The Intruders (1967)

Geez...I was pondering for quite some time how to tackle The Intruders. If I picked just one album to write about I would be terribly unjust to their remaining body of work. On the other hand, writing just about one 7" single would be like eating a cherry off the top of a delicious ice-cream dessert and then leaving the rest to melt in the sun...Oh no, boy!...with the Intruders you gobble that dessert till your face is covered in chocolate and the zipper in the fly of your jeans is desperately hanging in trying to keep your pants from cracking open...

The only problem is: how does one start eating a dessert the size of a mountain with only a tiny spoon in hand?

Well, I could start this article by mentioning that The Intruders were a group of four guys from Philadelphia...I could tell you their names: Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phillip "Phil" Terry and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards...I could also say that they started off as a doo-wop group singing on street corners in the early 60s...or...I could just cut straight to the chase and tell you that the true 'spiritus movens' behind The Intruders are two guys, who don't appear on any of The Intruders' album cover photos. These two guys are: Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.

Gamble & Huff, as they are usually credited on records, are a legendary songwriting/production duo responsible for over 170 gold and platinum records. They wrote and produced songs for such fantastic acts as The O'Jays, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, The Jacksons, Teddy Pendergrass, Aretha Franklin, Archie Bell & the Drells, The Three Degrees, People's Choice, Dusty Springfield, The Trammps (damn, this list could go on, and on, and on). Gamble & Huff and their Philadelphia International Records label forged a unique sound that would be later dubbed: 'philly soul' and laid the foundations for nearly five decades of American dance music.

But hold on. Let's get back to the '60s and The Intruders. In the early years of the decade, The Intruders were a local, Philadelphia-based doo-wop group and Gamble & Huff were up-and-coming producers working for Atlantic Records, with which they had a few hits along the way (think: Soul Surivors). Their paths crossed in 1966 when The Intruders were signed to the newly created Gamble label and, under the guidance of the visionary duo of Gamble & Huff, release their first hit: '(We'll be) United'. The track goes all the way up to number 14 on the R&B Charts and a year later the group follows up with another banger of a tune called: 'Together', which also scores the charts. 1967 also brings us The Intruders' firsts album: 'The Intruders are Together'. However, it wasn't until 1968, when they release: 'Cowboys to Girls' that the group gets their first crossover hit and breaks through to the mainstream. The tune tops the R&B Charts and lands on number 6 on the pop side thereby introducing The Intruders to the wider public. The group also releases their second album: 'Cowboys to Girls' (surprise, surprise) which will prove to be their most popular LP.

The initial success of the group helps Gamble & Huff convince the Columbia officials to grant them money to create their own label: Philadelphia International Records, which will become one of the most successful soul labels of the early 70s. Meanwhile, The Intruders were facing some trouble. The lead singer - Sam 'Little Sonny' Brown - decides to leave the group and spend more time with his family. He is replaced by a nightclub singer - Bobby Starr - with whom The Intruders release their third album, entitled: 'When We Get Married'. The title track, a Dreamlovers covers, is their biggest hit, reaching number 8 on the R&B Billboard charts. Starr did not enjoy much success with the group, as 'Little Sonny' decided to rejoin The Intruders on their 1973 album: 'Save The Children', spawning such hits as: 'I'll Always Love My Mama' and 'I Wanna Know Your Name'.

Alright, there's the facts for you...Now, what is it about the Intruders that makes them so special to me? Well, it's a number of things, really.

First of all, Gamble & Huff are simply fantastic songwriters. When you take a look at tunes like: 'Together', what strikes me, is that they can create really catchy, heartwarming melodies and great hooks and yet, they make it seem so easy and straightforward. The simplicity of their songs, however, acts as a counterweight to the elaborate arrangements Gamble & Huff wrote.

That's really where the magic happens. Gamble & Huff took simple, catchy melodies and they built these rich arrangements around them, thereby creating a mouthwatering mix of fantastic harmonies and colourful sounds. Take: 'Cowboys to Girls'. You get these lush strings, piercing horns and the omnipresent, soul-soothing sound of the vibraphone. Add to that some warm basslines and a piano hook here and there and you got yourself a 'philly soul' blueprint.

