MFSB
Encyclopedia
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 Spinners
, Wilson Pickett
, and Billy Paul
.
In 1972, MFSB began recording as a named act for the Philadelphia International label. "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
" also known as the Soul Train
theme was their first and most successful single. Released in March 1974, it peaked at #1 on the Billboard
pop
and R&B
charts
. "TSOP" was influential in establishing the disco
sound. The track sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
by the R.I.A.A. in April 1974.
s Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, MFSB was the house band
for their Philadelphia International Records
label
and originated the signature smooth "Philly sound" sound that dominated the early 1970s for the artists who recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios, including the O'Jays, the Spinners, the Bluenotes, The Delfonics
, Blue Magic
, Intruders
, Three Degrees
, Jerry Butler
, and Teddy Pendergrass
. Later in the decade, the collective would become known for the hi-hat
-dominated disco
sounds that became popular in the late 1970s with groups such as The Trammps
, First Choice
, Ripple
and Double Exposure
.
It was the 1972 release of their first album, Poinciana, that put them on the map. This marked the beginning of a string of instrumental hits that brought major attention to a large orchestra who laid the foundation for the Sound of Philadelphia. The line-up of musicians included Karl Chambers and Earl Young
on drums; Norman Harris
, Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli
, and TJ Tindall on guitar; Winnie Wilford and Ronnie Baker
on bass; Vincent Montana, Jr. and Larry Washington on vibes and percussion, Harold Ivory Williams
on keyboards, plus Leon Huff and Thom Bell on keyboards and Don Renaldo on strings and horns featuring Rocco Bene on trumpet.
track which had been recorded by the band as the theme music
for the television
show Soul Train
as a single. The record, titled "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)
" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
and also topped the American R&B chart
and adult contemporary chart
. The success of "TSOP" launched a recording career for the band under their own name. MFSB albums and singles were released for the rest of the decade.
MFSB recorded a cover of The Nite-Liters
's 1971 instrumental "K-Jee", which gained some popularity when it was featured in a key scene in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever
. It is also included in the soundtrack to that movie. "Sexy" (released in 1975) was later used as a prize cue for the "Big Deal of the Day" on the 1980 version of Let's Make a Deal
.
Another popular MFSB number, "Love Is The Message", has been a favorite of dance/disco DJs
since its release; countless remix
es, both official and unofficial, exist of the song. On September 20, 2004, the record became among the first to be inducted into the newly formed Dance Music Hall of Fame
. In October 2004, the song appeared in the video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
, playing on funk radio station, Bounce FM.
Due to a disagreement with Gamble & Huff over finances, several members of the group moved on to Salsoul Records
, where they became known as The Salsoul Orchestra. Other members began performing as The Ritchie Family
orchestra, and John Davis and the Monster Orchestra
. Not to be outdone, Gamble & Huff replaced them with a new rhythm section
consisting of Charles Collins on drums, Michel Foreman on bass guitar, and Dennis Harris on lead guitar. They also employed Dexter Wansel
and others on MFSB's latter recordings for the label.
Since 1980, "My Mood" has been the closing theme music for the Friday 6:00 p.m. newscast on WRC-TV
, the NBC
-owned television station in Washington, D.C.
.
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...
. They worked closely with the production team of 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...
and producer/arranger Thom Bell
Thom Bell
Thomas Randolph "Thom" Bell is an American songwriter and producer, best known as one of the creators of the Philadelphia style of soul music in the 1970s. He moved to Philadelphia as a child.-Biography:...
, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group, one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. The group's repertoire included soul, R&B, doo-wop, and disco...
, the O’Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
, the Stylistics
The Stylistics
The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
, the Spinners
The Spinners (U.S. band)
The Spinners is a soul music vocal group, active for over 50 years, and with a long run of pop and R&B hits especially during the 1970s. The group, originating from Detroit, still tours regularly ....
, Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
, and Billy Paul
Billy Paul
Billy Paul is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, most known for his 1972 number-one single, "Me and Mrs. Jones" as well as the 1973 album and single "War of the Gods" which blends his more conventional pop, soul and funk styles with electronic and psychedelic influences...
.
