Hat £Amica Ness in 1975, Died of Cancer in 1977

THANK YOU FOR a SOLID 50 YEARS OF GREAT SOULFUL MUSIL. YOU'RE THE BEST!!!

LOOKL%G FORWARD I TO WORKL\G WITH

YOU ON i'011ß NEW i THE O'JAYS with MATHEW KNOWLES (second from left) and gold records for 2003's `The Fighting Temptations' soundtrack. DVD/OD PROJECT. from »p34 the Uptown in Philadelphia, the Regal in Chicago " `For the Love of and the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Among the THE MUSIC COMM patrons who caught several of the O'Jays' per- Money' just has such a formances was a young songwriter /producer timeless groove and CENTURY PRODUCTIONS named Kenny Gamble. lyrics. I don't care "Eddie's voice and the harmony he had with MICHAEL CHERNOW Walter, it just attracted me," Gamble recalls. whether you're 20 or 60 MICKEY YANNICH "When Huff and I started producing records, ... put it on right now the O'Jays was one of the acts I thought we and you'll get the same MICHAEL POMARICO could write for. They had the delivery to exe- cute great songs." result. Everyone will get First signed to Gamble & Huff's Chess -dis- on that dancefloor." www.centuryproductions.net tributed Neptune label, the O'Jays scored in 1969 -MATHEW KNOWLES, with "One Night Affair" (No. 15). Several sin- gles later, the group became a trio when Massey MUSIC WORLD ENTERTAINMENT opted to become a record producer in 1971. Then PRESIDENT Neptune lost its deal with Chess -but fate in- tervened. Renaming their label Philadelphia In- singers have since stepped in: Sammy Strain ternational, Gamble & Huff secured distribution from Little Anthony & the Imperials, Nathaniel WL through Clive Davis at Columbia Records and Best and current member Eric Nolan Grant, who brought the O'Jays, Billy Paul De- Wenig - LaMonica Associates Ar_ENcr and the Three joined the group in 1995. grees with them. Leaving Philadelphia International after the 580 White Plains Road Suite 130, Tarrytown, NY 10591 That move proved momentous for the O'Jays. top five R &B hit "Let Me Touch You," the O'Jays Collaborating with & Ph: (914) 631 -6500 Fax: (914) 631 -0101 www.wlatalent,com Gamble Huff and a stable signed with EMI. of writers that included McFadden & Whitehead, Several more R &B hits ensued, including Thom Bell and Bunny Sigler, the O'Jays copped "Have You Had Your Love Today," "Don't Let Me

their first million -selling single, "Back Stabbers" Down," "Keep On Lovin' Me" and a gospel - (No. 1 R &B, No. 3 pop), in 1972 and a gold album flavored cover of Bob Dylan's "Emotionally by the same name. Yours." The trio also recorded a holiday album, "That groundbreaking song opened the door 1991's "Home for Christmas." for the O'Jays," says Levert, who now lives in Geffen chairman Ron Fair, then EMI senior Las Vegas. "I was amazed at the process- start- VP of A&R, recalls, "Sitting at the piano show- ing out hearing it only on the piano with Gam- ing Walter and Eddie how I wanted the song to ble & Huff, then going to a full orchestra. Gamble go, I had the benefit of working with two of the & Huff hit on what the O'Jays like to do, a soul- most massive geniuses of singing. Working with ful hootenanny mixing our gospel background them changed my life. They taught me about with the Philly sound; a pop edge with gospel soul and how to record vocals. There isn't any- on the bottom." one I've worked with, from Fergie to Christina Cleveland -based Williams adds, "We bene- Aguilera to Mary J. Blige and Keyshia Cole, who fited also by having two lead singers in the group. hasn't benefited from what Eddie and Walter Eddie could take a verse or two and then me; we taught me." play off each other. William was the tenor, I was Mathew Knowles, who signed the O'Jays to the baritone /bass who could sing anything else, his Music World Entertainment label and re- and Eddie was the lead who could also sing any- leased the "Imagination" album in 2004, cites thing else. Hearing that plus our gospel flair, the group's willingness to try new things as an- Gamble & Huff wrote toward that, coming up other key to its longevity. "I love that they were with very creative and powerful songs." willing to do something different on that album, A seemingly endless string of hits -party working with Jam & Lewis and other contempo- funk, ballads, socially conscious missives -fol- rary producers." lowed during the next 15 years, including "Love Beyond the career -building songs of Gamble Train," "Put Your Hands Together," "For the Love & Huff and their vocal prowess, another O'Jays of Money," "Message in Our Music," "Forever mainstay has been their energetic concert per-

Mine" and "Lovin' You." But then tragedy struck. formances. For this, they credit Tony Award - Powell, who retired from touring owing to ill- winning dancer and infamous Motown lady Wcni hat £aMica ness in 1975, died of cancer in 1977. Three choreographer Cholly continued on »p38

36 I BILLBOARD JUNE 14, 2008