Of course, the focal point of all their songs are the vocals. And boy, are they simply fabulous! I really love the harmonies that the lads create together (just listen to the intro to 'A Love That's Real' and you know what I mean) but it's also 'Little Sonny's' croaky, grab-you-by-the-nuts voice. What I really like, is that Sonny has a fantastic voice, but it's very 'down-to-earth' and 'mortal' at the same time. Bobby Starr is also a hell of a singer, and if you don't believe me, just check out 'When We Get Married' which is probably their most elaborate, sophisticated song - a true masterpiece and an homage to Gamble & Huff's songwriting skills. Starr really proved he ain't no pushover there (the other lads also did a hell of a job with the backing harmonies).

This is all pretty neat, but the song that first got me really hooked on The Intruders is 'Friends No More', which, contrary to my first impressions, is not a song about a guy who manages to escape the 'friend zone'. It's actually a story about two friends and one girl (oh, the cliche!) and some dirty business between them. The guys even manage to share some solid advice: 'Never trust a girl with your best friend'. But enough about that, let's get on the good stuff.

This song is simply great on so many levels, that I really am in awe every time I listen to it. I love the way the delicate intro, driven by this serene guitar and bell duo, fortifies gradually with the help of the chord-bashing piano and the bass and the drums. Then, the song bursts into the chorus and it's all the way down the hill from there! Every single part of this song is just great: from the octave-jumping bass, the sweet backing vocals, Sonny's croaky voice, the soul-soothing bells, to the gorgeous, lush strings topping the melody and accentuating the harmonies in just the right moments! I think mister Kenny and mister Gamble have really outdone themselves on this one. Chapeau bas!

It's a real shame, that The Intruders released only a few albums and just a handful of singles. But in case, like me, you're left craving for more, I'd suggest tracing their rich music heritage - and trust me, there's a lot to explore there.

The Intruders laid the foundations for the phenomenon that would soon take over the world - disco. Try listening to 'I'll always love my momma' (which, btw was sampled in Wally Lopez's 'Circus Parade' - you should see the look on my face when I stumbled upon this song by The Intruders...it took me nearly 10 years to find this sample). The hi-hat driven, upbeat melody would later come to define a new sound. Disco was born and before you knew it, everybody was doing 'the hustle'.

And that's not all. The way I see it, you can draw a straight line starting from The Intruders, through to the Salsoul Sound (Salsoul Orchestra, Instant Funk, Double Exposure, First Choice, etc.), to disco bands like The Trammps or Chic, to the early house sound of the late '80s/early '90s (e.g. Larry Levan, Nicky Siano, Frankie Knuckles), and finally to modern Electronic Dance Music. In my opinion they all share the same aesthetic that really stems from the street corners of '60s Philadelphia...Shit, if you ask me there's bits of philly-soul in most of the late Beatles tunes.

Don't believe me? Go ahead, see for yourself!

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Etta James - At Last! (1961)

Etta James' debut album - 'At Last!' - is really a hell of a record. Released in 1961 on Chess' jazz sub-label: Argo (later renamed Cadet Records), with the visionary brother duo of Phil and Leonard responsible for the production and orchestral arrangements, the album gives us a neat overview of Etta's musical sensitivity.

James, simply put, is really a great, all-round singer. 'At Last!' proves she feels just as comfortable doing jazz standards (like 'Stormy Weather' or 'A Sunday Kind of Love') as ripping the hell out of blues tunes ('Tough Mary' and Willie Dixon's 'I Just Want to Make Love to You'). And that's really the power of this album. Etta seamlessly moves from smooth, romantic phrasing to powerful, energetic blues 'shouting' with plenty of r&b and gospel infused singing in between.

Want an example? Well then check out: 'All I Could Was Cry', which was written for Etta by the 'head songwriter' at Chess - Billy Davis with the Gordy siblings - Berry and Gwen. History has it that the song was inspired by Etta's ordeal with her ex-boyfriend Harvey Fuqua (more on that gentleman, later), who, at the time of the recording of the song, was dating Billy Davis' ex-girlfriend - Gwen Gordy - and was just about to marry her. How's that for a love story, eh? The script writers from 'The Bold and The Beautiful' couldn't have come up with a more confusing arrangement. Nevertheless, Etta simply sounds true and authentic in this song, going from a dreamy, delicate singing voice in the beginning to a powerful, wall-trembling holler in the chorus.

