BILLY PAUL-LET ‘EM IN.
BILLY PAUL-LET ‘EM IN.
Mention the name Billy Paul to most people, and the response is to say the least predictable, with most of them saying oh yes, he recorded Me and Mrs Jones. This is true, and provided Billy with best known hit single, from his critically acclaimed and commercially successful second album on Philadelphia International Records, 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, released in 1972. It was this album that helped make Billy Philadelphia International’s first male superstar, helping him cross into the mainstream. However, there is much more to Billy Paul than Me and Mrs Jones. During a career that started in 1968, with his debut album, Feelin’ Good At the Cadillac Club, through to the eight albums he recorded for Philadelphia International, with the help of legendary production duo Gamble and Huff, Billy Paul’s music combined elements of jazz, R&B, funk and pop.
Let ‘Em In, was Billy’s sixth album for Philadelphia International, released in 1976. The album takes its title from Billy reworking of a track made famous by Wings and written by Paul McCartney. However, Billy takes what was a somewhat average track by Wings, and rewrites the lyrics paying homage to some of the people who inspired him. Suddenly, a decidedly average, insipid song is transformed thanks to Billy’s rewritten lyrics and dynamic performance. This wasn’t the only well known song on the album which Billy would cover. Without You, written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans, and made famous by the late Harry Nilsson is also covered by Billy. Again, the original isn’t to everyone’s liking, but Billy does his best to inject some passion and emotion into a song that put the S in saccharine. When Let ‘Em In was released, it was on the back of three singles that hadn’t been a huge success, the album faired slightly better. It reached number twenty-seven in the US R&B Charts, spending seventeen weeks on the charts. Many people may think this album wasn’t a huge commercial success, but things must be taken in context. Back then, there were many great soul vocalists, even on Philadelphia International. These include Lou Rawls and Teddy Pendergrass, the latter having left Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes to pursue a solo career. Another factor was the emergence in popularity of disco, which affected sales of previously successful soul artists. Even Bobby Womack, another soul superstar, had been released by his record label. So maybe, the performance of Let “Em In wasn’t so bad after all. Thirty-five years after the album’s release, I’m going to revisit Let “Em in, and decide whether it was an album that deserved to do much better than it did.
The album opens with the title track, Let ‘Em In, with the lyrics rewritten by Billy. This version breathes new life into a track that originally, was insipid at best when performed by Wings. Straight away, the track bursts into life with pounding drums and joyous horns, before guitars and powerful bass announce the arrival of Billy Paul. When his vocal enters, it’s loud, joyful and full of emotion as he brings the song to life, with the help of a crack band of musicians. Samples are used during the track, the Reverend Martin Luther King’s inspirational words flitting in and out the track several times. During the track, horns punctuate the track, while strings sweep in the background as guitars chime and a piano plays. Together with the addition of the samples, this provides the perfect backdrop for Billy’s brilliant vocal, one that’s powerful and laden with passion and joy. It’s an outstanding track, totally different and much better than Wings’ original version.
We All Got A Mission is a track that was written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Carl Gamble. Like many of Gamble and Huff’s tracks, it’s a song with a positive message, about changing the world, turning it around and how everyone must play their part. Matching the message is an upbeat, past-paced arrangement that combines funk and soul. Blazing horns, funky bass and drums, combine with lush, sweeping strings before Billy, accompanied by backing vocalists, delivers this message of positivity. The arrangement is dramatic and sweeping, with powerful waves of music unfolding. Billy’s rendition of the lyrics is powerful and emotive, surrounded by dramatic bursts of horns and keyboards, while the rhythm section drive the track along in a funky direction. Both the arrangement and vocal are drenched in drama, with the arrangement a dynamic mixture of elements of funk and soul.
After two tracks where the tempo has been quick, the arrangements fulsome, Billy drops the tempo just a bit, on How Good Is Your Game. Here bass and acoustic guitar open the track before drums, horns and chiming electric guitars join in, accompanying Billy and his hugely soulful backing vocalists. Throughout the track, their sweet interjections are a perfect accompaniment for his deep, charismatic voice. Strings appear, disappear and reappear, while horns briefly, blaze, as the arrangement begins to sound both lush and melodic. This is partly due to the addition of the backing vocalists, and the careful and sparing use of the strings and horns, combined with the rhythm section and chiming guitars. Since I first heard this album, this track has been one of my favorites. What makes this such a good track is the interplay between Billy and the backing vocalists, and Dexter Wansel’s arrangement of the track.
Dexter Wansel played an important part on this album, producing and arranging five songs, with two songs he’d written featuring on the album. The first is Love Won ‘t Come Easy, which he arranged and produced. As someone who has been familiar with Dexter’s music for some time, straight away, I can hear his influence on this song, which combines soul, funk and disco. When the track opens keyboards, a funk laden bass and bouncy drums, are accompanied by horns, before Billy enters, his voice higher, as he quickly sings the lyrics. Here, the arrangement sweeps along quickly, with a disco sound and feel apparent. It’s a track that you can immediately date to circa 1976, because of the arrangement. Much of this is to do with the tempo, and the way the drums, keyboards and strings sweep quickly along. Funk also makes its presence felt, via the rhythm section’s contribution, but mostly disco is the influence. Billy however, delivers the lyrics well, injecting some much needed soul into the track. By the track’s end, you wonder how we got from Let ‘Em In to Love Won’t Come Easy in just four tracks. There is a huge difference in style and quality in them. To many people, who are traditionalists, and prefer Billy’s music circa 1972, this will be an anathema to them. Personally, this is a track that I like, as I’m a fan of seventies disco music, and like Dexter’s arrangement of the track, and Billy’s very different vocal style.
