Thursday, December 07, 2006

"T.S.O.P." The sound of a city!

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Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the subgenre of Philadelphia soul, and had a distribution deal with CBS Records until 1984. Since then, it has been distributed by EMI. In 1974, it formed a subsidiary, TSOP Records, featuring Dee Dee Sharp, The Intruders and Archie Bell & the Drells. In the 1990s, they launched another subsidiary Uncensored Records, featuring Damon and No Question. "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 hit single by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. A classic example of the Philadelphia soul genre, it was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as the theme for the American musical television program Soul Train, which specialized in African-American musical performers. The single was released on the Philadelphia International label. The song is essentially an instrumental piece, featuring a lush blend of strings and horns in the Philadelphia soul style. There are only two vocal parts to the song: a passage close to the beginning during which The Three Degrees sing "People all over the world!"; and the chorus over the fade out, "Let's get it on/It's time to get down". "TSOP" hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1974. Although it was rerecorded a number of times for future versions of the show, "TSOP" has remained the theme song for Soul Train through the disco, 1980s R&B, new jack swing, hip-hop, and neo soul eras of Black music. The song was also covered by Dexys Midnight Runners and released as a B-side on the 12" version of the "Jackie Wilson Said" single, later issued on the remastered version of the album Too-Rye-Ay. The band also used it to open some of their live shows. Another notable cover was made in 1978 by influential Reggae band Inner Circle, who had a history of covering American Soul songs in the typical laid back Reggae style of the late 70's. "Philadelphia International Records" was home for stars like; The Three Degrees, The Trammps, Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, etc...

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