Legends Gamble & Huff, Thom Bell Reteam For Book, Other Projects

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By Gail Mitchell, Los Angeles | June 06, 2013 6:22 PM EDT Billboard

Legendary production duo and Philadelphia International Records founders Gamble & Huff have begun writing their autobiography, Billboard has learned exclusively. The definitive look back at the pair's pioneering legacy is the latest project under a representation pact signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) in 2011, covering all areas including film, TV theater and lecture appearances. Under the working title "The Sound of Philadelphia," the publication is slated for late 2014 or early 2015.

Plans for the upcoming book prompted a reunion/meeting last week at Philadelphia International Records between Gamble & Huff and fellow songwriter/producer Thom Bell. The three are the principals behind the music publishing company Mighty Three Music. Currently owned by Warner/Chappell Music Inc., the catalogue includes such classics as "Back Stabbers," "Only the Strong Survive," "Me and Mrs. Jones," "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and "For the Love of Money." Beyond the book, discussions are under way about various other projects to celebrate the trio's 50-year legacy over the next five years. Chief among the ideas under discussion: a stage musical.

Gamble thanks Berry Gordy's "Motown ­ The Musical" for opening the door. "The play brought back a lot of memories and shows how hard it was for an African-American owned company to make the strides it made," Gamble tells Billboard. "It wasn't easy."

As for the book, it will naturally focus on the music and how, in Huff's words, "we were able to complement each other in many ways." Adds Gamble, "We all had one thing in mind: how can we make a living out of this music business we love so much."

"All our energies were the same," recalls Bell. "Banging on doors and having them slammed in our faces . that was fun. But it all clicked. We took the ride and good things happened." Bell, who lives in Seattle, is also working on another project. He is planning a 2014 concert featuring his music (he's also worked with the Spinners, Stylistics and others) in tandem with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.

There is a movie about Casablanca Records in pre-production right now,starring Justin Timberlake as the label founder/president Neil Bogart.How about a movie about Philadelphia International?? The Gamble and Huff story is really fascinating and the Philly Sound was so huge in the 70s.That story needs to be told in a movie.I'm thinking that Denzil Washington could play Kenny Gamble...Tyrese could play Teddy Pendergrass....they would also need to cast three guys to play the O'Jays...someone to play Don Cornelius (he played a huge role in the early development of the Philly Sound by featuring "T.S.O.P" as the theme song to Soul Train in 1974).

Bring it on!!

To those of you who have read this book,you know that there is a really good,interesting story here!

SoulAlive said:

There is a movie about Casablanca Records in pre-production right now,starring Justin Timberlake as the label founder/president Neil Bogart.How about a movie about Philadelphia International?? The Gamble and Huff story is really fascinating and the Philly Sound was so huge in the 70s.That story needs to be told in a movie.I'm thinking that Denzil Washington could play Kenny Gamble...Tyrese could play Teddy Pendergrass....they would also need to cast three guys to play the O'Jays...someone to play Don Cornelius (he played a huge role in the early development of the Philly Sound by featuring "T.S.O.P" as the theme song to Soul Train in 1974).

Bring it on!!

Is this a TV movie? I can't imagine there being a big audience going to a movie theater to see a film about a record label. As far as PI is concerned, wouldn't Denzel be too old, since Gamble & Huff's heyday were late 1960's to maybe the late 1970's. I wonder would Daryl Hall be a character in such a movie since he was a session musician for Bell, Gamble, & Huff.

SoulAlive said:

MickyDolenz said:

SoulAlive said:

There is a movie about Casablanca Records in pre-production right now,starring Justin Timberlake as the label founder/president Neil Bogart.How about a movie about Philadelphia International?? The Gamble and Huff story is really fascinating and the Philly Sound was so huge in the 70s.That story needs to be told in a movie.I'm thinking that Denzil Washington could play Kenny Gamble...Tyrese could play Teddy Pendergrass....they would also need to cast three guys to play the O'Jays...someone to play Don Cornelius (he played a huge role in the early development of the Philly Sound by featuring "T.S.O.P" as the theme song to Soul Train in 1974).

