Rock and Roll; Interview with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff [Part 3 of 4]

Let's just keep right on that one. What. What. What. Just right. It was it was writing for that time. But I generation. I mean we would feed an awful writer writes about what's around you know what is seen as like all the flaws in bed with true stories. Yeah I was writing one at a time but I generation you know great love songs and we were just having fun. That's what we would do right fine. And overjoyed that they like them every

time we would a song it was a hit it was it was unbelievable the charts that somebody would have to keep writing songs and every song you waited about that everyone but I mean most everyone that we put out 10 records on the chart and one died. Thought about them it is a loss and we want one. You know I'm going for you. How'd you know. What's wrong with I mean it was it was so much happening. We didn't come from the time seemed cruel I mean walking us through what what what was it it was the motion of backstabbers. But of J. Those kind of style songs that you know that due to the lifestyles of the people just lives changed.

So the music started to. Write about those elements. OJ's got together people they won't. Believe Paul Me and Mrs. Joe Esposito Jay-Z was really into the message and music. I think the message it was trying to get across you know we made a record it would have if a survey that was done they love as a message. That's the message we was trying to get to grow. We made a record we answered it you know. So yeah. I mean people don't love enough. And so that's was basically was wrong with society as people respect one of them. That's what that's what I saw when we was talking about is giving people what they want you know and that's what we heard on the news every day. That's what you see. You know so we're writing about what was

going on in the society and family reunion family reunion. You know those songs were songs that people had brought people together. You know people use that song right now with a family reunion and him and we wrote a song. That's what we intended for them to be a love train just one full record about people coming together all over the world and still. That's basically what was looking at and the message was a message and I'm using you know message was love brotherhood peace everybody you know have a better quality of life for people. We need you. What was it that you were hearing inside just inside your head. I mean how did you

try to distinguish yourself from. Them just relations. Well the music really started when I was writing songs and all the melodies and everything was right in the piano. And it's all they all account of the orchestra basically would just embellish everything that we heard you know we would want to put on the tape put it on tape at home the parts to the range and use it with an orchestra basically something. That I mean it's like the old days like you know me at all question you know Motown and orchestra would not like him with us but you know in the first day was like oh I was almost of almost a 40 piece orchestra and that was an

obvious itself. So you know we had a lot of great musicians and great arrangers and a plus to the difference between Philly International and Motown. I think Motown at the time. That they were running they had a lot of singles. You know hit singles but we would do an album was most proud of was album hit albums. And so those albums when we took the postals album doing an album is different than doing a single because the concept albums these were not just albums that we just put a lot of records in them. We had albums like ship boy which I was the name of the album but this was a concept album about the struggle of African people coming from Africa. And whenever we had a lot of great love songs and then out to you know Stairway to Heaven and you know great songs like that but we had concept albums and.

And we used the orchestra 40 arrangements and it was a little classical a little gospel a little jazz and little bit and that is basically what it was they had all those elements and orchestra and and songwriters we were able to pull that out. Into our music those elements that. You have with the rest of us the way that's the path that it took us and that's the way it was during that time. And believe it or not it cost more today than it did then you know when we started because again we start making those records we used to musicians. Yeah the same guys it took less time. To get there takes a long time for people you know just people take so long before they put albums out you know it might be two three years before because technically when you go in the

studio today with all of the technology and whatever it takes a long time people can develop these sounds but we were basically dealing with the emotions we were dealing with spontaneous human action human reaction where and we could go on a studio we would do an album and I'm off. Yeah well I'm used to work on three out at one about three hours at one time right. And so that's the kind of work we would do I would be working on the O'Jays and maybe Patti LaBelle with the same guy. Right right right. That's what it was. We had a lot of great people working with us and we motivated them and they motivated us. They're great musicians great songwriters. Yeah great relationships with distribution with CBS. And so it was

like a machine. And once that machine got working and any industry was totally different than it is today. So I think we were basically working for that time. You know we captured opportunity and took full advantage of it and we thank dad that we come out healthy and still able to enjoy writing songs. We still think that selling a lot you know. Yeah. Will you. Well CBS and Phil International was a perfect match. They were what we were looking for. We were what they were looking for because of the black music market plays it was ready to explode

and go mainstream general market because it was selling records and we had tried many times you know if we flew to Detroit we tried to get with Motown that didn't work out and it would never be able to see people have been talk to him never was able to get in to Motown. I mean we got in and talked to him but was able to. There was no interest really on a lot of work with us that's why we came here to Philly which turned out to be good for us. I mean we were just checker up in Chicago we will you know we had our own label. We went independent but when we hooked up with CBS that was the difference between that was a professional organization working with a professional organization we were the best writing songs and producing records and they would have best marketing and distributed music. And so it really worked out

