Search - Philadelphia International Records 12-Inch Singles :: Philadelphia International Records 12-Inch Singles

At last

Constantin Declercq | 01/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After an excellent collection «Motown disco» we've got now an excellent collection «Philadelphia disco». 21 tracks are from the period 1977-1979 and two from the 80's. Some songs were hard to find like «You gonna make me love somebody else» (8:00) by the Jones Girls, «I'll never forget my favorite disco» (5:37) by Dexter Wansel featuring the Jones Girls or «It's critical» (6:30) by Billy Paul. Of course we have «Ain't no stoppin' us now» by McFadden & Whitehead in its 10+ minutes form. Frantique's «Strut your funky stuff» version is the UK remix (5:45 instead of 6:15) and Jean Carn's «Was that all it was» is an alternate edited mix and not the original 12" version (6:27 and not 7:44 like it's written on the cover). Talking about Jean Carn, why do we have «Don't let it go to your head», a 1978 song in its lp form (no 12" is available anyway) and not «What's on your mind», a 1979 song extended to 5:45 for the 12"s B-side of the 7:44 version of «Was that all it was» ?"

NOT EXACTLY A PHILLY CHEESE STEAK BUT.....

Patrick Frierson | 02/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's tasty enough. Philadelphia International 12" Singles brings together some of the 12" singles released by the legendary record label during disco's heyday of the late 70's and early 80's. Most of the long tracks on here are fairly obscure and may not be obvious to many fans of the label.



What's cool about this set is that many of tracks does not sound like the trademark Philly International sound (a la "I love Music"). Instead, it showcases a different side to philly international with a wide range of songs. "Strut your funky stuff" is a cool slice of euro dance, "Goldmine" is one of the funkiest long players released by the label, "Let's Clean up the Ghetto" has a charging bassline that's every bit as demanding as the singers plea for neighborhoods to come together and clean it up, "Aint got time for nothin" is a smooth hybrid of the trademark PIR strings and an Earth Wind and Fire style bassline and vocals. "Put our Heads Together" finds the O Jays adapting to the 80's gracefully, and who haven't heard "You gonna make me love somebody else" and "Ain't no Stopping us Now".



There are some ocassional dull patches such as Jocko's "Rocketship" (If you're able to endure his corny attempt at rapping, the rhythm track is funky enough to make you not wanna press the skip button) and "Rhythm Talk". "Let me be Good to you" is a lightheated throw away and could've been replaced with a far superior 12" track such as Teddy P's "Only You".



While showcasing a different side to philly International is a amirable move, it does so at the expense of consistency in terms of sound. While the album is generally solid from start to finish, the tracks seem patchy and throwed together with a whiplash change in sounds and tones from track to track. Taken all at once, it can be a bit much to handle. Taken in moderation, you'll truly see how good a lot of these songs are.



Not only does the tacky pacing of the songs hold this album back from being better than it could've been, It's the quality of the songs. This anthology is not as climatic as it appears to be since many of the these songs are not lost masterpieces. Only a handful of these songs can actually go down as PIR classics. Sure there's plently of highlights on this album, but most of them don't match the unforgettable quality

of the classics PIR songs that we're familiar with.



The patchy track flow and the quality of the songs make PIR 12" Singles sound like "Bonus Tracks" to a great album more so than a definitive anthology. Make no mistake, its enough highlights and good rarities to make it worth checking out and having in your collection. This album can best be described as a philly cheese steak without a lot of grease. It taste good but its not the same!











"

THE Philadelphia International 12" singles collection.

Justo Roteta | Los Angeles, California United States | 12/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Philadelphia International Records began making "Disco" records long before anyone defined the genre and this superb collection brings us the extended 12" single versions of all-time classics by such legends as The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Jean Carn, The Jones Girls, Jerry Butler and Lou Rawls (among others) as well as some relatively obscure tracks by little-known artists. Tony Rounce's extensive liner notes are both very informative and round out the package nicely. This 2-CD set is a perfect choice for getting any party started and is also a "must-have" for your collection."