Back in late January, we shared news of Philadelphia International Records' 50th anniversary plans.  The centerpiece of the campaign announced by Sony Music's Legacy Recordings was a series of CD box sets presenting every PIR album in chronological order.  Now, the first of those box sets is available for pre-order with a release date of May 28.

Get On Board the Soul Train: The Sound of Philadelphia International Records Vol. 1 is a product of the U.K.-based United Souls, an imprint of Snapper Music.  The slipcased, 8-CD/1-12" single hardcover book-style set will feature the following eight albums, originally released between 1972 and 1973:

• Billy Paul, Going East (Philadelphia International Z 30580, 1971);
• Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, I Miss You (Philadelphia International KZ 31648, 1972);
• The O'Jays, Back Stabbers (Philadelphia International KZ 31712, 1972);
• Billy Paul, 360 Degrees of Billy Paul (Philadelphia International KZ 31793, 1972);
• Dick Jensen, Dick Jensen (Philadelphia International KZ 31794, 1973);
• The Intruders, Save the Children (Gamble KZ 31991, 1973);
• MFSB, MFSB (Philadelphia International KZ 32046, 1973); and
• Billy Paul, Ebony Woman (Neptune NLPS-201, 1970 - reissued Philadelphia International KZ 32118, 1973).

The set is rounded out by a 12-inch vinyl single of the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers" b/w MFSB's "Back Stabbers" and an exclusive poster.

These eight albums represent some of the early triumphs of the Philadelphia Sound, all recorded at Joe Tarsia's Sigma Sound Studios, with productions and songs by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff; arrangements by the esteemed likes of Thom Bell, Bobby Martin, Norman Harris, Lenny Pakula, and Vince Montana; and accompaniment from the original line-up of MFSB (with all of the above-named gentlemen as well as Bobby Eli, Ronnie Baker, T.J. Tindall, Roland Chambers, Karl Chambers, Earl Young, Larry Washington, Zach Zachary, and others) and Don Renaldo's Horns and Strings.

While most of these LPs are recognized classics, there are at least a couple of underrated gems here: most notably Billy Paul's sophomore album Ebony Woman (originally released on PIR precursor label Neptune in 1970 but reissued on PIR in 1973) and the self-titled album by Dick Jensen, the late Hawaiian vocalist known to audiences there as "The Giant" for both his commanding height and commensurate talent.  The seminal Back Stabbers was The O'Jays' second LP with Gamble and Huff; their first, In Philadelphia, was another 1970 Neptune release subsequently reissued by PIR.  It should appear on a future volume of this series.  Save the Children was the fourth LP by The Intruders, as their first three albums were all released by another PIR predecessor, the original Gamble label.  (That name was revived as an imprint of PIR for Save the Children.)

Every album in Get on Board the Soul Train: The Sound of Philadelphia Vol. 1 is promised to have been remastered from the original tapes, though no mastering engineer has yet been indicated.  Note that all eight of these albums have been reissued in recent years, most in expanded editions from Cherry Red's Big Break Records imprint.  No bonus material is included on these presentations which echo the original album sequences only.

The whole set is handsomely packaged within a 48-page book featuring liner notes by Tony Cummings, author of the 1975 tome The Sound of Philadelphia, and a foreword by DJ Ralph Tee.  By the time this 15-volume collection is complete, all 140 or so of PIR's original albums will be reissued.  The very next box set should bring the worldwide CD debut of Spiritual Concept, an eponymous album from a group led by T. Life and T.G. Conway.

Get On Board the Soul Train: The Sound of Philadelphia International Records Vol. 1, due May 28, is available now for pre-order.  You'll find the links and track listings below.

Various Artists, Get On Board the Soul Train: The Sound of Philadelphia International Records Vol. 1 (United Souls/Snapper, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Burning Shed)

CD 1: Billy Paul, Going East (Philadelphia LP Z-30580, 1971)

1. Going East
2. (If You Let Me Make Love to You Then) Why Can't I Touch You?
3. This is Your Life
4. Jesus Boy (You Only Look Like a Man)
5. Magic Carpet Ride
6. I Wish It Were Yesterday
7. Compared to What
8. Love Buddies
9. There's a Small Hotel

CD 2: Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, I Miss You (Philadelphia International KZ 31648, 1972)

1. I Miss You
2. Ebony Woman
3. Yesterday I Had the Blues
4. If You Don't Know Me by Now
5. Be for Real
6. Let Me Into Your World
7. Let It Be You

CD 3: O'Jays, Back Stabbers (Philadelphia International KZ 31712, 1972)

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
7. Listen to the Clock on the Wall
8. Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People
9. Sunshine
10. Love Train

CD 4: Billy Paul, 360 Degrees of Billy Paul (Philadelphia International KZ 31793, 1972)

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?
6. Let's Stay Together
7. Your Song
8. I'm Gonna Make It This Time

CD 5: Dick Jensen, Dick Jensen (Philadelphia International LP KZ-31794, 1973)

1. A Penny for Your Thoughts
2. I Don't Want to Cry
3. Three Cheers to Love
4. Fat Mama
5. New York City's a Lonely Town
6. 32nd Street
7. Going Up on the Mountain
8. Peace of Mind
9. Shall We Gather by the Water
10. Tamika (Come Back Later)

CD 6: The Intruders, Save the Children (Gamble KZ 31991, 1973)

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
6. Memories Aren't Here to Stay
7. Teardrops
8. Hang On in There

CD 7: MFSB, MFSB (Philadelphia International KZ 32046, 1973)

1. Freddie's Dead
2. Family Affair
3. Something for Nothing
4. Back Stabbers
5. Lay in Low
6. Poinciana

CD 8: Billy Paul, Ebony Woman (Neptune NLPS-201, 1970 - reissued Philadelphia International KZ 32118, 1973

1. Ebony Woman
2. Mrs. Robinson
3. The Windmills of Your Mind
4. Everyday People
5. Let's Fall in Love All Over
6. Windy
7. Psychedelic Sally
8. Traces
9. Proud Mary

Bonus single: O'Jays, "Back Stabbers" b/w MFSB, "Back Stabbers"