The title track, on the other hand, shows a rather well-tempered Etta as she gives a fantastic rendition of this classic song, first recorded by Glenn Miller and his orchestra. James did a great job here, managing to retain the same vibe as the original tune but still giving it her own twist - an accomplishment that's really hard when it comes to cover songs.

Fair play, the tune is good. However, I find just as predictable as it is good. What really got my attention is the four bonus tracks you get if you decide to go for the 1999 CD reissue on Chess/MCA. These tracks feature Etta singing in a duet with her ex-boyfriend: Harvey Fuqua. That's where the magic starts. Try their version of Willie Dixon's classic: 'Spoonful'. A cheeky bassline, roaring horns and Etta's sexy blues cry. Bang!

With a completely different vibe comes: 'My Heart Cries', which is probably my favourite song from the album. Here, both Harvey and Etta keep on singing this beautiful melody over a constant 6-note guitar lick and some horns and a piano in the background. By joining their two voices, they manage to create a very vivid and colourful harmony which really got me hooked and perfectly suits this little love song. Spot on!

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Beastie Boys - The In Sound from Way Out! (1996)

The Beastie Boys have frequently proven that they feel comfortable in a variety of genres. The New York-based trio started off as a punk band in 1979 but some time around the mid-1980s they turned towards hip-hop and since then have sold over 40 million albums worldwide to much critical acclaim. However, their records have never been solely hip-hop flavoured. The group incorporated a variety of sounds in their albums, mixing fast-paced rock tunes with laid-back, funky grooves in between sample-heavy hip-hop joints. What glued it all together were the razor-sharp lyrics of Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock and their trademark rap style. At times, however, the guys would abandon their mic's and jam out funk-filled instrumental tunes that would later work as interludes in their albums.

By 1996, the Boys, inspired by their French fan club which came up with the idea, decided to make a compilation album with the instrumentals from their previous records. And so, 'The In Sound from Way Out!' (which btw borrows the title and the cover art concept from the 1966 Perrey and Kingsley album) was released. The disc features 13 tracks, all of which have already previously appeared on: 'Check Your Head', 'Ill Communication' and the 'Jimmy James' and 'Sure Shot' singles.

Fair do's - there's no new material on the record, but it still is a pleasant listen. The album features a bunch of loose funk grooves with rhythmical wah-wah guitars, warm Hammond licks and laid-back, conga-heavy percussions, all neatly wrapped up in a jazzy vibe. But that's not all. With tunes like 'Eugene's Lament' and it's distinctive violin solo or 'Shambala' with the Tibetan monk chants in the background, the Beastie Boys give us a little taste of the Orient thereby keeping the album material fresh and interesting.

At any rate, this album will definitely not provide any big surprises if you know your Beastie's. But if you enjoyed bopping your head to their lazy funk joints on their previous records, then I really do believe it's an album worth having.

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Booker T. & the M.G.'s - Green Onions (1962)

Recent weeks have been pretty hectic for me work-wise and it looks like it ain't gonna stop in the near future, so I'm really struggling to find the time to write stuff on my blog. Nevertheless, I'm just gonna try to keep it short and simple and let the music do the talking. And if there's any type of music that can tell a good story, it's gotta be blues!

'Green Onions' was the debut album of Booker T. & the M.G.'s. It was released in 1962 on Atlantic's memphis-based Stax division, which had in its roster such renowned artists as Otis Redding, Albert King, Sam & Dave and Isaac Hayes.

The group started off as a session band, providing the backbone for many Stax artists at the time. One day, in a break between recordings, they started jamming around with a couple of riffs and fiddled with a little song Booker T. Jones has written way back in high-school - 'Green Onions'. Jim Stewart, the then president of Stax liked their sound and decided to release their debut record with 'Green Onions' as the a-side and 'Behave Yourself' on the flip-side. The single enjoyed great success, selling over a million copies, and this prompted the band to release a whole album.

At the time of the recording of their first full-length release, the band consisted of 4 people: Booker T. Jones (organs, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards), Steve 'The Colonel' Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (upright bass) and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). Later on, the band replaced Steinberg with Donald 'Duck' Dunn, who has played with them ever since. You might remember both Dunn and Cropper from the legendary 1980 film 'Blues Brothers' - they were both featured in the film and were also members of the original 'Blues Brothers' band.

