Tag Archives: The Sweethearts of Sigma
NORMAN HARRIS-THE HARRIS MACHINE.
NORMAN HARRIS-THE HARRIS MACHINE. For Norman Harris, all his hard work building Gold Mind Records had been in vain. Gold Mind Records had been experiencing financial problems and eventually became part of Salsoul Records. Latterly, Gold Mind Records didn’t even have a distributor. Eventually the Cayre brothers decided that the only solution was that Gold …
BLUE MAGIC-THIRTEEN BLUE MAGIC LANE.
BLUE MAGIC-THIRTEEN BLUE MAGIC LANE. Blue Magic’s first two album had seen their fortunes vary. Their 1973 eponymous debut album Blue Magic, had been certified gold, and featured the million-selling, Philly Soul classic, Sideshow. Written by Bobby “Electronic” Eli and Vinnie Barrett, Sideshow was also certified gold, after selling over one-million copies. It seemed that …
BILLY PAUL-GOING EAST.
BILLY PAUL-GOING EAST. After releasing Feelin’ Good At the Cadillac Club on Gamble Records in 1968 and Ebony Woman on Neptune in 1970, Billy Paul signed to a newly formed label in Philadelphia. It had been founded by two songwriters, musicians and producers. The label was Philadelphia International Records. Its two founders were Kenneth Gamble …
DICK JENSEN-DICK JENSEN.
DICK JENSEN-DICK JENSEN. When most people think of Philadelphia International Records, they think of The O’Jays, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Billy Paul, The Three Degrees and Teddy Pendergrass. However, there’s much, much more to Philadelphia International Records than just these artists. Granted they were among Philadelphia International Records’ most successful artists, but they …
MONTANA-I LOVE MUSIC.
MONTANA-I LOVE MUSIC. 1978 marked the start of the next chapter in the long and successful career of Vince Montana Jr. Just a few months earlier, one chapter closed and the next began. The chapter that had just finished lasted three years. It began in 1975, when Vince Montana Jr. founded The Salsoul Orchestra. Vince …
MAJOR HARRIS-JEALOUSY.
MAJOR HARRIS-JEALOUSY. During 2012, music lost many great names. One of them was Major Harris, who died on 9th November 2012. Major Harris was just sixty-five and one of legends of Philly Soul. He’d enjoyed a long and successful career, one that spanned over five decades. This success came as part of groups like The …
EDDIE HOLMAN-A NIGHT TO REMEMBER.
EDDIE HOLMAN-A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. Eddie Holman’s career began when in 1956, he was just ten years old, when he auditioned for the Amateur night at Harlem’s legendary Apollo Theatre. Soon, Eddie was hooked. Music came easy to him, he’d been playing piano and guitar from his early years. Following that night at the Apollo, …
EDDIE KENDRICKS-HE’S A FRIEND.
EDDIE KENDRICKS-HE’S A FRIEND. Eddie Kendricks was one of the founding members of The Temptations back in 1960. He then spent the next eleven years as one of The Temptations’ lead singers. Then in 1971, Eddie Kendricks decided to leave The Temptations and embark on a solo career. By 1976, Eddie had released six solo …
JOE SIMON-DROWNING IN THE SEA OF LOVE.
JOE SIMON-DROWNING IN THE SEA OF LOVE. Although Joe Simon had been around since the 1959, releasing his debut album Joe Simon in 1963, for the next ten years, he struggled to make a commercial breakthrough. Granted Joe enjoyed a string on minor hit singles on Vee Jay Records and the Sound Stage label. Unfortunately, …
THE STYLISTICS-ROUND 2.
THE STYLISTICS-ROUND 2. Just under year since The Stylistics released their debut album The Stylistics in November 1972, which was certified gold, and featured five top ten US R&B singles, The Stylistics released their sophomore album Round 2 in October 1973 on Avco Records. Like The Stylistics, it was produced by Thom Bell, who cowrote …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-MAGIC JOURNEY.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-MAGIC JOURNEY. By 1977, The Salsoul Orchestra had established their reputation as disco’s premier orchestra. They’d been formed in 1975, and had already released a trio of albums, where disco, Philly Soul, funk, jazz, Latin and classical music were seamlessly fused. Much of the emphasis was on individual members stepping into spotlight and …
THE TRAMMPS-DISCO INFERNO.
THE TRAMMPS-DISCO INFERNO. Eight months after The Trammps released Where The Happy People Go in April 1976, they released their third studio album Disco Inferno In December 1976. A year later, The Trammps career was transformed, when the title-track featured on a movie soundtrack. This was a low-budget movie, produced by Robert Stigwood for $2.5 …
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-LOCKER ROOM.
DOUBLE EXPOSURE-LOCKER ROOM. Following the trials and tribulations that surrounded Double Exposure’s sophomore album Fourplay, Locker Room their third and final album, proved to relatively plain sailing. Having released their debut album Ten Percent Salsoul in 1976, there was a two year delay with the followup. This was due to alleged discrepancies regarding Double Exposure’s …
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY.
MAJOR HARRIS-MY WAY. For a member of a successful group, it’s always a risk to leave and embark upon a solo career. Often, the success they’ve enjoyed becomes a distant memory. Conversely, the success they’ve enjoyed is often surpassed upon embarking on a solo career. Everyone will have examples when an artists decision to embark …
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH.
THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA-HOW HIGH. With BBR Records comprehensive rerelease of the Salsoul back-catalogue due to begin later in August 2012, I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to give everyone a taster of what’s in-store. What better way to do this than with one of The Salsoul Orchestra’s albums How High. How High was …
LOOSE ENDS-SO WHERE ARE YOU?
LOOSE ENDS-SO WHERE ARE YOU? Having released their debut album A Little Spice in 1984, which had reached number forty-six in the UK, Loose Ends were ready to record their second album, which would become So Where Are You?, which was rereleased by Soul.Music.com in December 2011. Little did they realize then, that 1985 would …
TEDDY PENDERGRASS-TEDDY.
TEDDY PENDERGRASS-TEDDY. Having left Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes to become a solo singer, things had been going well for Teddy by June 1979, when his third solo album was due for release. His two previous albums Teddy Pendergrass, released in June 1977, had reached number seventeen in the US Billboard 200 and number …
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