Gamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble (* 14. October 1943 , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) and Leon A. Huff (* 8. April 1942 , Camden , New Jersey ) are a team songwriter and music producer who together 15 gold singles and 22 gold albums have produced . They were the pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the permanent creative team for Philadelphia International Records . On March 10, 2008, the team was inducted intothe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performers category. Gamble was married to R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp from 1967 to 1980.
history
Beginnings
The youth in Philadelphia shaped Gamble's later life: he recorded himself with various recording devices and worked as an assistant to the DJs on the morning shows on the station WDAS , also ran a tape store and sang with The Romeos . In 1964, before his time as “Gamble & Huff”, he was part of the team with “Gamble & Ross”. Gamble was discovered and managed by Jerry Ross when Gamble was just 17 years old. The two worked together for many years. Gamble first worked with Leon Huff (keyboards) when they were making a recording for Candy & The Kisses . Ross signed Gamble as a solo artist with Columbia Records in 1963 and released "You Don't Know What You Got Until You Lose It". Gamble & Ross & Huff then collaborated on the hit " I'm Gonna Make You Love Me, " which was originally recorded by Jay & The Techniques , another of Jerry Ross's troops. Later, he was of Dee Dee Warwick and Diana Ross & The Supremes and the Temptations gecovert .
In 1967 the team produced their first top 5 hit: " Expressway to Your Heart " for the band The Soul Survivors . In the spring of 1968 they produced the top 10 hit Cowboys to Girls for their own Gamble Records label for the Philadelphia band The Intruders . Subsequently, they worked with the artists Archie Bell & the Drells , Wilson Pickett , Aretha Franklin , Dusty Springfield and The Sweet Inspirations from Atlantic Records , as well as Jerry Butler and Dee Dee Warwick from Mercury and created many hits.
Philadelphia International
With the numerous successful recordings as recommendations, Gamble and Huff founded the Philadelphia International Records label in 1971 to compete with Berry Gordy and Motown . They originally approached Atlantic Records , but they did not enter into a contract because the claims seemed too expensive to them. CBS Records , then under the direction of Clive Davis , supported the company and distributed the records of Philadelphia International. With the support and assistance of in-house arrangers Thom Bell , Bobby Martin, and Norman Harris , Philadelphia International released many of the most popular soul music hits of the 1970s, including " If You Don't Know Me by Now " by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes , " Back Stabbers ", " For the Love of Money " and " Love Train " by the O'Jays , as well as the Grammy winner " Me and Mrs. Jones " by Billy Paul . According to an interview on BBC Radio Four on June 28, 2006, Gamble and Huff were inspired to write the song "Me and Mrs. Jones" after seeing an acquaintance in a coffee shop who was obviously involved in an affair .
Gamble and Huff's Philadelphia Soul -Sound evolved from simpler arrangements of the late 1960s in a style with lush string instruments , throbbing bass lines and pressing hi-hat rhythms that should be a defining characteristic of the new musical style soon as the disco are called should. In 1975 Philadelphia International had largely replaced Motown and the “Motown Sound” in popularity with the Philadelphia Soul, which they helped to create, and Gamble and Huff were the leading producers of soul.
Almost all of the Philadelphia International recordings were created through the work of the permanent studio musicians MFSB (Mother Father Sister Brother). MFSB have also released a number of successful instrumental albums and singles, which were written by the Gamble and Huff team and arranged by Bobby Martin, including the 1974 number 1 hit " TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) " which would later become the theme song for the American television program Soul Train .
Political activism
During the 1970s, Gamble and Huff produced music that also addressed political and social issues from the African-American community. Many of her songs described themes from Black Pride and took up the Black Power movement's struggle for power and self-determination. Representative examples are Billy Paul's “ Am I Black Enough for You? "(1972)," Give the People the Power They Want "by the O'Jays (1975) and the star-studded" Let's Clean Up the Ghetto "(1977), which was also used as the title track for an album on which Philadelphia Internationals further political and social attitudes were presented. James B. Stewart wrote about the album and the initiative:
"The record company's ability to create this kind of community empowerment venture, while basically functioning as a component of CBS's Black Music Department, is an interesting contrast to the more traditional style of corporate control of content ... The theme song. .. urges the audience to take part in a physical cleaning campaign because “the ghetto is our home.” The titles of several other songs on the album convey the broader intention of the album titled 'Now Is the Time to Do It' it's time to do it), 'Year of Decision', 'New Day, New World Comin' (New Day, New World Comin ') and' Save the Children '. "
The album cover highlighted Gamble's message:
"The only way we can clean up the physical ghetto is to clean up the" mental "ghetto first. With the help of Almighty God, we will be able to turn this society into a positive system. Our first step is cleanliness because it is the most closely related to divinity. "
The back of the album also stated that all profits from this LP would be donated to a charity within five years.
Gambles "Clean Up The Ghetto" project, the young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods recruited to neglected buildings to clean and repair began in Philadelphia and escalated to Los Angeles ( California ), Atlanta ( Georgia ) and Chicago ( Illinois ) and held similar events across the country. Gamble was also committed to the TJ Martell Foundation and the AMC Cancer Research Center and Hospital . He was a member of the "Board of Directors" of the Philadelphia Music Foundation , which supports artists, songwriters and producers from Philadelphia. He founded the Universal Companies organization , which runs a restaurant, bookstore, mosque , social housing and several schools. These buildings, built mainly by locally hired workers, were used to revitalize the neighborhoods. In 2003, Gamble and Universal Companies, along with others, sponsored a $ 100 million. expensive construction and renovation program for 400 homes in south Philadelphia.
