Dec 21, 2008

SOUL SURVIVORS - WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS...(CRIMSON 1968) Remastered reissue + bonus



The Soul Survivors began their singing career in New York City as a street corner vocal group known as The Dedications. The early days were spent trying to audition and be heard by record companies and music publishers located in Broadway's famous Brill Building. Eventually, they found their way into the recording studios,landing their own record deal with Bell Records. Their first recording "I Ain't A Bit Sorry" reached the top ten list on New York's popular rhythm and blues radio station WWRL.
After several years of playing various venues in the New York area, they teamed up with a group of instrumentalists and became the band known as The Soul Survivors. As their popularity grew, especially in the Atlantic City - Philadelphia area, they attracted the attention of record producers Kenny Gamble and Loen Huff. Their meeting resulted in the recording of "Expressway To Your Heart". The record was a smash reaching one on all regional charts and number four on Billboard's national chart. Written and produced by Gamble and Huff, it would be that duo's first "crossover" hit and would serve as a cornerstone of what would later become known as "The Sound Of Philadelphia". In polls taken by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia's City Paper, "Expressway" was voted the number one record ever to come out of Philadelphia."Expressway" was followed by two other chart records, "Explosion In My Soul" and "Mission Impossible". At this time they also released their first album,"When The Whistle Blows". A second LP, "Take Another Look" for Atco Records, was recorded at Atlantic Records' New York studios and in the legendary Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with producer Rick Hall and his famous session musicians which included guitarist Duane Allman, as well as keyboardist Barry Beckett, guitarist Jimmy Johnson, drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist David Hood and, of course, The Memphis Horns. From these sessions came "Mama Soul",a regional hit in many markets including Memphis, Georgia, Connecticut, and Europe...
Here

2 comments:

jb said...

Thanks for the post and the history. Didn't realize this band had recorded with the fantastic Muscle Shoals rhythm section, but it makes sense.

Georgie Hirezola said...

Their second on ATCO (1969) is also very interesting album although it sounds different from this one...
but unfortunately I can't rip vinyls at the moment...
thanks+++++