Without You is a track that brings to mind numerous made for television compilations that are usually released at Christmas or Valentine’s Day. They tend to feature emotional ballads, like Nilsson’s Without You, which is the next track on the album. I’ve always thought that those type of records are only ever played by people when a relationship has broken up. I can imagine people sobbing their heart’s out, while finishing off a cheap bottle of wine, while listening to saccharine sounding songs like Without you and its ilk. When I first bought this album, and realized that Billy had covered Without You, my first reaction was why? After all, there are many songs that are much better than this. So it was with a wry smile on my face that I first listened to this track. A piano accompanies Billy as he sings the lyrics, his voice has a husky sound, as he injects emotion and sadness into the track. Quickly, the drama builds up, thanks to drums and piano, before some suitably lush strings sweep in. By now, the arrangement is drenched in sadness and emotion, Billy giving a heartfelt delivery of the track, accompanied by subtle backing vocalists. Over and over, the arrangement builds up the drama, hoping to hit a home run in the emotional stakes. This it succeeds in doing, and giving a fair assessment of the track, the arrangement is good, Billy delivers the song well, but sadly, this is just the wrong song for him. Billy needs something less saccharine, more ballsy, something that will allow him to demonstrate his considerable talents much better.
After nearly overdosing on the saccharine of Without You, Word Sure Gets Around is a much better song, a sad, melancholic ballad, that’s much more suited to Billy’s considerable talents. Here, he really demonstrates just what made him a huge star, giving a performance full of emotion and regret. A piano accompanied by horns, rhythm and string sections combine, before Billy’s vocal enters. By then, the arrangement has built up, becoming hugely dramatic, with the sound wistful and melancholic. Billy puts everything he has into the track, as if desperate to make amends for the saccharine Without You. His voice is at its soulful best, bringing the lyrics to life, as if he has lived them several times over. Dexter Wansel’s arrangement is perfect for the song, full of drama, emotive and at times, beautifully lush. Together, this is quite a potent combination, that results in one of the album’s best songs.
Trust You opens with chiming guitars and the rhythm section giving a subtle performance before a tender and gentle vocal from Billy enters. Straight away, it’s apparent this is a beautiful song, one written by two musical geniuses Gamble and Huff. Their lyrics are about being love and the way you trust your partner. They’re easily, some of the best on the album. They entrust Bobby Martin to arrange and produce the song, and he doesn’t let them down. The arrangement features some of the lushest strings on the album, some subtly soulful backing vocals with the band giving a thoughtful, understated and melodic performance that allows Billy’s vocal to shine. He gives one of his best vocals on Let ‘Em In, delivering the song thoughtfully, with a tenderness. This absolutely beautiful track makes up for Without You, and for anyone who likes loves songs, this is an example of what a love song should sound like.
Let ‘Em In closes with I Think I’ll Stay Home Today, the second song written by Dexter Wansel. This is the best of his two tracks, and like the previous track, is a song about love. The similarities don’t end there. Here, the tempo is slow, the arrangement has a beautiful sound, lush, melodic and almost sweet. Again, Billy gets an opportunity to demonstrate just how good a voice he has. He sings the lyrics with feeling, and again, with a tenderness. His vocal is accompanied by more lush, sweeping strings, bright bursts of horns, chiming guitars and a rhythm section that’s at the heart of everything good during this track. It’s a track of two parts almost, with the first four minutes the tempo slow, the arrangement sweeping along beautifully, the arrangement both lush and melodic. However, after four minutes, the track heads off in a funky direction, driven along by the rhythm section, ably assisted by strings and horns, giving the track a grand, sweeping sound. This change in direction and style, provides quite a contrast, transforming the track, and to me, makes the track even better. By the end of the track, you realize that Billy has kept one of the best tracks until last. To me, it bookmarks the album well. It started with Let ‘Em in, an outstanding, memorable track, and closes with another track that allowed Billy to display his considerable talents as vocalist.
Although when it was released in 1976, Let ‘Em In only reached number twenty-seven in the US R&B Charts, that didn’t make it a bad album. Quite the opposite. Most of the tracks on the album are really good, with Without You being the only one that I just don’t like. Yes, Billy delivers it well, and the song has a good arrangement, but to me, it’s just the wrong song for Billy. Apart from that, it’s a good album. One track, however, that may divide opinion is Love Won ‘t Come Easy, the disco influenced track produced by Dexter Wansel. Personally, it’s a track that I like, but then, I do like seventies disco music. Purists, who prefer the much more traditional Philadelphia International sound may not like the track, but it all depends on your taste. Of the other six tracks on the album, Let ‘Em In is obviously the best track. How Billy transformed what was an insipid, almost turgid track, into something dynamic and powerful is quite amazing. He was able to breath new life into a tired track, by rewriting the lyrics and with Jack Faith’s excellent arrangement. My other favorite tracks from the album are two tracks penned by Gamble and Huff We All Got A Mission and Trust You, which are both great tracks, and demonstrate that Gamble and Huff, as well as being brilliant arrangers and producers, were hugely talented songwriters. Another man who had a huge influence on the album was Dexter Wansel. His contribution was considerable, and of the five tracks he produced, four worked, the exception being Without You. I Think I’ll Stay Home Today the second track he wrote on the album was a fitting track to close the album. It featured a great vocal from Billy and good arrangement from Dexter. Overall, Let ‘Em In is an album I really enjoyed, featuring some great music from one of the most talented soul singers, Mr Billy Paul. Standout Tracks: Let ‘Em In, We All Got A Mission and I Think I’ll Stay Home Today.
BILLY PAUL-LET ‘EM IN.
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