Philly to Forest Gate - Another Disco Haul

I hit up one of my regular sellers last week for a couple of slates of shiny disco goodness.

MFSB 'Universal Love' Philadelphia International Records LP
I first heard Philadelphia International Records house band MFSB ("Mother, Father, Sister, Brother") on the Paradise Garage classic 'Love Is The Message' and I'm familiar with the track 'TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)' (which was the theme tune to Don Cornelius' seminal 'Soul Train' TV show), both of which were on the LP immediately proceeding this one. MFSB were a 30-musician strong collective, formed and utilised by Gamble & Huff on a myriad of classic disco cuts through the seventies. The eponymous title track is more of their signature sound and the second half's cover of The Nite-Liters 'K-Jee' was later used to notable effect on the 'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack.

'The Sound Of Philadelphia - Philadelphia Roots Volume 2' Soul Jazz Records 2 x LP
More recently issued on the ever dependable reissue label Soul Jazz, this is the second installment of a collection of tracks originally issued on Philadelphia International. There's another five Gamble & Huff productions on here for my collection as well as The Delphonics, (whose producer later moved onto The Stylistics, whom I own a few LP's by)'s 'Ready Or Not'. (Which has been heavily sampled and was later covered by The Fugees).

Bobby & Steve/Kiss FM Presents 'Garage City' Beechwood 3 x LP 

Originally playing Philly Soul and disco, twin brothers Bobby & Steve Lavinière started in a wine bar in Forest Gate, London before becoming two of the most popular DJ's on the Warehouse party scene of the mid 1980's (alongside another of my favourites, Norman Jay). Their mix of Salsoul, Philadelphia International and Prelude 12"s evolved with them becoming some of the earliest UK DJ's playing the emerging house sounds from Chicago. This comp (from '99) supports their 'Garage City' radio programme on London's Kiss FM and alongside some disco orientated material features more commercially successful house from that era ('Sing It Back' by Moloko and Armand Van Heldens perennial 'You Don't Know Me' make an appearance).

It's not the first Bobby & Steve collection I've bought, with their disco orientated Bobby & Steve - The Anniversary Collection 1984 - 2004: Past, Present, Future (LP 1) SuSu Records 2 x LP set having been in my collection (largely unplayed) for many years.

What I've found a little bit strange about digging this out of the stack (post-arrival from the UK) is that many of the Philly soul/disco artists that I've discovered more recently (The Jones Girls for instance), have actually had appearances on records in my collection for a long while. (The comp also features Rufus, who I've bought a couple of LP's by recently as well, even before I realised the Norman Whitfield connection).