Lou Rawls

One of Philadelphia International's most successful artists through the the '70s. His 1977 LP Unmistakably Lou won him a third Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and contained the R&B Top Ten hit "See You When I Git There"; later that year, he continued his artistic and commercial hot streak with When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All and "Lady Love." The title track of 1979's Let Me Be Good to You was his last big hit with Philly International, reaching number 11 R&B. The following year, Rawls kicked off what would become a consuming passion for years to come: the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon, an annual event which eventually raised millions of dollars for the United Negro College Fund.

Lou Rawls had such a long career, his music appealed differently to changing generations. In the 1950s he recorded doo-wop, in the 60s it was jazz, blues and big band swing, then come the 70s it was silky soul as epitomised by Gamble & Huff's. You'll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine) for Philadelphia International Records. Now Is The Time and Close Company, neither previously available on CD, find Lou at the tail end of his soul years ahead of his return to jazzier roots and a record deal with Blue Note.

Lou Rawls with Les McCann Ltd. - Stormy Monday (1962) {Blue Note Records CDP 7 91441 2 rel 1990}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 258 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 106 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 51 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1962, 1990 Blue Note Records | CDP 7 91441 2
Jazz / Vocal Jazz / R&B / Soul Jazz

Lou Rawls has had a long and commercially successful career mostly singing soul, R&B, and pop music. Originally a gospel singer, Rawls' first album as a leader features him performing soulful standards backed by the Les McCann Trio. Few of the songs have been under-recorded through the years, but they sound fresh and lively when sung by Rawls; highlights include "Stormy Monday," "In the Evening," and "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water." Pianist McCann gets a generous amount of solo space, and the reissue has three bonus tracks. This is still Rawls' definitive recording in the jazz idiom, cut before he went on to more lucrative areas.

Released by Legacy in the U.K., this compact box set contains 20 albums – inside adequate LP replica sleeves – released by Philadelphia International. When it was issued, it retailed at a price that was roughly equivalent to the sum of three or four full-price titles, which made it a significant bargain. These albums don't represent the absolute best that PIR had to offer; instead, the box offers an assortment of commercial hits and misses, creative masterpieces and not-quite-failures, and showcases a significant portion of the label's roster.

Released by Legacy in the U.K., this compact box set contains 20 albums – inside adequate LP replica sleeves – released by Philadelphia International. When it was issued, it retailed at a price that was roughly equivalent to the sum of three or four full-price titles, which made it a significant bargain. These albums don't represent the absolute best that PIR had to offer; instead, the box offers an assortment of commercial hits and misses, creative masterpieces and not-quite-failures, and showcases a significant portion of the label's roster.

Massive 10 CD boxset celebrating the legacy of the Philadelphia International label and the unforgettable music released from the early '70s up through the early '80s. Philadelphia International expert Ralph Tee compiled this boxset for the label following his previous ground-breaking 14 x vinyl LP box set in 1986. This time, Ralph has the added benefit of a further 25 years of experience studying the Philadelphia International operation and a lot more time to play with: almost 800 minutes or over 131/2 hours of pure quality music from one of the greatest labels of all time. Also included within the package will be a 60 page full-size booklet containing full sleeve notes and track details from Ralph Tee, which will also include a number of archive photos and key album scans. Harmless.

Four CD set features over four hours of jazz classics from such artists as Norah Jones, St. Germain, Nina Simone, Shuggy Otis, Luther Vandross, Ella Fitzgerald, & many more. It's the 1st part of popular series "The Best… Ever!"

"Issued in July 1977 as Let's Clean Up the Ghetto by the Philadelphia International All-Stars, this is one of Philly soul's most socially aware efforts. The album's title track was a coming together of artists signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records: Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Archie Bell, Teddy Pendergrass, Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, and Eddie Levert and Walter Williams of the O'Jays. The compelling track with its "we're on the move'' bassline went to number four R&B, number 91 pop on Billboard's charts in summer 1977. The profits were allotted to a charity program. Even though the rest of the LP consists of various unreleased tracks, the result is consistent. The brassy "The Big Gangster" by the O'Jays got airplay as an album track. Other highlights are the fervent "Now Is the Time to Do It" by Teddy Pendergrass; the buoyant, optimistic "New World Comin'" by Billy Paul' and Archie Bell & the Drells' celebration of seniors, "Old People," produced by Bunny Sigler."