It is hard not to listen to ‘The Ultimate O’Jays’, and other products of the golden age of Philadelphia International Records, without succumbing to nostalgia. I am not talking about wistful longings for some departed innocence and youth, you understand, but a tearful regret for the loss of the lush arrangements and the full orchestral backing that enriched even the flimsiest song. As the years go by the work of MFSB, and of the musical directors such as Vince Montana, Norman Harris and Gamble and Huff themselves, seems more impressive than ever, both for the overall sound and the high level of individual musicianship. As the O’Jays were a flagship band for the company, they got the absolute best. Popular music has rarely had such care and attention lavished upon it.
There was nothing new about plush arrangements and urban music. Chess, Atlantic and Motown had pioneered orchestral rhythm and blues in the previous decade but Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff encouraged the players to act like an enormous jazz group with an identity so strong that “backing” becomes the wrong word. Norman Whitfield at Motown was the model but there were major modifications. Starting with the Temptations’ post-1967 experiments, the Philly team encouraged highly disciplined, yet intricate session work to thrive and it is no exaggeration to say that this changed the feel of black music completely. Have there been better arrangements? Is there a less selfish guitarist than Bobby Eli? Was there a more influential contribution to seventies music than Earl Young’s hi-hat and cymbal work? Philly succeeded Motown, but the new rulers had a few tricks of their own.
The Philly sound took a wealth of local vocal talent, orchestrated the funk style then coming into play and mixed it with gospel, doo-wop and soul. The whole thing had a classical precision and a jazz sensibility. Almost as a by-product it produced disco. For five years it also proved infallible in turning out hit after hit more than justifying the Harvard Business School report that advised CBS to look to the African-American market. CBS chose Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who had a good track record as songwriters and local entrepreneurs. Thus adequately funded, the two carved themselves a unique slice of soul history.
The O’Jays are central to that story. Veterans of the R&B scene, they had been turning out mostly local hits for various Philly labels often under Gamble and Huff’s guidance. When the big opportunity came they were in the thick of things. From ’72 to ’75, Eddie Levert, Walter Williams and William Powell provided earnest, rich vocal performances on tunes such as “Backstabbers”, “Love Train”, “For the Love of Money”, “Put Your Hands Together”, “Living for the Weekend” and “I Love Music”. The result was a soundtrack for an era and a summary of an ethos of social justice and African-American success. Mixing social consciousness and feel good party anthems, each song was carefully crafted with roots and crossover appeal. Strong melodies, catchy hooks and full-blooded soul vocals appealed equally to black and white audiences. Philadelphia International can almost be regarded as the last great Civil Rights victory. From: https://www.popmatters.com/ojays-ultimate-2496022404.html
