Teddy Pendergrass - Teddy (Philadelphia International Records/1979)

After the big success of the Motown record label in the 60s, record companies wanted to get their own motown, in 1970 Columbia decided to sign dynamic duo Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff with their all new label Philadelphia International Records.
Given a $75,000 advance for 15 singles, with LPs budgeted at $25,000 apiece, Gamble and Huff soon exploded into the national musical consciousness, selling some ten million records in the span of nine months thanks to monster hits including Billy Paul's "Me and Mrs. Jones," Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and the O'Jays' "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train." Their signature aesthetic — an intoxicating combination of sweeping strings, smoky horns and insistent rhythms — emerged as the definitive soul sound of the early '70s, also becoming the blueprint for the rise of disco during the latter half of the decade.
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes included the young talented singer named Teddy Pendergrass. Unfortunately, the more success the group had, the more friction developed between Melvin and Pendergrass. Despite the revised billing of the group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Theodore Pendergrass, Pendergrass felt that he wasn't getting enough recognition.
Harold Melvin decided to create the Blue Notes and Teddy Pendergrass decided to go solo with a new contract with Philadelphia International Records in late 1976/1977.
Before rushing his Rolls Royce into a tree that left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair bound, he recorded amazing soul albums on the label. It is hard to choose one album from him but if you got to take one choose Teddy. The album is just perfect as the first track going " Come Go With Me " a real bedroom classic that i must have listened a 1000 times and still feel fresh to my ear. " Turn Off The Lights " keep the heat on, whereas " Set Me Free " is a disco/soul masterpiece with an amazing orchestration.
Better than Barry White, smoother than Marvin Gaye, it is The Male Soul singer of the 70s.
Discography :
1977 - Teddy Pendergrass
1978 - Life Is The Song Worth Singing
1979 - Teddy
1979 - Live ! Coast To Coast
1980 - TP
1981 - It’s Time For Love
Except the Live ! album only good for die hard fans (i am) all those albums are perfect.