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O'Jays

O'Jays

30 articles

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The O'Jays: Together For More Than A Decade

Profile by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 18 February 1972

OF ALL the so-called lesser known American vocal groups, the O'Jays are one of the most remarkable. Not only have they been together for well ...

The O'Jays: Back Stabbers (Philadelphia International); Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes: I Miss You (Philadelphia International)

Review by Danny Goldberg, Rolling Stone, 26 October 1972

KENNETH GAMBLE and Leon Huff are the current grandmasters of R&B production, having delivered not only dozens of hit singles during the last several years ...

The O'Jays: Back Stabbers (CBS 65257 £2.29)

Review by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 17 November 1972

THE O'JAYS' success with 'Back Slabbers' has been one of the high spots for Soul of 1972. Hot on the heels of the hit single ...

O'Jays are Okay

Profile and Interview by Richard Williams, Melody Maker, 10 February 1973

A GROUP like the O'Jays is, to be honest, only as good as the producers and writers it works with. It may have a lead ...

The O'Jays

Report and Interview by Roger St. Pierre, New Musical Express, 24 February 1973

WHEN THE O'JAYS fly in for an extensive British tour next month it'll be the fulfillment of a longstanding ambition. It will not be their ...

The O'Jays: Ship Ahoy (Philadelphia International)

Review by Tony Cummings, Black Music, December 1973

POWER TO the O'Jays for a daring album concept. A slave ship packed with misery is a heavy sleeve design for any group to surround ...

The O'Jays: Ship Ahoy (Philadelphia International PIR 65860 £2.17)

Review by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 7 December 1973

THE O'JAYS have emerged as the most serious competition that the Temptations have had during their four year reign as undisputed top soul group. And ...

The O'Jays, Billy Paul, The Intruders – Philadelphia International Tour: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 21 December 1973

MOST INITIAL comments that I overheard on my way out from the Philly Package concert at London's Hammersmith Odeon theatre were slightly tinged with disappointment. ...

O'Jays are Okay

Profile by Tony Cummings, Black Music, January 1974

IN 1958 IN every high school in every state of America, students (some with talent, some without) were forming themselves into would-be doo-wop groups. Two ...

O'Jays, Billy Paul, The Intruders: Philadelphia International Soul Show, Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Paul Gambaccini, Rolling Stone, 17 January 1974

"THE NEXT stop that we make will be England" was the cue for 3000 Londoners to get out of their seats and move to the ...

The O'Jays, Billy Paul, the Intruders: Philly Tour, Fairfield Hall, Croydon, and Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Tony Cummings, Black Music, February 1974

THE GEOGRAPHICAL luck of being able to catch the Philly package twice (at Croydon's Fairfield Hall and Hammersmith's Odeon) had its disadvantages too. Large chunks ...

Soul Man: "Cholly" Atkins

Profile and Interview by Vernon Gibbs, Crawdaddy!, July 1974

THE MAN who taught the Temptations their strut, the Pips their dip, the Miracles their whip... takes it all in stride. ...

Gladys Knight & the Pips, the O'Jays, Kool & the Gang, Billy Eckstine, Donald Byrd: Nassau Coliseum, Long Island NY

Live Review by Ian Dove, The New York Times, 5 July 1974

On L.I., Jazz Takes a Back Seat to Soul ...

Inside The Philly Sound

Report and Interview by Tony Cummings, Black Music, December 1975

In the States, and in Britain, the insidious sweet beat of the Philly Sound continues to conquer the best selling charts. The whooping passion of ...

The O'Jays: Loving the Music with Gamble & Huff

Report and Interview by Tom Vickers, Rolling Stone, 15 January 1976

LOS ANGELES — Walking by what used to be a restaurant at the Beverly Comstock Hotel in Beverly Hills, one wonders why they keep playing ...

The O'Jays: Family Reunion (Philadelphia International)***

Review by Vivien Goldman, Sounds, 28 February 1976

THERE'S A HIT on this record, in case you're interested – 'I Love Music'. I needn't elaborate on that one, as if you're reading this ...

Gamble & Huff: It's Got a Good Beat, and You Can Pray to It

Report and Interview by Tom Vickers, Rolling Stone, 20 May 1976

The only way for our music to go is the way the world goes. And where it goes negative, we're going to show where it ...

The O'Jays Mind Their Own Business

Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 8 June 1976

At a time when big-name tours have become economically prohibitive, the trio took it on themselves to underwrite their own nationwide tour. Eddie Levert explains ...

O'Jays: Message in the Music

Review by Joe McEwen, Rolling Stone, 16 December 1976

NOW THAT the Staples are unabashed sex merchants, the O'Jays are pop's foremost message mongerers. But the O'Jays don't write or produce their albums, so ...

The O'Jays' Philly Decision

Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 15 March 1977

'Magic' is how the O'Jays describe their success with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and they want to continue working with them. But they want ...

Cholly Atkins: The Man Who Put Pep In Soul's Step

Interview by Tom Vickers, Black Music, May 1977

Choreographer Cholly Atkins is the most important figure in the history of black music stage presentation. The choreographer who conceived all those unison spins and ...

The O'Jays Interview

Interview by John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 18 July 1978

John Abbey talks to lead singer Eddie Levert and newest member Sammy Strain, and reports on just why and how the O'Jays have remained in ...

The O'Jays: So Full Of Love (Philly Int PIR 86066)

Review by Penny Valentine, Melody Maker, 11 November 1978

THIS IS an album that's already had two tracks pulled off as singles. Yet the real prize is lurking on the last track of side ...

The O'Jays, Jocelyn Brown: Berklee Performance Center, Boston MA

Live Review by Jim Sullivan, The Boston Globe, 23 July 1984

Camaraderie at the Berklee ...

The O'Jays, Angela Bofill: Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles CA

Live Review by David Nathan, Blues & Soul, 28 May 1985

OCCASIONALLY, it's possible to witness a show in which the opening act is more impressive than the headliner. It doesn't happen too often — and ...

The O'Jays, LeVert: Hammersmith Odeon, London

Live Review by Chris Roberts, Melody Maker, 20 February 1988

TWO GENERATIONS of soul — neither of which, on this showing, could work on a building of love or tear your playhouse down, or any ...

Brotherly Love: The Musicians

Sleeve notes by Vernon Gibbs, Epic/Philadelphia International, 1997

Original contribution to sleevenotes for The Philly Sound: Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff & The Story Of Brotherly Love (1966-1976) (Epic/Philadelphia International) ...

Gerald Levert: Daddy, I Wanna Sing

Profile and Interview by Amy Linden, Vibe, October 1998

SECOND-GENERATION LEVERT SINGER AND LSG GURU GERALD HAS SONGS FOR DAYS — ASK HIS POPS, EDDIE ...

The Sound of Philadelphia

Retrospective by Michael A. Gonzales, Ebony, 18 October 2013

Sweet Philly soul has influenced the likes of Erykah Badu, the Roots, David Bowie and more. Michael A. Gonzales delves into the1970s sound. ...

Why the early '70s was the greatest period for live soul albums

Guide by Mitchell Cohen, Music Aficionado, December 2016

JAMES BROWN invented the modern live soul album with the release of Live at the Apollo in 1963, and Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and Etta ...

see also Gerald Levert and Eddie Levert

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