In 1972, MFSB began recording as a named act for the Philadelphia International label. "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...
" also known as the Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
theme was their first and most successful single. Released in March 1974, it peaked at #1 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
pop
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. "TSOP" was influential in establishing the disco
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...
sound. The track sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. in April 1974.
Overview
Assembled by record producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, MFSB was the house band
House band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
for their Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
and originated the signature smooth "Philly sound" sound that dominated the early 1970s for the artists who recorded at the Sigma Sound Studios, including the O'Jays, the Spinners, the Bluenotes, The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
, Blue Magic
Blue Magic
Blue Magic can refer to:* Blue Magic , a R&B and soul music vocal quintet.*"Blue Magic" , a song from rapper Jay-Z's album American Gangster...
, Intruders
The Intruders
The Intruders were an American soul music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they had a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul....
, Three Degrees
The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney,...
, Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler (singer)
Jerry Butler is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group, The Impressions, as well as a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.Butler is also an American politician...
, and Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
. Later in the decade, the collective would become known for the hi-hat
Hi-hat
A hi-hat, or hihat, is a type of cymbal and stand used as a typical part of a drum kit by percussionists in R&B, hip-hop, disco, jazz, rock and roll, house, reggae and other forms of contemporary popular music.- Operation :...
-dominated disco
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...
sounds that became popular in the late 1970s with groups such as The Trammps
The Trammps
The Trammps were an American disco band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands. The band's first major success was with their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart". The first disco track they released was "Love Epidemic" in 1973...
, First Choice
First Choice
First Choice may refer to:* First Choice * First Choice , owned by TUI Travel PLC** First Choice Airways, its in-house airline* First Choice Haircutters, a Canadian hairdressing company...
, Ripple
Ripple
Ripple is the more common name for a capillary wave in fluid dynamics.Ripple can also refer to:* Ripple , a non-profit click-to-donate internet site and search engine* Ripple effect, the socio-educational phenomenon...
and Double Exposure
Double Exposure (band)
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...
.
It was the 1972 release of their first album, Poinciana, that put them on the map. This marked the beginning of a string of instrumental hits that brought major attention to a large orchestra who laid the foundation for the Sound of Philadelphia. The line-up of musicians included Karl Chambers and Earl Young
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...
on drums; Norman Harris
Norman Harris
Norman Harris was an American guitarist, producer, arranger and songwriter associated with Philly soul. He was a founding member of MFSB and one-third of the production trio of Baker-Harris-Young...
, Roland Chambers, 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:...
, and TJ Tindall on guitar; Winnie Wilford and Ronnie Baker
Ronnie Baker
Ronnie Baker was a famous record producer, bassist, arranger and songwriter. He participated on many Gamble and Huff recordings and was one-third of the production team of Baker-Harris-Young. He was one of The Trammps, who had a #5 UK/#35 US hit with Hold Back The Night....
on bass; Vincent Montana, Jr. and Larry Washington on vibes and percussion, Harold Ivory Williams
Harold Ivory Williams
Harold Ivory Williams, Jr. was an American jazz keyboardist most known for working with Miles Davis, Michal Urbaniak, and the late Rev...
on keyboards, plus Leon Huff and Thom Bell on keyboards and Don Renaldo on strings and horns featuring Rocco Bene on trumpet.
Career
In the spring of 1974, Philadelphia International released an instrumentalInstrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
track which had been recorded by the band as the theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
for the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
as a single. The record, titled "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...
" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and also topped the American R&B chart
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
and adult contemporary chart
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
. The success of "TSOP" launched a recording career for the band under their own name. MFSB albums and singles were released for the rest of the decade.
MFSB recorded a cover of The Nite-Liters
New Birth (band)
New Birth is an American funk and R&B group, originally conceived in Detroit, Michigan by former Motown songwriter/producer and veteran musician Vernon Bullock, and co-founded in Louisville, Kentucky by Vernon, with former Motown songwriter/producer Harvey Fuqua, and music industry veterans, Tony...
's 1971 instrumental "K-Jee", which gained some popularity when it was featured in a key scene in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
. It is also included in the soundtrack to that movie. "Sexy" (released in 1975) was later used as a prize cue for the "Big Deal of the Day" on the 1980 version of Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
.
