Song of the Day 1/29: The Thompsons, “I’ll Always Love You”

The Sound of Philadelphia dominated popular music in 1975, when records produced by Gamble & Huff for the O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and the Three Degrees filled the airwaves. That made it easy for even Philly Soul fans to overlook “I’ll Get Over It,” the LP by this band of brothers from North Philly — especially since only 300 copies were printed. That scarcity eventually made it popular with collectors of Northern Soul, who paid hundreds for an original copy. Now it’s been reissued, licensed direct from Eric Ward and Tyrone Broxton, who wrote and produced the LP, by Brewerytown Beats, a label based in a record store on West Girard Avenue. That’s why I heard it last week on WXPN, which featured this as song of the week.

One review I saw cited this one, “Gotta Get Down to Ever Get Up,” a sort of Curtis Mayfield/Gil-Scott Heron mashup, as a standout track, and I agree.

Funny thing is, these songs have been on YouTube right along — but you had to know them to look for them.