well. I mean CBS was at that particular time it was a match made in heaven. Mission. I'm not going to go my camera 16 when I want to continue. Talking you know when you can hear these things but some of the best and I've seen studio down where I was stays down the toilet Joe was just one of those great dramas that I had that had the talent to play them and I was like that other than the joy of working with all those years when I was a great record I wasn't yet a style. You

know I had a. That's a certain style that she was cooperated too. He wanted to work you know and you know the man and he loved you know it was a cooperative spirit. And plus it was GREAT me great drama. What a cooperative spirit. I mean yeah sure no one you really know what special about them it was certainly felt that with them. But the symbol. Well the whole the rhythm which was generally what Earl knew how to work with the producers. Oh you knew he meant to produce to get the best that end creatively which he enjoyed and it depends on how much I'm expecting headphone to do certain to make him come up with new ideas about the rhythm batter and so on them drums.

Me irl. Amazed at himself. The sound of some of the other one of those records rhythmically. You know a lot of your music is really of this issue these days as well. That will be the happy make you dance song and songs dictated to be. Sort of like like you said before the beat. We came up with was sort of like a. Lot of blues jazz feel that with the Sox before for feeling on a genetic basis to say if they do it today it's the same thing as nothing. I think we created certain certain passages that we certain certain moods that we use

used on those records that many people identify those records had to be some mystique about it and to be something that. To make those people say well you know that's the Philly sound and know what they're talking about it was a it was a combination of elements that goes together. Did you know these you know. What we set out to do funky dance record dance. We didn't set out to do disco records but disco pretty much is just dance records you know and that's what the song Wrecking stand we were doing was we intentionally meant was recognized to be funky dance records. What dance halls are popped up all over you know about disco schools and so in order for them make them people come to those clubs ahead and use it and make them dance and nice themselves

and I think that phrase was coined a lot of that theory about the disco was and then the dance music and. We used to hang out in the discos means to go love to see those people dance off music. So it was a thrill for me to even see it. You know the best way out of a musical known genes that was like it was a big thing at the big dance or it bad laws was another big downer. Oh yeah that's true love train. And I love Soul Train was a little discipline. Yeah. Real television. You know it was you know the disco basically had all the lights that excite me whatever so. That music music energy energy people want energy and that's what Philly and music have a lot of energy and a lot of energy has and reckons we all know

what great how knows what Howard has been around since in the 50s with the Bluenose the Blues have been around like an institution room to listen to. And how just kept developing the Bluenose creating new groups and we started working with a Bluenose. It basically was a brand that was a brand new group except for how proud it was it is the one who trained all these these guys and and kept the Bruno name alive and made it what it is today. When doing this kind of music you think time will be doing the kind of music that you do then we'll be doing more.

You know when we're kind of you know it was like a lounge act yeah working in clubs like up in Boston and you know places like that they wouldn't do it in Miami. Nobody was doing that kind of music that we were doing. When they came here nobody because it was the songs that we created. And. I think our moment of blue notes in the Sharon page was with Bill which was another great combination. Those records were excellent. It would they would do would have been so. Oh well when you first go home with the students I'm going to sing it. Well I know how to stop one day and he came to me and he said he said You got it down and that was how we kept telling her all the fine needs you know. I was trying to develop the group and see how we bring different people

and you know we would listen to all of us were someone they say I think that's it. And the person was steady and so. That's when we heard the song. A mission. Sounds good. And from then on it that's what it that was it. Teddy Pendergrass was it. The group was saying when I says that I've never seen myself play drums with goodwill but I think he did play drums with the group and they were popular. Before I was reporting you know they had a circuit that was messing around in the Delaware Valley that used to get that moment and go to work. People used to come sing it with them. I was watching a bluenose before I thought about being in the same studio when I don't know. It just stood out. It was just like thunder what top everybody

else. But it fit you know his character his voice but you just there is no way. I don't know it just stood out. You know especially the solos was just so powerful you know and the feeling that he had. I mean you know this you know. Do you know what. Yeah yeah yeah. Teddy's voice just was so unique it just stood out. And then when it came time for him to do his solos and was just. It was like thunder like you know so powerful and the feeling that he got. As a singer. And when he's well I think it was

mutual and that they agreed to it. You know that they would part go separate ways and. And I think they they all did well you know. Don't I mean they did it they did well together. And then a lot of groups break up you know and sometimes they get back together and sometimes they don't you know. But that was destiny. When something like that. You know the attendees the ladies only concert was I think they were going to see by his manager Shep Gordon I think ship when I when I remember them telling us about them he was going to do it FOR WOMEN ONLY

GOD swords. It was because of the response that he was getting from music. It was a great idea and it was a great idea they went to a field when this president wants I think. And then and then they gave a full one on the concert over here at the machine with the aid and they did I'm around the country I think it was a great idea. What was funny when he was that way was I was about 10 he was getting from the feeling that it was just overwhelming it was just lines around the corner. I don't think it's been anything like 20 cents thing has been a grass. It was phenomenal.