Late years
In 1975 Philadelphia International was embroiled in a Payola scandal; Gamble was fined, while Huff got away with it. However, in the late 1970s, the popularity of Philadelphia soul began to fade. Disco had gone out of fashion, R&B reverted to ballad, and rock music had returned to the American charts. Even so, the label had its share of the success of the late 1970s. These included hits like " Enjoy Yourself " by The Jacksons in 1976, and " Ain't No Stoppin 'Us Now " ( McFadden and Whitehead , 1979). One song, "My Mood" was used in the credits of the WRC Friday night news in 1980 , and after 2008, WRC used the music.
In 1982, Philadelphia International's biggest star, Teddy Pendergrass , was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. This made the future of the label uncertain. Philadelphia International canceled the contract with CBS and entered a new deal with EMI . Although the hits now fell short, Gamble and Huff continued to write and produce for the label's artists.
In 1990, Gamble and Huff's work was finally recognized by a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for Simply Red's cover of the 1972 Blue Notes hit " If You Don't Know Me by Now ". In 1999, Gamble and Huff received the Grammy Trustees Award , placing them in the same category as Frank Sinatra , The Beatles and Walt Disney . In their career they have created more than 3,000 songs.
Kenneth Gamble is still living in South Philadelphia (2017) and is involved in his community. The Royal Theater and the surrounding buildings belong to Gamble.
On September 19, 2005, Gamble and Huff were inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding achievements as producers. The celebrations took place in New York City . In 2008, Gamble and Huff were the first to receive the newly created " Ahmet Ertegün Award" from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . The award replaces the former category of the “non-performer” inductee. On May 20, 2009, Gamble and Huff were honored as " BMI Icons" at the 57th BMI Pop Awards. Together, the duo has won an astonishing 86 BMI Pop and R&B Awards.
In May 2010, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff received honorary doctorates in music from Berklee College of Music . The celebration was in the Agganis Arena of Boston University held where the duo held an inaugural speech.
On March 16, 2012, the Philadelphia Inquirer published an obituary notice for Ruby Gamble , the 96-year-old mother of Gamble, in which he cited her influence as key to its success.
"" Our mother was very special. She was the kindest person in our lives. More importantly, she was the inspiration for everything I've done in life, including creating the wonderful music that others around the world have loved. As the matriarch of the family, she was also a spiritual person who lived her life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses . Her kindness and peacefulness are never forgotten. "
In April 2014, Gamble and Huff were honored by a TV One documentary with the 22nd annual show, The Trumpet Awards. Joe , Carl Thomas , Lyfe Jennings , SWV , & Billy Paul played different songs for the occasion. SWV played If Only You Knew , one of the duo's biggest hits.
In the media
- Gamble and Huff were featured in the television documentary Profiles of African-American Success .
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Individual evidence
- ↑ rockhall.com
- ^ Dee Dee Sharp Gamble-Sharp Marriage Gamble-Huff.
- ↑ Kenny Gamble: Gamble-Ross. Spectro Pop March 4th 2015.
- ↑ Kenny Gamble: Kenny scores hit with Expressway To Your Heart by Soul Survivor. ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: The Year in Music. 4th March 2015.
- ↑ Gamble & Huff: Gamble & Huff Scored hits for Mercury Records. ( Memento of the original from April 3, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Songwriters Hall of Fame March 4, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.soultracks.com/story-bobby-martin-dies Bobby Martin obituary
- ↑ Bobby Martin discography at Discogs.
- ↑ "The record company's ability to mount this type of community empowerment venture, while functioning essentially as a component of CBS 's black music department, is an interesting contrast to the more traditional style of corporate control of lyrical content .... The title song ... implores listeners to participate in a physical clean up effort 'because the ghetto is our home.' The titles of several of the other songs on the album convey the album's broader thrust including, 'Now Is the Time to Do It,' 'Year of Decision,' 'New Day, New World Comin', 'and' Save the Children. '“James A. Stewart: Message in the Music: Political Commentary in Black Popular Music from Rhythm and Blues to Early Hip Hop. In: Journal of African American History , vol. 90, 3: 196-225, 213-214. jstor = 20063998
- ^ "The only way we can clean up the physical ghetto is to first clean up the mental ghetto. With the help of almighty God, we will be able to turn this community into a positive system. Our first step is cleanliness, 'cause it's the closest thing to godliness. "
- ↑ rockhall.com.
- ↑ Gamble & Huff Named BMI Icons at 57th Annual Pop Awards. bmi.com 2010-09-22.
- ^ Jazz Artists honored at Berklee.
-
↑ "Our mother was extremely special," Kenny Gamble said. “She was the kindest person in our lives. More importantly, she was the inspiration for everything I have done in life, including creating the wonderful music that others have enjoyed around the world.
As the matriarch of the family, she was a spiritual person who devoted her life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Her kindness and peacefulness will never be forgotten. "John F. Morrison, " Ruby Gamble, 96, mother of musician Kenneth Gamble, " Philly.com, March 16, 2012.
Web links
- Official website
- Gamble & Huff interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' December 2011.
- "Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff: The Sound of Philly Lives On," Crawdaddy! , March 26, 2008.
- Kenneth Gamble at bmi.com
- Leon Huff at bmi.com
- The Leon Huff 2012 Audio Interview at Soulinterviews.com
- Leon Huff Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2013)
- Kenneth Gamble Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2013)