Producer Spotlight — Gamble & Huff

Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, an influential songwriting and producing team, are innovators of the Philly soul sound who had a long stream of hits during the seventies.

From Philadelphia, Gamble’s life has been enriched with music at early age. He worked at a radio station, worked at a record store and was part of a singing group. Discovered by a music executive, Gamble was introduced to Leon Huff and collaborated on the hit, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”, recorded by Dee Dee Warwick (and later by The Supremes and The Temptations.)

Listen to “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” by Dee Dee Warwick.

Working at both Mercury and Atlantic Records respectively, they worked with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Jerry Butler. Emerging a successful songwriting and producing duo, Gamble and Huff started their own record label, Philadelphia International Records in 1971. With the help of legendary music executive Clive Davis, they secured a deal with CBS Records distributing their records.  They used a house band to release numerous hit songs, which their music was dubbed “Philly Soul”, during their reign in the seventies. Some of the songs were “If You Don’t Know Me By Now” by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, a series of songs by the R&B group The O’Jays which included “Love Train and Billy Paul’s “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Also, they produced their in-house band MFSB’s single, “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) which was a number #1 hit as well as serving at the theme song for the popular dance show, Soul Train.

To hear “TSOP”, click on this link. 

After a string of hits throughout the seventies, the label started on its decline due to the fickle changes in the music industry. But, Philadelphia International did manage to release a couple of hits for The Jacksons (“Enjoy Yourself”) in 1976 and McFadden and Whitehead (“Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”) in 1979. 

Despite the obstacles they faced in their latter years, the duo continued to write and produce and even won a Grammy in 1990 for Simply Red’s cover of the Blue Notes’ hit “If You Know Me By Now.” They have been recognized by the Recording Academy by presenting Gamble and Huff the Grammy Trustee Award, have been inducted in the National Academy of Songwriters Hall of Fame and are the recipients of the Ahmet Ertegen Award from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.