Various Artists - Philadelphia International Records 12" Single Collection

During the '70s, Philadelphia International Records was the most prolific hitmaking Soul/R&B label in the '70s. Many of their hits received the 12-inch remix treatment although not many were heard outside of clubs and discos. This two CD set compiles the best of this extended remixes and include hits from McFadden And Whitehead, Jerry Butler, Bobby Rush, Dexter Wansel, The Jones Girls, The Futures, Lou Rawls, The O'Jays and many others. 24 foot-movin' tracks in all. Edsel. 2006. Album Description

Hits and a Few Misses

Overall, it's a good package, but some tracks/selections leave a little to be desired. Great tracks include first-time cd issues (I believe) of The Jones' Girls 12" version of "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else," Teddy Pendergrass' "Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose," and Jerry "The Iceman" Butler's "I'm Just Thinkin' 'Bout Coolin' Out." Not bad. However, among the misses are the mentioned-in-other-reviews Jean Carn alternate edit (not the 7:44 version as listed), the McFadden & Whitehead anthem "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" (readily available on several compilations just off the top of my head), and a couple other LP edits (not 12" versions as listed) and obscure titles that only the most hardcore collectors would know anything about. A couple of suggestions for a Volume 2: PLEASE find the 12" version of "Sing a Happy Song" by the O'Jays (which, ironically, is listed at 5:00, same as the lp version, but actually is about a minute-and-a-half longer), the slightly remixed version of "Party Time Man" (yes, there was an alternate 12" version), the correct 7:44 version of the Jean Carn track, and maybe even a few Tom Moulton remixes that are hiding somewhere in the vaults. You know there has to be quite a few of those. You know, more steak and less sizzle...or in the case of some of the tracks, fizzle.
October 26, 2008

Great Comp. Philly Int'l At its Best...

I love this stuff...grab this one while you can.You know how it is here today gone tomorrow...If your a Disco Nut like me your gonna wanna have this...this is a must have.Trust me.Some rarities here...& the sound quality is superb. February 2, 2008

Bobbin ya Head.....

Great collection, not all of the 12 versions but a great effort!! Thank goodness the folks overseas love the real soul music!!! Worth the price for the Jean Carn cuts & the extended versions of the Jones Girls, You Gonna Make Me Love... Maybe in a perfect world, there will be a Vol 2. Thank you Edsel Music, Amazon, & ImportCd's for the memories!!!! January 11, 2008

philadelphia 12 inches

though this is not a complete collection of all of the philly 12 inches,
it is still worth the money. It includes a good number of cuts we've heard
mixed in the clubs or on the radio at some point. There is also a nice
bio-booklet that gives some interesting background info. I was a little
disapointed in the Jones girls mix of "Nights over Egypt", It is no different from the lp version. "Put your hands together" by the Ojays is
the best cut here. That song title was often confused with an earlier
hit of theirs titled"Put your heads together". Not the same song.
Over all I would just say that, this is just some good old school
Dance music. It takes me back to the late 70s and mid-80s.
Michael Payne October 5, 2007

NOT EXACTLY A PHILLY CHEESE STEAK BUT.....

It's tasty enough. Philadelphia International 12" Singles brings together some of the 12" singles released by the legendary record label during disco's heyday of the late 70's and early 80's. Most of the long tracks on here are fairly obscure and may not be obvious to many fans of the label.

What's cool about this set is that many of tracks does not sound like the trademark Philly International sound (a la "I love Music"). Instead, it showcases a different side to philly international with a wide range of songs. "Strut your funky stuff" is a cool slice of euro dance, "Goldmine" is one of the funkiest long players released by the label, "Let's Clean up the Ghetto" has a charging bassline that's every bit as demanding as the singers plea for neighborhoods to come together and clean it up, "Aint got time for nothin" is a smooth hybrid of the trademark PIR strings and an Earth Wind and Fire style bassline and vocals. "Put our Heads Together" finds the O Jays adapting to the 80's gracefully, and who haven't heard "You gonna make me love somebody else" and "Ain't no Stopping us Now".

There are some ocassional dull patches such as Jocko's "Rocketship" (If you're able to endure his corny attempt at rapping, the rhythm track is funky enough to make you not wanna press the skip button) and "Rhythm Talk". "Let me be Good to you" is a lightheated throw away and could've been replaced with a far superior 12" track such as Teddy P's "Only You".

While showcasing a different side to philly International is a amirable move, it does so at the expense of consistency in terms of sound. While the album is generally solid from start to finish, the tracks seem patchy and throwed together with a whiplash change in sounds and tones from track to track. Taken all at once, it can be a bit much to handle. Taken in moderation, you'll truly see how good a lot of these songs are.

Not only does the tacky pacing of the songs hold this album back from being better than it could've been, It's the quality of the songs. This anthology is not as climatic as it appears to be since many of the these songs are not lost masterpieces. Only a handful of these songs can actually go down as PIR classics. Sure there's plently of highlights on this album, but most of them don't match the unforgettable quality
of the classics PIR songs that we're familiar with.

The patchy track flow and the quality of the songs make PIR 12" Singles sound like "Bonus Tracks" to a great album more so than a definitive anthology. Make no mistake, its enough highlights and good rarities to make it worth checking out and having in your collection. This album can best be described as a philly cheese steak without a lot of grease. It taste good but its not the same!





February 28, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...