Bring it on!!

Is this a TV movie? I can't imagine there being a big audience going to a movie theater to see a film about a record label.

No,Spinning Gold,starring Justin Timberlake,will be a motion picture....not a TV movie.

Caramelpfe said:

SoulAlive said:

To those of you who have read this book,you know that there is a really good,interesting story here!

I loved every sentence of this book, such a good read

It's such a compelling book,I couldn't put it down I especially like the parts that described specific recording sessions,such as the recording of "Bad Luck" by Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes.

These legendary producers dont get that much credit at all. I liked to see them honored.

[Edited 6/8/13 15:47pm]

MickyDolenz said:

I can't imagine there being a big audience going to a movie theater to see a film about a record label.

I disagree.I bet if there was a motion picture about Motown,it would be a box office smash.The thing is,it just has to be done right.The story has to be compelling.A few years ago,I saw 'Cadillac Records' and I thought it was very well-done.Great movie.Surely,a movie about Philadelphia International and the 70s Philly sound will easily find an audience.

SoulAlive said:

MickyDolenz said:

I can't imagine there being a big audience going to a movie theater to see a film about a record label.

I disagree. I bet if there was a motion picture about Motown, it would be a box office smash. The thing is,it just has to be done right. The story has to be compelling. A few years ago, I saw 'Cadillac Records' and I thought it was very well-done. Great movie. Surely,a movie about Philadelphia International and the 70s Philly sound will easily find an audience.

Cadillac Records wasn't a hit though. According to Box Office Mojo, it made around $8,880,045 worldwide with a production budget of $12 million, and it had Beyonce in it. Then again, Cadillac was a label mainly known for blues, never really a genre known for Top 40 hit records or having a large mainstream audience. B.B. King, the most well known blues singer, only had 1 Top 20 hit. Unless you count Eric Clapton, and his bigger hits weren't blues songs.

.

In general, I don't think a younger hip hop audience would really be that interested in a Motown theatrical film. The ones that have been made so far were TV movies (The Temptations, The Jacksons: An American Dream). It's possible that one about Death Row Records could draw a big enough audience to make money, but that would have less appeal to boomers. Notorious, about Biggie Smalls made $44,371,751 worldwide with a production budget of $20 million. So it made a pretty good profit.

Give me a documentary flim over a book or fiction disguised as a bio Hollywood movie.

I don't care for Mr.Timberlake so there's not way in hell I'll ever see the Casablanca movie. Though if he wasn't in it I probably wouldn't go see it either. Its damn near impossible to get me to a movie theater these days.

MickyDolenz said:

SoulAlive said:

I disagree. I bet if there was a motion picture about Motown, it would be a box office smash. The thing is,it just has to be done right. The story has to be compelling. A few years ago, I saw 'Cadillac Records' and I thought it was very well-done. Great movie. Surely,a movie about Philadelphia International and the 70s Philly sound will easily find an audience.

Cadillac Records wasn't a hit though. According to Box Office Mojo, it made around $8,880,045 worldwide with a production budget of $12 million, and it had Beyonce in it. Then again, Cadillac was a label mainly known for blues, never really a genre known for Top 40 hit records or having a large mainstream audience. B.B. King, the most well known blues singer, only had 1 Top 20 hit. Unless you count Eric Clapton, and his bigger hits weren't blues songs.

.

In general, I don't think a younger hip hop audience would really be that interested in a Motown theatrical film. The ones that have been made so far were TV movies (The Temptations, The Jacksons: An American Dream). It's possible that one about Death Row Records could draw a big enough audience to make money, but that would have less appeal to boomers. Notorious, about Biggie Smalls made $44,371,751 worldwide with a production budget of $20 million. So it made a pretty good profit.

......and the producers can cast Brodus Clay (from World Wrestling Entertainment) as Marion "Suge" Knight!

TD3 said:

Give me a documentary flim over a book or fiction disguised as a bio Hollywood movie.

