"Philadelphia International Records: The Collection" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, O'Jays, Billy Paul, The Intruders, MFSB, Bunny Sigler, The Three Degrees, Edwin Birdsong, McFadden & Whitehead, Patti Labelle, Lou Rawls, Dexter Wansel, Jones Girls and Teddy Pendergrass - Some with Bonus Tracks (May 2014 UK Sony Music 20CD Flip-Top Brick-Block Box Set of Remasters In Mini LP Repro Card Art Sleeves) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...On A Love Train..."

"The Collection" offers you 20 Philly Soul albums in single repro card sleeves inside a hard-card box set with a chunky 36-page booklet (5 of the discs even have bonus tracks). But musically it's not all Funky Nirvana by any means. As others have pointed out - there's both bland and genius nestling for your attention here (with more genius than not I'm glad to say). In order to give you a fuller picture - here are the detailed Blue Notes and Back Stabbers...

UK released May 2014 - "Philadelphia International Records: The Collection" by VARIOUS ARTISTS is a 20CD Mini Box Set on Sony Music 8843055662 (Barcode 888430556621) and breaks down as follows:

CD1 (41:07 minutes):
1. I Miss You
2. Ebony Woman
3. Yesterday I Had The Blues
4. If You Don't Know Me By Now [Side 2]
5. Be For Real
6. Let Me Into Your World
7. Let It Be You
Tracks 1 to 7 are the self-titled album "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes" by HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES - originally released August 1972 in the USA on Philadelphia International PZ 31648 as "I Miss You" with different artwork. When the single "If You Don't Know Me By Now" charted big in October 1972 globally - the album was relaunched as "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes" with more sophisticated artwork, the same track list and catalogue number. It is this blue sleeve cover that is used here and was also the UK album ("Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes") released February 1973 on CBS Records S 65350 (later reissued in 1974 on Philadelphia International S PIR 65934)

BONUS TRACK:
8. If You Don't Know Me By Now (Live)

CD 2 (40:05 minutes):
1. When The World's At Peace
2. Back Stabbers
3. Who Am I
4. (They Call Me) Mr. Lucky
5. Time To Get Down
6. 992 Arguments [Side 2]
7. Listen To The Clock On The Wall
8. Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind Of People
9. Sunshine
10. Love Train
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Back Stabbers" by O'JAYS - released September 1972 in the USA on Philadelphia International KZ 31712 and October 1972 in the UK on CBS Records S 65257

CD 3 (53:44 minutes):
1. Brown Baby
2. I'm Just A Prisoner
3. It's Too Late
4. Me And Mrs. Jones
5. Am I Black Enough For You [Side 2]
6. Let's Stay Together
7. Your Song
8. I'm Gonna Make It This Time
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "360 Degrees Of Billy Paul" by BILLY PAUL - released November 1972 in the USA on Philadelphia International KZ 31793 and in the UK on Epic Records EPC 65351 (reissued in 1973 on Philadelphia International S PIR 65930)

BONUS TRACK:
9. Me And Mrs. Jones (Live)

CD 4 (38:56 minutes):
1. Save The Children
2. Mother And Child Reunion
3. I Wanna Know Your Name
4. To Be Happy Is The Real Thing
5. I'll Always Love My Mama [Side 2]
6. Memories Are Here To Stay
7. Teardrops
8. Hang On In There
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Save The Children" by THE INTRUDERS - released May 1973 in the USA on Gamble/Philadelphia International KZ 31991 and in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 65865

CD 5 (31:29 minutes):
1. Can't You See What You're Doing To Me
2. A Woman Needs A Good Man
3. Dirty Ol' Man
4. When Will I See You Again
5. I Didn't Know
6. Year Of Decision
7. If And When
8. I Like Being A Woman
NOTE: For some unexplained reason, both the CD running order and the track list in the booklet lay out the songs of "The Three Degrees" as above - but both the US and UK self-titled original LPs ran the tracks as follows:
Side 1: 3, 1, 2 and 4
Side 2: 5, 8, 7 and 6
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "The Three Degrees" by THE THREE DEGREES - released February 1973 in the USA on Philadelphia International KZ 32406 and in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 65858. The 2010 CD reissue and remaster by Big Break Records of the UK on CDBBR 0002 (Barcode 5013929030220) reverts to this original track run and adds on three bonus cuts. 

