Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records was an American record label based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1971 by songwriting and production duo Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, along with their longtime collaborator Thom Bell. The ...
’ house band
MFSB
MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom ...
. The album includes the number one pop, R&B, and adult contemporary hit and winner of the 1974 Grammy for
Best R&B Instrumental Performance The Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the ...
, "
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
"TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" is a 1974 recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. It was written by Gamble and Huff as the theme for the American musical television program ''Soul Train'', which specialized in African American ...
". The song was the theme song for the television show ''
Soul Train
''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. After airing locally on WCIU-TV in Chicago, Illinois, for a year, it aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featu ...
''. In 2022, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' ranked "Love Is the Message" number 53 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".
Late 1970s resurgence
In the transition period between disco and the up-and-coming hip hop movement, the title track became a staple at house and block party events in the summers of 1978 and 1979. That track later became the basis for the last
Salsoul Orchestra
The Salsoul Orchestra was the backing Band (music), band of session musicians for many acts on the New York City label Salsoul Records and, under its own name, recorded several hit singles and albums between 1975 and 1982.
History
The orchestr ...
single "Ohh, I Love It (Love Break)", released in 1983.
Track listing
Personnel
;MFSB
*
Bobby Eli
Bobby Eli (born Eli Tatarsky; March 2, 1946 – August 17, 2023) was an American musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. He was a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio band MFSB.
Overview
Bobby ...
Leon Huff
Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production duo credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as P ...
, Lenny Pakula, Eddie Green, Harold "Ivory" Williams - keyboards
* Earl Young, Karl Chambers, Norman Farrington - drums
*Larry Washington - percussion
* Vincent Montana, Jr. - vibraphone
*Zach Zachery, Tony Williams - saxophone
*Don Renaldo and his Strings and Horns
*
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group formed circa 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although 12 women have been members over the years, the group has always been a trio. The current line-up consists of Helen Scott, Valerie Ho ...