I don't care for Mr.Timberlake so there's not way in hell I'll ever see the Casablanca movie. Though if he wasn't in it I probably wouldn't go see it either. Its damn near impossible to get me to a movie theater these days.

Same reason I didn't see Cadillac Records. No way would I ever sit through a Beyonce movie.

And I agree with you on documentaries. The Chess Records Story I saw on PBS probably was way better than that movie.

MickyDolenz said:

SoulAlive said:

I disagree. I bet if there was a motion picture about Motown, it would be a box office smash. The thing is,it just has to be done right. The story has to be compelling. A few years ago, I saw 'Cadillac Records' and I thought it was very well-done. Great movie. Surely,a movie about Philadelphia International and the 70s Philly sound will easily find an audience.

Cadillac Records wasn't a hit though. According to Box Office Mojo, it made around $8,880,045 worldwide with a production budget of $12 million, and it had Beyonce in it. Then again, Cadillac was a label mainly known for blues, never really a genre known for Top 40 hit records or having a large mainstream audience. B.B. King, the most well known blues singer, only had 1 Top 20 hit. Unless you count Eric Clapton, and his bigger hits weren't blues songs.

.

In general, I don't think a younger hip hop audience would really be that interested in a Motown theatrical film. The ones that have been made so far were TV movies (The Temptations, The Jacksons: An American Dream). It's possible that one about Death Row Records could draw a big enough audience to make money, but that would have less appeal to boomers. Notorious, about Biggie Smalls made $44,371,751 worldwide with a production budget of $20 million. So it made a pretty good profit.

Chess Records.

So in other words all of use Baby Boomers, and old skool music heads fiction-bio pics should go straight to Lifetime or TV ONE. Is that what you are saying Micky?

I thought so.

Just for the record Ms. Knowles didn't look one thang like Ms. Etta James. But in Hollyweird all Negroes look alike... I guess. That mess bombed and it should have. Ivy's correct, the documentary about Chess Records and Record Row had more to say that was factional, interesting, and worth knowing.

Is the Gamble, Huff and Bell book going to on sale vai Kindle or iBook? If their book is for sale there, I may consider buying it.

MickyDolenz said:

SoulAlive said:

I disagree. I bet if there was a motion picture about Motown, it would be a box office smash. The thing is,it just has to be done right. The story has to be compelling. A few years ago, I saw 'Cadillac Records' and I thought it was very well-done. Great movie. Surely,a movie about Philadelphia International and the 70s Philly sound will easily find an audience.

Cadillac Records wasn't a hit though. According to Box Office Mojo, it made around $8,880,045 worldwide with a production budget of $12 million, and it had Beyonce in it. Then again, Cadillac was a label mainly known for blues, never really a genre known for Top 40 hit records or having a large mainstream audience. B.B. King, the most well known blues singer, only had 1 Top 20 hit. Unless you count Eric Clapton, and his bigger hits weren't blues songs.

.

In general, I don't think a younger hip hop audience would really be that interested in a Motown theatrical film. The ones that have been made so far were TV movies (The Temptations, The Jacksons: An American Dream). It's possible that one about Death Row Records could draw a big enough audience to make money, but that would have less appeal to boomers. Notorious, about Biggie Smalls made $44,371,751 worldwide with a production budget of $20 million. So it made a pretty good profit.

If we can have a major motion picture about Casablanca Records,then there should be one for Philadelphia International,too a few years ago,there was talk of a Teddy Pendergrass biopic starring Tyrese.Why not just make Teddy's story part of a Philly International film? This could be a compelling film.You mentioned that Cadillac Records wasn't a major hit.I agree,but Philly soul music is something entirely different.Philly soul was HUGE in the 70s.Even folks like Elton John and the Jacksons (after they left Motown) were jumping on that sound.I insist that a film like this would easily find an audience.There's a rich story here.

back to the Casablanca Records film: I'm sure that this film is gonna focus on the rise of disco music and how Casablanca played a major role in it.No problem with that.But,it should be noted that Philly also played a huge role in that.Songs like "Bad Luck","The Love I Lost",T.S.O.P" and others,laid the foundation for disco music.One of the biggest disco hits of that era,"Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston,is actually a remake of a Philly soul track by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes.