CD 6 (52:11 minutes):
1. Put Your Hands Together
2. Ship Ahoy
3. This Air I Breathe
4. You Got Your Hooks In Me
5. For The Love Of Money [Side 2]
6. Now That We Found Love
7. Don't Call Me Brother
8. People Keep Tellin' Me
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Ship Ahoy" by THE O'JAYS - released October 1973 in the USA on Philadelphia International KZ 32408 and June 1974 in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 65860

BONUS TRACK:
9. Put Your Hands Together (Live Version)

CD 7 (35:08 minutes):
1. Zack's Fanfare
2. Love Is The Message
3. Cheaper To Keep Her
4. My One And Only Love
5. TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia - Theme From The TV Show "Soul Train") [Side 2]
6. Zack's Fanfare ( I Hear The Music)
7. Touch Me In The Morning
8. Bitter Sweet
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Love Is The Message" by MFSB - released December 1973 in the USA on Philadelphia International KZ 32707 and May 1974 as "TSOP – The Sound Of Philadelphia" in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 80154

CD 8 (42:32 minutes):
1. Shake Your Booty
2. Picture Us
3. Keep Smilin'
4. That's How Long I'll Be Loving You
5. I Lied
6. Things Are Gonna Get Better [Side 2]
7. Sweeter Than The Berry
8. Your Love Is Good
9. Somebody Free
10. Love Train
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Keep Smilin'" by BUNNY SIGLER - released 1974 in the USA on Philadelphia International KZ 33249. The album had no UK release under this name "Keep Smilin'" but some of its tracks appeared on the album "That's How Long I'll Be Loving You" released July 1974 in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 80253 (Side 1: 6, 4, 5, 2 and 10 / Side 2: 8 and 9 only)

CD 9 (46:03 minutes):
1. Wake Up Everybody [Side 1]
2. Keep On Lovin' You
3. You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good
4. Don't Leave Me This Way [Side 2]
5. Tell The World How I Feel About 'Cha Baby
6. To Be Free To Be Who You Are
7. I'm Reaching For A Love
Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "Wake Up Everybody" by HAROLD MELVIN & THE BLUE NOTES - released November 1975 in the USA on Philadelphia International PZ 33808 and January 1976 in the UK on Philadelphia International PIR 69193

BONUS TRACK:
8. Don't Leave Me This Way (Tom Moulton Mix)

CD 10 (38:36 minutes):
1. You're The One
2. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine
3. Time
4. Groovy People
5. Need You Forever
6. From Now On [Side 1]
7. Pure Imagination
8. This Song Will Last Forever
9. Let's Fall In Love All Over Again
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "All Things In Time" by LOU RAWLS - released June 1976 in the USA on Philadelphia International PZ 33957 and June 1976 in the UK on Philadelphia International PIR 81368. It was a US R&B Number 1 album.

CD 11 (36:40 minutes):
1. A Prophet Named K.G.
2. Life On Mars
3. Together Once Again
4. Stargazer
5. One Million Miles From The Ground [Side 2]
6. You Can Be What You Wanna Be
7. Theme From The Planets
8. Rings Of Saturn
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Life On Mars" by DEXTER WANSEL - released August 1976 in the USA on Philadelphia International PZ 34079 (no UK release).

