Double Exposure (band)
Encyclopedia
Double Exposure is an American Disco
era band hailing from Philadelphia, USA
'Double Exposure’ are James Williams, Joseph Harris, Charles Whittington and Leonard ‘Butch’ Davis who were originally called ‘United Image’ back in the 1960’s. They have been singing together since junior high school and have remained friends ever since.
They recorded for the Salsoul
record label.
On December 11, 1975, at Sigma Sound Studios
in Philadelphia, Pa, Double Exposure began recording what would become one of the most successful albums ever to come out of the Philly music empire.
Their 1976 album "Ten Percent" featured a pair of major club hits with the title track
's remix by Walter Gibbons
being the first commercially available 12-inch single
. The song "Ten Percent" and "My Love is Free" established the Ten Percent Album with a #1 position on the Quebecian album charts and both singles hit #1 in Quebec as well.
Before signing to Salsoul, the band were known as United Image and recorded on the Stax Records
label.
In 2001, a dance group called M&S used samples from Double Exposure's "Everyman" in their song called "Salsoul Nugget". Songs include "My Love is Free".
The group are currently, as at September 2008, recording new material including an Eli/Dixon/Green composition called 'Soul Recession'/Soultronics Records at Eli's 'Studio E' facility in Philadelphia. Some original Salsoul/Philly/TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
/MFSB
(Gamble and Huff
) session musicians have appeared on 'Soul Recession' including Earl Young (drummer)
, Bobby Eli
, Dennis Harris, T G Conway, Jimmy Williams & Rikki Hicks. There is an anticipated CD/12" release soon with a number of tracks and alternative mixes, including ones by legendary mixers Tom Moulton
and John Morales.
This version of the Ten Percent LP, includes (as track 8), a Bonus Track (remix) of My Love Is Free
This release spans 2 CD's, and is housed in a triple page digi-sleeve, complete with extensive notes on the band and their 3 albums, their career, the remixes, the musicians on all 3 releases. Also included, is information on how their sound(s) influenced various remixers, which resulted in snippets of their (best known) recordings finding their way as backing tracks for others bands, remixers and artists.
CD One - Double Exposure and Fourplay
CD Two - Locker Room and the 12" Mixes
The 5 remixes form the last 5 tracks on CD Two. They are :-
1. Ten Percent - Original Walter Gibbons 12" Mix 9:42
2. My Love Is Free - Original Tom Moulton 12" Mix 8:05
3. Ten Percent - Original Masters at Work 12" Remix 10:37
4. My Love Is Free - Original Frankie Knuckles 12" Remix 5:44
5. Everyman - Original Joe Cloussell 12" Remix 9:56
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
era band hailing from Philadelphia, USA
'Double Exposure’ are James Williams, Joseph Harris, Charles Whittington and Leonard ‘Butch’ Davis who were originally called ‘United Image’ back in the 1960’s. They have been singing together since junior high school and have remained friends ever since.
They recorded for the Salsoul
Salsoul Records
This article is about the record label. For SalSoul the Puerto Rican Salsa radio station see Cadena Salsoul.Salsoul Records was a New York City based record label founded by brothers Joseph Cayre, Kenneth Cayre, and Stanley Cayre . Salsoul released about 300 disco 12-inch singles, and a string of...
record label.
On December 11, 1975, at Sigma Sound Studios
Sigma Sound Studios
Sigma Sound Studios is an American music recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia in 1968.Located at 212 N. 12th Street in Philadelphia, it was the second studio in the country to offer 24-track recording and the first in the country to use console...
in Philadelphia, Pa, Double Exposure began recording what would become one of the most successful albums ever to come out of the Philly music empire.
Their 1976 album "Ten Percent" featured a pair of major club hits with the title track
Ten Percent (song)
In 1976, Salsoul Records released their eighth release, Walter Gibbons' remix of Double Exposure's disco song "Ten Percent"."Ten Percent" was the first commercially-available 12-inch single....
's remix by Walter Gibbons
Walter Gibbons
Walter Gibbons was an American record producer, early disco DJ and remixer.-Influence:He was an important part of the early 1970s New York disco underground scene, influencing garage and House music DJs like Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan. He also laid the foundations for early 1980s...
being the first commercially available 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
. The song "Ten Percent" and "My Love is Free" established the Ten Percent Album with a #1 position on the Quebecian album charts and both singles hit #1 in Quebec as well.
Before signing to Salsoul, the band were known as United Image and recorded on the Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
label.
In 2001, a dance group called M&S used samples from Double Exposure's "Everyman" in their song called "Salsoul Nugget". Songs include "My Love is Free".
The group are currently, as at September 2008, recording new material including an Eli/Dixon/Green composition called 'Soul Recession'/Soultronics Records at Eli's 'Studio E' facility in Philadelphia. Some original Salsoul/Philly/TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
"TSOP " is a 1974 hit recording by MFSB featuring vocals by The Three Degrees. A classic example of the Philadelphia soul genre, it was written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as the theme for the American musical television program Soul Train, which specialized in African American musical...
/MFSB
MFSB
MFSB was a pool of more than thirty studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s famed Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the...
(Gamble and Huff
Gamble and Huff
Kenneth Gamble and Leon A. Huff are an American songwriting and record production team who have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
) session musicians have appeared on 'Soul Recession' including Earl Young (drummer)
Earl Young (drummer)
Earl Young is a Philadelphia-based drummer who rose to prominence in the early 1970s as part of the Philly Soul sound. Young is best known as the founder and leader of The Trammps who had a hit record with "Disco Inferno". Young, along with Ronnie Baker and Norman Harris, was the owner of the...
, Bobby Eli
Bobby Eli
Bobby Eli is a Grammy Award winning musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia, USA. He is a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio group MFSB.-Biography:...
, Dennis Harris, T G Conway, Jimmy Williams & Rikki Hicks. There is an anticipated CD/12" release soon with a number of tracks and alternative mixes, including ones by legendary mixers Tom Moulton
Tom Moulton
Tom Moulton is an American record producer, and originator of the remix, the breakdown section, and the 12-inch single vinyl format.-Life and career:Thomas Jerome Moulton was born in Schenectady, New York, United States....
and John Morales.
CD
- Ten Percent (Salsoul, released on CD in 1994 by Bethlehem Music Company Inc, Cat # 20-1004-2)
This version of the Ten Percent LP, includes (as track 8), a Bonus Track (remix) of My Love Is Free
- The Anthology (Salsa, 2005, Cat # SALSA CD 028)
This release spans 2 CD's, and is housed in a triple page digi-sleeve, complete with extensive notes on the band and their 3 albums, their career, the remixes, the musicians on all 3 releases. Also included, is information on how their sound(s) influenced various remixers, which resulted in snippets of their (best known) recordings finding their way as backing tracks for others bands, remixers and artists.
CD One - Double Exposure and Fourplay
CD Two - Locker Room and the 12" Mixes
The 5 remixes form the last 5 tracks on CD Two. They are :-
1. Ten Percent - Original Walter Gibbons 12" Mix 9:42
2. My Love Is Free - Original Tom Moulton 12" Mix 8:05
3. Ten Percent - Original Masters at Work 12" Remix 10:37
4. My Love Is Free - Original Frankie Knuckles 12" Remix 5:44
5. Everyman - Original Joe Cloussell 12" Remix 9:56