HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES-I MISS YOU.
HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES-I MISS YOU.
Although Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes had originally been formed back in the early fifties, as The Charlemagnes, and became The Blue Notes in 1954, it wasn’t until August 1972, that the group released their debut album, originally entitled I Miss You. However, after the success of If You Don’t Know Me By Now, the second single released from the album, Philadelphia International Records decided to repackage the album, giving it a new cover and title, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes. The now entitled Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, reached number fifty-three in the US Billboard 200 and four in the US R&B Charts. This was a more than satisfactory outcome for what many people perceive is the classic line up of the group. This was Teddy Pendergrass singing lead vocal, with Harold Melvin, Lloyd Parks, Lawrence Brown and Bernie Wilson singing harmonies and backing vocals.
After this, the group embarked on its most successful period, with Black and Blue their second album, released in September 1973, reaching number twenty-seven in the US Billboard 200 and five in the US R&B Charts. It featured one of their most successful singles, The Love I Lost (Part 1), which reached number seven in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts. Meanwhile, the group were hugely popular in the UK, with the single reaching number twenty-one.
1975 saw the group’s popularity soar, with them releasing two hugely successful albums. The first was To Be True, which reached number twenty-six in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts. It became the group’s first album to be certified gold. Later that year, To Be True’s success was surpassed by Wake Up Everybody, which reached number nine in the US Billboard 200 and number one in the US R&B Charts. Not only that, but it was certified platinum, have sold over one million copies. As if that wasn’t enough, Wake Up Everybody (Part 1), the first single released from the album reached number twelve in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts.
Back then, it seemed, the group could do no wrong, but that would change when Teddy Pendergrass left the group and the group changed labels to ABC Records. After that, the group never replicated the success of the period between 1972 and 1975, on Philadelphia International, when is seemed the group could do no wrong. However that was all in the future, and back in August 1972, the group were about to embark on a four year adventure when they became of the best know purveyors of the Philly Sound, the first installment of which was I Miss You, which I’ll now tell you about.
I Miss You opens with the title track, I Miss You, penned by the two geniuses behind Philadelphia International Gamble and Huff, and like the rest of the album, recorded at the SIgma Sound Studios. Suddenly, after eighteen long years, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes had at last, recorded their debut album, and what a start to the album I Miss You is. When the track opens, a hugely moving arrangement unfolds, with vibraphone, rhythm section and an atmospheric Hammond organ, almost groaning in sympathy to Teddy’s plight. His vocal is laden with emotion, sadness and regret as he sings how his baby has left him, and how he’s alone and heartbroken. Behind him, The Blue Notes tight, subtle harmonies sympathetically accompany Teddy. Meanwhile, the arrangement is a combination of understated and dramatic. As the track progresses, the drama builds and builds, with a combination of dramatic piano, rhythm section, chiming guitars, wailing Hammond organ and lush, sweeping strings achieving this wonderfully. Over an epic eight and a half minutes, a heartbroken Teddy emotionally sings his heart out. The additional of a one-way telephone conversation during the track, is a masterstroke, especially, against Teddy’s desperate vocal. On I Miss You, Teddy is definitely the star of the show, but much of the credit must go to Thom Bell for a brilliant arrangement, and of course Gamble and Huff for their production of the track. Overall, it’s a brilliant track to open this debut album, which deserved to do much better than its number fifty-eight peak in the US Billboard 100 and number seven in the US R&B Charts when released as the first single from the album.
Ebony Woman begins with a flourish of piano, grand strings, which swirl and sweep, while Teddy’s considered and thoughtful vocal enters, accompanied by The Blue Notes adding some beautiful, backing vocals, against a backdrop of sweeping, lush strings and a flourishes of dramatic piano. There’s a lovely old-fashioned sound to the arrangement, thanks to the addition of the rasping horns, sweeping strings and tight, soaring backing vocals. This starts to give way to a more modern sound, when the rhythm section, chiming, shimmery guitars enter and the sound fills out. However, regardless of whether the sound is old-fashioned or modern, Teddy launches himself into the song, delivering the lyrics with emotion and passion, while The Blue Notes accompany him. Although very different to the opening track, it’s still laden with emotion, passion and features an arrangement that combines something old, with something new, and of course The Blue Notes.
The final song on the first side of the original album was Yesterday I Had the Blues, another epic track, written by Gamble and Huff. This track lasts seven and a half magical minutes, starting slowly and spaciously, with the mood laid back, while a flourish of piano, moody bass and chiming guitars accompany subtle, backing vocals by The Blue Notes. When an atmospheric Hammond organ plays, that’s the signal for Teddy’s deeply emotive vocal to enter. He nails the lyrics, singing how he was desperate yesterday, but things have changed and he’s found love. Behind him, the arrangement is atmospheric, moody and dramatic. A saxophone briefly drenches the arrangement, combining perfectly with the lushest of sweeping strings and the Hammond organ. Meanwhile, Teddy’s slow but beautiful heartfelt vocal is made all the better by The Blue Notes thoughtful contributions. For seven and a half minutes, you’re transfixed by the most beautiful music, thanks to Teddy, The Blue Notes and one of the best arrangements on the album. Quite simply, ballads don’t get much better than this.