CD 12 (39:32 minutes):
1. Enjoy Yourself
2. Think Happy
3. Good Times
4. Keep On Dancing
5. Blues Away
6. Show You The Way To Go [Side 2]
7. Living Together
8. Strength Of One Man
9. Dreamer
10. Style Of Life
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "The Jacksons" by THE JACKSONS - released November 1976 in the USA on Epic PE 34229 and in the UK on Epic EPC 86009. "Blues Away" and "Style Of Life" by Michael Jackson.

CD 13 (40:53 minutes):
1. Free Love
2. No Laughing Matter
3. I'm In Love Once Again
4. Don't You Know Love When You See It
5. Where Did You Ever Go [Side 2]
6. You Are All I Need
7. If You Wanna Go Back
8. You Got A Problem
9. Time Waits For No One
Tracks 1 to 9 are the album "Jean Carn" by JEAN CARN - released February 1977 in the USA on Philadelphia International PZ 39394 (no UK release)

CD 14 (36:45 minutes):
1. You Can't Hide From Yourself
2. Somebody Told Me
3. Be Sure
4. And If I Had
5. I Don't Love You Anymore [Side 2]
6. The Whole Town's Laughing At Me
7. Easy, Easy, Got To Take It Easy
8. The More I Get, The More I Want
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Teddy Pendergrass" by TEDDY PENDERGRASS - released March 1977 in the USA on Philadelphia International PZ 34390 and April 1977 in the UK on Philadelphia International PIR 81756 (ex Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes - first Solo album)

CD 15 (38:03 minutes):
1. Lady Love
2. I Wish It Were Yesterday
3. One Life To Live
4. Dollar Green
5. Trade Winds
6. There Will Be Love [Side 2]
7. Unforgettable
8. That Would Do It For Me
9. If I Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
10. Not The Staying Kind
Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All" by LOU RAWLS - released December 1977 in the USA on Philadelphia International JZ 35036 and January 1978 in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 82402

CD 16 (46:30 minutes):
1. Life Is A Song Worth Singing
2. Only You
3. Cold, Cold World
4. Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose
5. Close The Door [Side 2]
6. It Don't Hurt Now
7. When Somebody Loves You Back
Tracks 1 to 7 are the album "Life Is A Song Worth Singing" by TEDDY PENDERGRASS - released June 1978 in the USA on Philadelphia International JZ 35095 and July 1978 in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 82555. The album was a USA R&B Number 1.

BONUS TRACKS:
8. Only You (Single Version)
9. Get Down, Get Funky (Disco Version)

CD 17 (35:12 minutes):
1. This Feeling's Killing Me
2. You Made Me Love You
3. Show Love Today
4. You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else
5. Life Goes On [Side 2]
6. Who Can I Run To
7. We're A Melody
8. I'm At Your Mercy
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "The Jones Girls" by THE JONES GIRLS - released May 1979 in the USA on Philadelphia International JZ 35757 and in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 83831

CD 18 (38:47 minutes):
1. Cola Bottle Baby
2. Phiss-Phizz
3. Kunta Dance
4. Lollipop [Side 2]
5. Goldmine
6. Freaky Deaky Sities
7. Autumn Eyes
8. Lollipop (Slow)
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "Edwin Birdsong" by EDWIN BIRDSONG - released May 1979 in the USA on Philadelphia International JZ 35758 (no UK release)

CD 19 (42:53 minutes):
1. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
2. I've Been Pushed Aside
3. Mr. Music
4. Just Wanna Love You Baby
5. Got To Change [Side 2]
6. You're My Someone To Love
7. I Got The Love
8. Do You Want To Dance
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "McFadden & Whitehead" by McFADDEN & WHITEHEAD (Jean and John) - released May 1979 in the USA on Philadelphia International JZ 35800 and in the UK on Philadelphia International S PIR 83613

