Philadelphia soul

Philadelphia (or Philly) soul, sometimes called the Philadelphia sound or Sweet Philly, is a genre of soul music characterized by funk influences and lush instrumental arrangements, often featuring sweeping strings and piercing horns. The subtle sound of a vibraphone can often be heard in the background of Philly soul songs. The genre laid the groundwork for disco and what are now considered quiet storm and smooth jazz by fusing the R&B rhythm sections of the 1960s with the pop vocal tradition, and featuring a slightly more pronounced jazz influence in its melodic structures and arrangements.

Style

Due to the emphasis on sound and arrangement and the relative anonymity of many of the style's players, Philadelphia soul is often considered a producers' genre.

Philadelphia soul, or the sound of Philadelphia songwriters and producers, included Bobby Martin;Thom Bell; Linda Creed; Norman Harris; Dexter Wansel and the production teams of McFadden & Whitehead; and Gamble & Huff of Philadelphia International Records, who worked with a stable of studio musicians to develop the unique Philadelphia sound used as backing for many different singing acts. Many of these musicians would record as the instrumental group MFSB, which had a hit with the seminal Philadelphia soul song "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" in 1974.

Podcasts:

PLAYLIST TIME:

Follow Sound

by: Deas Vail

Follow sound.
Highway travel underground to find your soul.
And you give a lot.
But they donýt see you for the life you give alone. So go alone.
Are you searching cold? Youýre willing to be more than bold for open doors.
But do they pour this on? Well they are fooling no one, now is your chance to let this go. So let this go.
And I fell asleep.
But no one said anything to me.
So I never knew.
That you were lost, wondering this world without a chance of getting through.
Is this just a game we play together.
Do you think weýll ever know.
If the proýs and conýs allow for us losing hope.
You move in slow and steady motion but youýre evading none the less.
You know their lives are defined by portions of progress.
And I fell asleep.
But I could dream that I was anything.
And we brought ourselves to this place and turned and walked away to find a life thatýs so much more.
You can say anything to me (repeated)
Wonýt you open up your eyes.
Through your window youýll see.




Latest News for: philly sound

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‘Add Walmart to that list’: Jeep driver gets an oil change at Jiffy Lube. Then ...

The Daily Dot 16 Mar 2025
Bad parts ... Different filter ... And shut your fingers up!!! Oil filter was tight #jiffylube #quicklube #oilchange #oil #philly #customerservice #engine #supportsmallbusiness #cars #blackownedbusiness ♬ original sound - Harris Automotive family owned ... .
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Ch-ch-ch-ch changes: How David Bowie went from ‘Starman’ to soul man on his classic ‘Young ...

New York Post 12 Mar 2025
... Willie Weeks, James Brown saxophonist David Sanborn and an emerging background singer by the name of Luther Vandross at Sigma Sound — the Philly studio where many Gamble & Huff hits were made.
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Philadelphia Flower Show is in full swing with ‘Gardens of Tomorrow’ (L.A. PARKER COLUMN)

The Trentonian 03 Mar 2025
PHILADELPHIAGreetings from the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show themed “Gardens of Tomorrow... First observation. These days people seem nicer in Philadelphia ... (L.A ... (L.A ... Hey, it’s Silly Philly ... People-watching and listening offers wonderful sound bites ... L.A.
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