After saying that ballads don’t get much better than Yesterday I Had the Blues, side two of the album opens with If You Don’t Know Me By Now, which defeats that statement at a stroke. This was song that when it was released as a single, prompted Philadelphia International to give the album a new title and cover. Although just three and a half minutes long, these are some of the most beautiful, moving and tender minutes of music. They open with the lushest of strings, a slow, careful rhythm section and chiming guitars, before horns interject subtly and briefly. It’s only then that The Blue Notes sing the tenderest of backing vocals, before Teddy takes centre-stage. He sings the lyrics slowly, giving a dramatic and heartfelt delivery of the lyrics, with The Blue Notes harmonizing. His pleas that his lover must know him and trust him by now, are from the heart, full of sincerity and emotion. Behind him, the rhythm section provide the song’s slow, heart achingly sad heartbeat, while a piano, sweeping strings and guitars achieve musical perfection, matching Teddy and The Blue Notes brilliance. Of all the ballads the group recorded, this is the best. Absolutely beautiful, tender and moving, yet laden in drama.
Be For Real sees Teddy chastising his woman for her boastful ways and love of materialism, when his half-spoken vocal enters, accompanied by slow drums, percussion, keyboards, gently chiming guitars and subtly rasping horns. Everyone plays with subtly and thoughtfulness, and that’s the case when a Hammond organ enters, adding it’s unique and atmospheric sound to the swirling saxophone and twinkling piano that become prominent in the arrangement. Teddy meanwhile, isn’t a happy man, sad, frustrated and angry that his lover is making his friends look bad, because they don’t have what he has. After four minutes, the track opens out, with Teddy’s voice growing in power and passion, soaring soulfully, accompanied by The Blue Notes whose harmonies blend perfectly with Teddy’s lead vocal. Still the arrangement has a lovely understated sound and feel, that later, grows, full of emotion and drama. This sees dramatic flourishes of piano, sweeping strings, chiming guitars, a floaty flute and driving rhythm section provide the perfect backdrop for Teddy and The Blue Notes as the song reaches its climax. When it does, it surpasses everything that’s gone before during the previous seven minutes. It’s a dramatic, fulsome and emotional ending to a hugely powerful song with an important message, that demonstrates not just Teddy’s talent and versatility as a vocalist, but that of the magnificent Blue Notes.
After such an emotionally charged ending to the previous track, Let Me Into Your World sees the Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, drop the tempo on another gorgeous track, which features some tight, vocal harmonies. Although the tempo drops, there’s still plenty of emotion and drama within the track. As the track opens, drums, keyboards and strings combine before breathless backing vocals from The Blue Notes. While Teddy emotive lead vocal is accompanied by shimmery guitars, prominent bass, swirling strings and brief bursts of horns, The Blue Notes sing some of the tightest, most soulful harmonies on the album. Meanwhile, Teddy, as usual, launches himself into the song, his vocal rising laden with feeling and passion, powerfully. The arrangement rises and falls in waves, its beauty constantly revealing itself and enchanting you. By the end of the track, what makes this such a great track is the interplay between Teddy and The Blue Notes, whose contributions demonstrate that although Teddy may have been the lead singer, this was far from a one man band.
I Miss You closes with Let It Be You, another of the Gamble and Huff penned tracks. When you spend as much time listening to the music of Philadelphia International Records as I have over they years, you soon realise just how prolific and successful a songwriting partnership this was. This track demonstrates their talents as songwriters and producers perfect, and is a fitting track to close the album. A combination of dramatic soaring harmonies, slow sweeping strings, blazing horns, piano and rhythm section open the track. After that, Teddy’s powerful vocal enters, laden in feeling and passion, while the rest of the group accompany him, their voices uniting dramatically, matching Teddy every step of the way. Meanwhile, the arrangement has become hugely dramatic and stirring. Braying horns, sweeping strings and flourishes of piano compete with the rhythm section and guitars, ultimately uniting in a spectacular climax, with Teddy and The Blue Notes united voices. Not only is this spectacular and dramatic, but it’s a fitting and quite brilliant ending to this album.
In previous articles I’ve written about how it’s a misnomer to call any artist an overnight success. Usually, this is far from the truth, and Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes prove my point perfectly. Eighteen years after the group was formed, they released their debut album I Miss You. Even then, it was only after the release of the seminal If You Don’t Know Me By Now, as the second single that the group’s fortunes changed. The single reached number three in the US Billboard 100 and number one in the US R&B Charts. This prompted Philadelphia International to change the album’s title from I Miss You, to Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, and give the album a new cover. After that, the album sold well, peaking at number fifty-three in the US Billboard 200 and number four in the US R&B Charts. That was just the first step on a musical adventure that saw Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes release three further hugely successful albums, that saw them become one of the most popular soul groups of that time. I Miss You which is a fantastic album, was just the first step to stardom for Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin, Lloyd Parks, Lawrence Brown and Bernie Wilson. Over the next three years they release three more albums Black and Blue, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody. Of these albums, I’ve previously reviewed Black and Blue and Wake Up Everybody, both of which are excellent albums. If you’re unfamiliar with the music of Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, I can thoroughly recommend all of these albums, of which I Miss You, is a good introduction to some brilliant music. Standout Tracks: Yesterday I Had the Blues, If You Don’t Know Me By Now and Let Me Into Your World.
HAROLD MELVIN AND THE BLUE NOTES-I MISS YOU.
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