CD 20 (38:46 minutes):
1. I'm In Love Again
2. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
3. Love, Need And Want You
4. If Only You Knew
5. Body Language [Side 2]
6. I'll Never, Never Give Up
7. Love Bankrupt
8. When Am I Gonna Find True Love
Tracks 1 to 8 are the album "I'm In Love Again" by PATTI LaBELLE - released December 1983 in the USA on Philadelphia International FZ 38539 and in the UK on Philadelphia International 450621 1

As you can see from the list above - five of the twenty CDs (1, 3, 6, 9 and 16) have bonus tracks. All albums (including their bonuses) are documented in the lovely 36-page colour booklet with features brief reviews of each title by long-time Soul aficionado DEAN RUDLAND. These are followed by page-after-page of the albums pictured alongside detailed track lists. Each of the CDs is numbered on the label so you know where they're placed in the order of things. There are no mastering credits - but as all of these albums have been available before at one point on Sony/Legacy reissues so those remasters have been used and the sound quality is uniformly great.

The set opens with a winner - the "Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes" debut album with monsters like "If You Don't Know Me By Now", "I Miss You" and the sublime "Yesterday I Had The Blues" (shame they didn't tag on the single edit of this which is Soul perfection). We're then soothed with another fan rave - "Back Stabbers" by The O'Jays sporting the hit singles "992 Arguments" and "Love Train". Unsung album hero is "Who Am I" - a gorgeous ballad that was the B-side of "Love Train" in the UK on CBS 1181 (February 1973).

The gems keep on coming with "360 Degrees Of Billy Paul" - a Number 1 album on American's Billboard R&B charts which contained "Am I Black Enough For You?" and the classic "Me And Mrs. Jones" (a No. 1 R&B single). Album nuggets are his fabulous cover of Carole King's "Tapestry" classic "It's Too Late", the Fusion Soul consciousness of the five-year jail song "I'm Just A Prisoner" and the Jean Lang/Bunny Sigler torch ballad "I'm Gonna Make It This Time".

The 'Philly Sound' that would properly dominate much of the Seventies arrives with The Intruders doing a cover of Gil Scott-Heron's "Save The Children" while those Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff love songs fill out the rest of the album ("I Wanna Know Your Name" and "Memories Are Here To Stay"). Things go Pop Soul on The Three Degrees album and while they were hugely successful - frankly I've never liked it and find the album dismissible. Things recover big time with the magisterial "Ship Ahoy" album by The O'Jays from 1974 - Bunny Sigler's gorgeous smoocher "You Got Your Hooks In Me" impressing mightily while the uber-funky and brilliant "For The Love Of Money" has early echoes of Dexter Wansel.

I've reviewed MFSB's "Love Is The Message" - sporting a slick keyboards and vibes instrumental cover of Johnnie Taylor's anthem "Cheaper To Keep Her" - but better is the album finisher of "Bitter Sweet" - Fusion Funk one moment - all swirling happy strings the next. Bunny Sigler's "Keep Smilin'" album opens with a cod party piece that hasn't dated well but the (hissy) ballad "Picture Us" is pretty and the title track is superb. Tracks like the upbeat "Things Are Gonna Get Better" and the lovely "That's How Long I'll Be Loving You" should have been hits  - while the almost Acapella "Sweeter Than The Berry" is a welcome oddity arrangement for Philly. In fact, you can't but feel that the album is a hidden gem that makes buying a box set like this so worth it. Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Jean Carn and The Jones Girls all distinguish themselves - but my heart goes to Dexter Wansel's superb "Life On Mars" Fusion album while commercial Funk arrives with the "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" by McFadden & Whitehead. But excepting say the ballad "Love, Need And Want You" - for me the Patti Labelle album is maudlin Eighties schlock I can live without.

So there you have it - with only a few clunkers "The Collection" is a winner - beautifully presented, sounds spiffing and full of great Seventies Soul memories you will want to relive again and again. 

My only question would be - why isn't there an equivalent Motown Box Set? Or a long overdue Chess/Cadet/Checker Box? Or even an Atlantic Records Soul Box Volume 2? Bring them all on baby...