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/ Billy Paul

March 8, 2021 By Joe Marchese 14 Comments

Get On Board the Soul Train

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

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD, Vinyl Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul, Dick Jensen, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, MFSB, The Intruders, The O'Jays, Thom Bell

April 11, 2019 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Billy Paul Me and Mrs. Jones Anthology

The late Billy Paul was one of the first and brightest stars in the Philadelphia International Records firmament.  His very first studio album - 1968's rather misleadingly titled Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club - was the second ever release on the Gamble label, a precursor to PIR, while Going East was the very first ever LP released on PIR.  The husky-voiced baritone remained with the label through the 1970s, and then recorded just a couple of albums for independent labels in the 1980s.  Billy

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul

November 6, 2018 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Billy Paul War of the Gods and 360 Degrees SACD

The U.K.'s Dutton Vocalion label is continuing to grow its SACD catalogue of quadraphonic releases.  Following recent titles from The Guess Who, Rick Derringer, Stephen Sondheim, and others, Vocalion has just released another batch of vintage quad mixes from the worlds of jazz (George Benson's Body Talk, Weather Report's Tale Spinnin'), rock (the Jim Peterik-affiliated jazz-rock fusion group Chase's Pure Music and Chase), and R&B.  In the latter category comes three albums from Philadelphia

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Categories: News Formats: CD, SACD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul

April 25, 2016 By Joe Marchese 2 Comments

Farewell to another remarkable voice.  Philly soul and R&B legend Billy Paul has passed away at the age of 81, leaving behind a decades-long legacy of rich, passionate and sublimely soulful music.  Big Break Records has been one of the stewards of Billy's musical history on CD; below, we've reprinted our review of 2014's reissue of Feelin' Good at the Cadillac Club in this great artist's memory. Big Break Records and Billy Paul - they've got a thing going on. The label, an imprint

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul

January 20, 2014 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

Big Break Records and Billy Paul - they've got a thing going on. The label, an imprint of the Cherry Red Group, has just returned to the soul titan's catalogue for the sixth time - and with this release has gone back to the very beginning.  BBR's previous reissues from the "Me and Mrs. Jones" singer have explored his Philadelphia International discography as well as his Neptune release Ebony Woman and  a post-PIR album for Total Experience Records.  Now, the label has turned its attention to

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul

May 29, 2013 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

billy paul lately

Today we're taking a look at two recent reissues from Big Break Records.  Both Billy Paul's Lately and Gap Band VII were originally released by Total Experience Records, and both were the production work of Jonah Ellis.  Big Break has expanded and remastered both albums. Billy Paul, Lately (Total Experience, 1985 - reissued Big Break CDBBR 0224, 2013) Could anyone among us have an inkling or a clue, what magic feats of wizardry and voodoo you can do?  And who would ever guess what powers

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Funk, R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul, The Gap Band

January 29, 2013 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

carmen mcrae i am music1

Timeless soul music knows no regional boundaries, at least based on the latest quintet of releases from Cherry Red's Big Break Records imprint.  With this group of reissues, you'll travel to Philadelphia by way of Hawaii, Oakland, Harlem and Chicago.  All of the titles previewed below are available now in the U.K. and next Tuesday, February 5, in the U.S.! Two new titles hail from the Philadelphia International Records catalogue.  Perhaps most exciting is the first CD release outside of Japan

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Azteca, Billy Paul, Carmen McRae, Dick Jensen, Tyrone Davis

November 28, 2012 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

billy paul war of the gods

When Philadelphia International Records turned 40 this past year, there was no single campaign to recognize the milestone.  In the U.S., Legacy Recordings offered up the sizzling rare concert Golden Gate Groove, and the U.K.'s Harmless label delivered the most comprehensive box set to date of the label's music.  But a great deal of the heavy lifting has come from another U.K. label, Big Break Records.  The BBR team has delivered a selection of generously expanded, beautifully designed album

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul, Bunny Sigler

September 5, 2012 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

billy paul 360 degrees1

Philadelphia International Records turns 40 this year, and Big Break Records keeps adding more candles to the birthday cake!  The label's latest release from the PIR catalogue is one of the mightiest albums ever produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff: 1972's 360 Degrees of Billy Paul, the long-player which introduced the world to the steamy soul epic "Me and Mrs. Jones."  This expanded and remastered edition follows BBR's reissue earlier this year of Paul's more jazz-oriented Ebony Woman, from

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Paul

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