G & H starting off in an incongruous way from what would become their norm once they gain control of their own hit factory at Philadelphia International.

Its what sets the Soul Survivors apart from the rest on the roster of acts Gamble and Huff would bring to fame:

acts like:

LOU RAWLS
TEDDY PENDERGRASS
HAROLD MELVIN
THREE DEGREES
INTRUDERS
O'JAYS
BILLY PAUL
JONES GIRLS
JERRY BUTLER
ARCHIE BELL
JEAN CARNE
JONES GIRLS
PEOPLE'S CHOICE




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shenkin ..... where are you ????

[eddie]

The Soul Survivors were white and a bit more of a rock group.

[Simon White]

The Gamble / Huff partnership is so amazing.
Those early Intruders records like "Check Yourself" and "All The Time" and records like Dee Dee Sharps fabulous 'What Kind Of Lady" plus the Neptune releases on The O'Jays and The Three Degrees contain all the hallmarks of what was to come.
A bunch of UK Soul fans made a trip to Philly last year and it included a visit to The Clef Club for a meet and greet of some early Soul heroes...the big surprise and delight of the day was when Mr Gamble himself turned up. It was as they say, a moment.

[remicks]

Originally Posted by eddie

The Soul Survivors were white

That's it !!!


Gamble and Huff went that route this once ........but never again .....


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[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

That's it !!!


Gamble and Huff went that route this once ........but never again .....


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LOL, and all this time I was thinking of the musical aspect of the track.

Actually, Gamble & Huff didn't really work with many self-contained bands either. I think Soul Survivors, People's Choice, Yellow Sunshine, and another one whose name I can't remember who did a psychedelic funk LP in '74.

Yup, Gamble & Huff rarely worked with any white artists. Most of the Philly artists (i.e. singers) were black, although many of the musicians were mixed. Bobby Eli was white; and I think it's Bruce Hawes who's the white guy at the piano on the Trammps LP covers?

The only other white philly group I can think of is Sons of Robin Stone. I always thought the lead singer from John Davis' group Monday After ('Merry Go Round') also sounded white, but I have yet to see a picture of them.

Disco Funk

[ol'skinflint]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

LOL, and all this time I was thinking of the musical aspect of the track.

Actually, Gamble & Huff didn't really work with many self-contained bands either. I think Soul Survivors, People's Choice, Yellow Sunshine, and another one whose name I can't remember who did a psychedelic funk LP in '74.

Yup, Gamble & Huff rarely worked with any white artists. Most of the Philly artists (i.e. singers) were black, although many of the musicians were mixed. Bobby Eli was white; and I think it's Bruce Hawes who's the white guy at the piano on the Trammps LP covers?

The only other white philly group I can think of is Sons of Robin Stone. I always thought the lead singer from John Davis' group Monday After ('Merry Go Round') also sounded white, but I have yet to see a picture of them.

Disco Funk

DF: did you know that Gamble and Huff offered Daryl Hall and John Oates positions as staff writers/producers at Philadelphia International? Hall and Oates declined, preferring to "not be part of someone ELSE'S sound". Since so much of their music, especially "Camelia", "Rich Girl" and several others sound so much like Gamble and Huff's music anyway, I didn't understand their turning down the offer....

[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by ol'skinflint

DF: did you know that Gamble and Huff offered Daryl Hall and John Oates positions as staff writers/producers at Philadelphia International? Hall and Oates declined, preferring to "not be part of someone ELSE'S sound". Since so much of their music, especially "Camelia", "Rich Girl" and several others sound so much like Gamble and Huff's music anyway, I didn't understand their turning down the offer....

Daryl Hall was working at Philly as early as '69. He's got a writing or production credit on a track called Pass The Pipe by The Alliance. I think he co-produced that with Len Barry or Bobby Eli.

Disco Funk

[Simon White]

Some might find this interesting !

The Temptones Discography

[remicks]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

LOL, and all this time I was thinking of the musical aspect of the track.

Actually, Gamble & Huff didn't really work with many self-contained bands either. I think Soul Survivors, People's Choice, Yellow Sunshine, and another one whose name I can't remember who did a psychedelic funk LP in '74.

Don't forget Archie Bell & The Drells ... PIR labelers anyway ... don't know how hands on G&H were with them ...?

Yup, Gamble & Huff rarely worked with any white artists. Most of the Philly artists (i.e. singers) were black,
Disco Funk

Most DF .... or all ??


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[Disco Funk]

Originally Posted by remicks

Don't forget Archie Bell & The Drells ... PIR labelers anyway ... don't know how hands on G&H were with them ...?
Most DF .... or all ??


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Was Archie Bell a band? I figured they were just a vocal group like The O'Jays, etc... I guess I should have said The Trammps as well, if Golden Fleece and the Disco Champs album counts.

They did produce an album of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis. Mel was a white jazz drummer, Thad a black trumpeteer, if I'm not mistaken. They did a nice cover version of For The Love Of Money, big band funk style, which I recall was released in '74.

Disco Funk