Another popular MFSB number, "Love Is The Message", has been a favorite of dance/disco DJs
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
since its release; countless remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es, both official and unofficial, exist of the song. On September 20, 2004, the record became among the first to be inducted into the newly formed Dance Music Hall of Fame
Dance Music Hall of Fame
The Dance Music Hall of Fame was created in 2003 when music industry veteran John Parker thought that something needed to be done to honor the creators and innovators of dance music...
. In October 2004, the song appeared in the video game, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
, playing on funk radio station, Bounce FM.
Due to a disagreement with Gamble & Huff over finances, several members of the group moved on to Salsoul Records
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...
, where they became known as The Salsoul Orchestra. Other members began performing as The Ritchie Family
The Ritchie Family
The Ritchie Family was the name of an American vocal group, based in Philadelphia, who achieved several hits during the disco era.-Career:...
orchestra, and John Davis and the Monster Orchestra
John Davis and the Monster Orchestra
John Davis and the Monster Orchestra were an American disco band, noted for their lead member , who lent his name to the band as well as producing all of their output.-History:...
. Not to be outdone, Gamble & Huff replaced them with a new rhythm section
Rhythm section
A rhythm section is a collection of musicians who make up a section of instruments which provides the accompaniment section of the music, giving the music its rhythmic texture and pulse, also serving as a rhythmic reference for the rest of the band...
consisting of Charles Collins on drums, Michel Foreman on bass guitar, and Dennis Harris on lead guitar. They also employed Dexter Wansel
Dexter Wansel
Dexter Gilman Wansel is an American keyboardist, raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He contributed to the development of the Philly Sound and worked with producers Gamble and Huff at Philadelphia International Records. Wansel led the musical group, Yellow Sunshine...
and others on MFSB's latter recordings for the label.
Since 1980, "My Mood" has been the closing theme music for the Friday 6:00 p.m. newscast on WRC-TV
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
, the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
-owned television station in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
Name origin
According to the book A House on Fire: the rise and fall of Philadelphia Soul, by John A. Jackson, the MFSB name means "Mother, Father, Sister, Brother", because according to Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, despite the diversity at Philadelphia International Records, all were connected musically. This was in line with their spiritual views at the time.Discography
- MFSBMFSB (album)MFSB is the debut album to be released by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB.-Reception:It also included covers of "Family Affair" by Sly & The Family Stone and "Freddie's Dead" by Curtis Mayfield....
(1973) - Love is the MessageLove Is the Message (album)Love Is The Message is the second album to be released by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB.-Reception:Includes the number one Pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary hit & winner of the 1974 Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance , "TSOP "...
(1973) - Universal Love (1975)
- Philadelphia FreedomPhiladelphia Freedom (album)Philadelphia Freedom is the fourth album to be released by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB.-Track listing:#Zach's Fanfare #2 1:03 #Get Down With The Philly Sound - 4:29...
(1975) - SummertimeSummertime (MFSB album)Summertime is the fifth album to be released by Philadelphia International Records houseband MFSB.-Track listing:#Picnic In The Park 4:10 #Summertime 4:53 #Plenty Good Lovin' 4:33 #Sunnin' And Funnin' 4:14...
(1976) - MFSB: The Gamble & Huff Orchestra (1978)
- The End of Phase One (1978)
- Mysteries of the World (1980)
See also
- The Funk BrothersThe Funk BrothersThe Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972...
- Booker T and the M.G.'s
- The Wrecking Crew (music)The Wrecking Crew (music)The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
- Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony OrchestraAbnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony OrchestraThe Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra was a group of Hollywood session musicians organized by Frank Zappa in 1967 to record music for his first solo album Lumpy Gravy. Some of these musicians are thought to have worked together in various combinations under the leadership of Ken...
- The J.B.'sThe J.B.'sThe J.B.'s were James Brown's band during the first half of the 1970s. On record the J.B.'s were sometimes billed under various alternate names such as The James Brown Soul Train, Maceo and the Macks, A.A.B.B., The First Family and The Last Word...