Song of the Day 1/6: The O’Jays, “Back Stabbers”

This 1972 song put the O’Jays on the charts, and helped Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff’s Sound of Philadelphia depose Motown at the top of the soul/R&B charts.

There’s a reason the trio looks so polished in this Soul Train clip. The group, originally a quintet, formed way back in 1958 in Canton, Ohio. They had released dozens of singles over the years, occasionally reaching the lower reaches of the R&B charts, but never had a hit until they signed with Philadelphia International and released this single and the album of the same name in 1972. They had enough hits in the ’70s, including the No. 1 hit “Love Train” from the same LP, to make the Rock Hall of Fame.

“Back Stabbers,” written by the Philly International team of Gene McFadden and John Whitehead (best known for their own hit, “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now”), was the O’Jays’ first release for the label. It hit No. 1 on the R&B chart, No. 3 on the Hot 100, making them overnight sensations. The song owes a clear debt to the Undisputed Truth hit “Smiling Faces Sometimes,” which Levert quotes at the end of “Back Stabbers.”