News & Reviews

BASS: Dimitri from Paris new album 'Get Down With The Philly Sound' an ode to Disco
Edited Press Release

BBE Records proudly presents its fifth and arguably most exciting compilation with The French DJ and ambassador of disco Dimitri from Paris. "Get Down With The Philly Sound" focuses on Dimitri’s essential disco era tracks, all made in Philadelphia, and feature the core of the rhythm section that created and defined the sound of the genre.

Dimitri’s selection on CD1 traces the evolution of the '70s disco groove from the first ever disco hit record, to the rejuvenation of the Jackson 5’s career, interspersed with obscurities such as Charles Mann to the magnificent Teddy Pendergrass; Philly International’s answer to Marvin Gaye.

CD2 of the compilation pays homage to the original creators and innovators of the remix and extended edits with reworkings exclusively by Dimitri from Paris. The compilation exclusively features five remixes and four edits by Dimitri from Paris.

Philadelphia gave birth to and defined the brand new Disco genre. Gamble and Huff’s sound evolved from the simpler arrangements of the late 1960s into a style featuring lush strings, thumping basslines and sliding hi-hat rhythms. The anthemic "The Love I Lost" by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in 1973, laid the blueprint for how a disco record should sound.

Sigma's sound was so strong that mainstream acts queued up to record there: David Bowie recorded his Young Americans album there, Dusty Springfield recorded A Brand New Me, while Elton John’s 1977 Philadelphia sessions were in such demand recently that they provided a hit single (‘Are You Ready For Love’) and CD re-issue 3 decades after the recordings were first made.

Nearly all of the disco output from Philadelphia between 1973 and 1980 featured the work of the same studio musicians, known as The Family or MFSB (Mother, Father, Sister, Brother).

The classic line up of musicians included Earl Young, Founder of The Trammps and creator of the 4/4 disco drum pattern which laid the template for every dance record since. Meanwhile Tom Moulton, who pioneered the Disco Mix in a 12 inch vinyl format and supplied missing masters for this compilation, influenced the popularity of the songs with his legendary mixes.

By 1975, Philadelphia International and the Philadelphia soul and disco genres it helped define had largely eclipsed Motown and the Motown Sound in popularity and Gamble and Huff were the premiere producers of soul with nearly 200 gold and platinum records to their credit. Salsoul capitalized on the success of the sound by employing the same musicians while focusing predominantly on club music.

Now, for the first time ever, Gamble and Huff have given a label access to the multi track tapes of some Philly International platinum selling classics such as "The Love I Lost" and "Bad Luck" featuring the vocals of the late great Teddy Pendergrass, the first black male to release five consecutive platinum albums in the United States.

This tribute to the creators of disco is presented on a limited edition double CD, and three deluxe multiple vinyl releases, exclusively featuring Dimitri’s remixes and edits. There will be an additional vinyl double pack containing remixes by Francois Kevorkian, John Morales and Tom Moulton.

Click here for more information on record label BBE, which releases Get Down With the Philly Sound on May 18, 2010. Check out Dimitri from Paris' website. He's also on Myspace.

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