VA – (2008) Love Train: The Sound of Philadelphia
Audio CD (October 21, 2008)
Original Release Date: October 21, 2008
Number of Discs: 4
Format: Box set
MP3 VBR
Disc 1
1. Expressway (To Your Heart) - Soul Survivors
2. La-La---Means I Love You - The Delfonics
3. Cowboys To Girls - The Intruders
4. Hey, Western Union Man - Jerry Butler
5. Ready Or Not Here I Come (Can't Hide From Love) - The Delfonics
6. Only The Strong Survive - Jerry Butler
7. Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) - The Delfonics
8. Brand New Me - Dusty Springfield
9. Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You - Wilson Pickett
10. You're The Reason Why - The Ebonys
11. Drowning In The Sea Of Love - Joe Simon
12. I'm Stone In Love With You - The Stylistics
13. I Miss You - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
14. Back Stabbers The O'Jays
15. Sunshine The O'Jays
16. I'll Be Around The Spinners
17. Slow Motion (Pt. 1) Johnny Williams
18. Me And Mrs. Jones Billy Paul
19. If You Don't Know Me By Now - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
20. Love Is Here The Futures
Disc 2
1. Love Train - The O'Jays
2. Break Up To Make Up - The Stylistics
3. Family Affair - MFSB
4. It's Forever - The Ebonys
5. Time To Get Down - The O'Jays
6. There's No Me Without You - The Manhattans
7. I'll Always Love My Mama - The Intruders
8. The Love I Lost - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
9. I Wanna Know Your Name - The Intruders
10. Dirty Ol' Man - The Three Degrees
11. Put Your Hands Together - The O'Jays
12. Thanks For Saving My Life - Billy Paul
13. Mighty Love - The Spinners
14. Be Thankful For What You Got (PT. 1) - William Devaughn
15. For The Love Of Money - The O'Jays
16. Where Do We Go From Here - The Trammps
17. T.S.O.P. (The Sound Of Philadelphia) - MSFB (Featuring The Three Degrees)
Disc 3
1. Then Came You - The Spinners With Dionne Watwick
2. Love Is The Message - MFSB (Featuring The Three Degrees)
3. When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees
4. Where Are All My Friends - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
5. Picture Us - Bunny Sigler
6. Bad Luck - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
7. Give The People What They Want - The O'Jays
8. Billy's Back Home - Billy Paul
9. Hope That We Can Be Together Soon - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (Featuring Sharon Paige)
10. Do It Any Way You Wanna - People's Choice
11. The Big Hurt - People's Choice
12. Let Me Make Love To You - The O'Jays
13. Wake Up Everybody - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
14. I Love Music - The O'Jays
15. Don't Leave Me This Way - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
16. Let's Groove - Archie Bell & The Drells
17. Livin' For The Weekend - The O'Jays
Disc 4
1. Kiss And Say Goodbye - The Manhattans
2. I'm Not In Love - Dee Dee Sharp
3. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine - Lou Rawls
4. The Rubberband Man - The Spinners
5. Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons
6. Free Love - Jean Carn
7. I Don't Love You Anymore - Teddy Pendergrass
8. See You When I Git There - Lou Rawls
9. Use Ta Be My Girl - The O'Jays
10. Close The Door - Teddy Pendergrass
11. Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now - Mcfadden & Whitehead
12. You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else - The Jones Girls
13. Hurry Up This Way Again - The Stylistics
14. Love T.K.O. - Teddy Pendergrass
15. I Ain't Jivin', I'm Jammin' - Leon Huff
16. It's Gonna Take A Miracle - Deniece Williams
17. If Only You Knew - Patti Labelle
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Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Sony/Legacy's 2008 four-disc Love Train: The Ultimate Sound of Philadelphia isn't the first box set assembled on Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's legendary Philadelphia International Records -- most notably it follows the triple-disc Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and the Story of Brotherly Love (1966-1976) by just over a decade -- but it is surely the best, covering more ground and painting a fuller picture of the Philly soul sound than any other similar compilation. This is largely due to how Love Train doesn't focus solely on singles released on Philadelphia International: it encompasses sides released on early, pre-PIR imprints like Crimson, Philly Groove, and Gamble but, more importantly, it weaves in outside productions by Gamble & Huff and their crucial partner Thom Bell. Adding all these non-PIR singles greatly expands Love Train, as does the decision to have this set run all the way into 1983, thereby emphasizing how Gamble & Huff's symphonic soul opened the doors for both disco and quiet storm. Part of the set's appeal is that it does offer some education, illustrating how the psychedelicized soul of 1967's "Expressway (To Your Heart)" led to the cool, soft grooves of 1980's "Love T.K.O.," a document of how rich and adventurous '70s soul was thanks to Gamble & Huff and Bell, and all their artists and associates, but this set never drags like a history lesson. It keeps moving from peak to peak, spending the first disc on early triumphs from the Delfonics ("La-La -- Means I Love You," "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)"), Joe Simon ("Drowning in the Sea of Love"), the O'Jays ("Back Stabbers"), the Spinners ("I'll Be Around"), Billy Paul ("Me and Mrs. Jones") and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes ("If You Don't Know Me by Now"), the songs that established the Philly Sound, then giving way to the glory days documented on the second disc, which opens with the O'Jays' "Love Train" and closes with "T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)," the singles that helped cement the Philly sound on a broader scale. The third disc finds Gamble & Huff and Bell expanding their lush signature, ushering in disco with singles like Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Don't Leave Me This Way," then the fourth disc charts the aftermath through the Spinners' "The Rubberband Man," Lou Rawls' "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mind," and Deniece Williams' "It's Gonna Take a Miracle." Although there are assorted lesser-known singles scattered throughout the box, this is by design hits-heavy, which is how it should be, as this showcases a body of work -- and as this superb set proves, Gamble & Huff's body of work ranks among the strongest popular music of the 20th century.