Booker T & the M.G.'s is kind of a peculiar band. All of the guys in it are really session musicians first and foremost. They have backed a plethora of famous singers on thousands of records, playing on and producing many hits. Booker T. wrote such great tunes as: 'I've Never Found a Girl (To Love Me Like You Do)', 'I Love You More Than Words Can Say' and Albert King's 'Born Under A Bad Sign', which was covered by such powerful bands as 'Cream', with Clapton on board, and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (by far my favourite rendition). Suffice it to say, Sam & Dave's fantastic 'Hold On! I'm a Comin'' features Booker T. (playing the tuba!!!) and the rest of the M.G.'s with Donald 'Duck' Dunn's killer bassline.

Nevertheless, the group managed to record a great album, that has defined southern soul music for a whole decade. Bands on both sides of the Atlantic were trying to imitate that unforgettable sound of Booker's Hammond organs and Steve Cropper's Fender Telecaster guitar and the groove both of them created.

The 'Green Onions' album is a 35 minute instrumental voyage, filled with blues-infused soul goodies. The album features 12 songs, ranging from slower, kinda mellow tunes like: 'Stranger On The Shore' or 'Lonely Avenue', to faster, rock'n'roll-ish songs like: 'You Can't Sit Down' or 'Twist And Shout', and to the groovy bits like: 'Comin' Home Baby'. There's a bit of everything really. What they all have in common is the fantastic guitar work of Cropper, where hes able to subtly accompany Booker with delicate choruses but also jump into finger-twisting solos, and the great sound of Booker's organs which serve as a trademark sound for the whole album. Prime time soul music with a dash of an R'n'B feeling, a hazy blues aura and jazz sophistication. You might think to yourself - how the hell could they play Ray Charles' 'I Got A Woman' without a singer?! Well, the truth is, their music is so good you don't even realise that this song ever needed any lyrics.

You could have heard some of their songs before - a lot of the tunes were used as a soundtrack to 'Get Shorty' (starring Travolta, De Vito, Hackman and a few others), and 'Behave Yourself' was featured in the Coen brothers' awesome picture: 'Big Lebowski'. Rings a bell?

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Curtis Mayfield - Superfly OST (1972)

This soundtrack to the blaxploitation film by the same name could may well be the soundtrack to a whole decade - the 70s. And who could capture this distinct sound better than Curtis Mayfield? A legend, a pioneer, a ghetto poet - a genius!

Superfly, the film, (directed by Gordon Parks Jr. - the man who brought us Shaft) tells the story of a black drug dealer from Harlem, New York, who goes by the name of 'Youngblood Priest'. Said pusher, tired with the life he lives, decides to quit his successful career and so convinces his partner - Eddie - to organise one last score, earn a lot of dollah and get out of the business. Priest's story serves as a base for depicting, as it usually is with the blaxploitation genre, the gang-ridden streets of the ghetto with its corrupt cops, dodgy pimps, dirty hookers and desperate junkies.

Curtis' soundtrack does pretty much the same thing. He has already been known for his well crafted music with forcible and expressive lyrics from the time he performed with The Impressions quartet during the 60s. The Superfly OST was his third solo release, however, and it didn't show any signs of him losing it!

The album is a soul & funk masterpiece! A mixture of the trademark wah-wah guitar, deep, funky basslines, groovy keys, vivid percussions and a stinging horn section - all topped up with Mayfield's laid-back falsetto. Hell, you even get the odd strings every now and then giving it a disco-ish feeling. The music, however, only serves as a background to Curtis' incisive social commentary of black urban life in the 70s.

Besides the overall damning attitude, the lyrics just sound great and fantastically complement the music:

I'm your mamma, i'm your daddy

I'm that nigga in the alley

I'm your doctor, when in need

Want some coke, have some weed

You know me, i'm your friend

Your main boy, thick and thin

I'm your pusherman

I'm your pusherman

Ain't i clean, bad machine

Super cool, super mean

Feelin' good, for the man

Superfly, here i stand

Secret stash, heavy bread

Baddest bitches, in the bed

I think you can clearly see that Curtis Mayfield inspired and anticipated the whole rap/hip-hop vibe (with it's 'thug life' stories). Well it's no surprise then, that his tracks have been sampled by such great hip-hop artists as:
Pete Rock, Gang Starr, Biggie Smalls, Beastie Boys, Master P, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Ice-T etc. etc.


I strongly recommend watching the film to get the feeling of the music and the times. But for now, just check this out (definitely watch the first vid - it's an actual excerpt from the film):

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