I am no Beyonce fan,but I gotta admit...she was good in that movie

Stymie said:

Same reason I didn't see Cadillac Records. No way would I ever sit through a Beyonce movie.

SoulAlive said:

I am no Beyonce fan,but I gotta admit...she was good in that movie

Stymie said:

Same reason I didn't see Cadillac Records. No way would I ever sit through a Beyonce movie.

I like her better as an actress than recording artist but i'm basing it off of Obsessed. I thought she was really good in that. I watched Cadillac records but didn't watch it from beginning to end but the parts i saw she seemed okay.

[Edited 6/10/13 20:29pm]

TD3 said:

So in other words all of use Baby Boomers, and old skool music heads fiction-bio pics should go straight to Lifetime or TV ONE. Is that what you are saying Micky?

I thought so.

I didn't say that it should go to TV per se, but that such movies aren't usually blockbusters at the multiplex. It's not an art film, so it wouldn't be shown at an art film theater, where high box office is not the focus.

SoulAlive said:

If we can have a major motion picture about Casablanca Records,then there should be one for Philadelphia International,too a few years ago,there was talk of a Teddy Pendergrass biopic starring Tyrese.Why not just make Teddy's story part of a Philly International film? This could be a compelling film.You mentioned that Cadillac Records wasn't a major hit.I agree,but Philly soul music is something entirely different.Philly soul was HUGE in the 70s.Even folks like Elton John and the Jacksons (after they left Motown) were jumping on that sound.I insist that a film like this would easily find an audience.There's a rich story here.

back to the Casablanca Records film: I'm sure that this film is gonna focus on the rise of disco music and how Casablanca played a major role in it.No problem with that.But,it should be noted that Philly also played a huge role in that.Songs like "Bad Luck","The Love I Lost",T.S.O.P" and others,laid the foundation for disco music.One of the biggest disco hits of that era,"Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston,is actually a remake of a Philly soul track by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes.

Isn't Casablanca also known for KISS?

MickyDolenz said:

TD3 said:

So in other words all of use Baby Boomers, and old skool music heads fiction-bio pics should go straight to Lifetime or TV ONE. Is that what you are saying Micky?

I thought so.

I didn't say that it should go to TV per se, but that such movies aren't usually blockbusters at the multiplex. It's not an art film, so it wouldn't be shown at an art film theater, where high box office is not the focus.

Try to slip that by you... it didn't work. Seriously.

I think your suggestion of these types of films going to an art film theater seem palatable. I don't have a clue about the ends and out of movie theater business and what is cost or how much each screen has to turn a profit for the theater to profitable. Even so....

I long thought, how would it work if one of these multiplexes dedicate a screen to these speciality films, documentaries or any other type of "artsy" film. I only say "artsy because if people aren't fucking, killing, shooting, or some comic book story hasn't been adapted for the big screen these days, mostly anything else is considered high-brow art.

We had an arts theater in Chicago for decades, than it switched over to triple XXX porn... my husband insist they were" art films" in their own right too. Then the theatre switched back to the arts / documentaries / foreign films. Ivy is that place still open near Roosevelt U.

TD3 said:

MickyDolenz said:

I didn't say that it should go to TV per se, but that such movies aren't usually blockbusters at the multiplex. It's not an art film, so it wouldn't be shown at an art film theater, where high box office is not the focus.

Try to slip that by you... it didn't work. Seriously.

I think your suggestion of these types of films going to an art film theater seem palatable. I don't have a clue about the ends and out of movie theater business and what is cost or how much each screen has to turn a profit for the theater to profitable. Even so....

I long thought, how would it work if one of these multiplexes dedicate a screen to these speciality films, documentaries or any other type of "artsy" film. I only say "artsy because if people aren't fucking, killing, shooting, or some comic book story hasn't been adapted for the big screen these days, mostly anything else is considered high-brow art.

We had an arts theater in Chicago for decades, than it switched over to triple XXX porn... my husband insist they were" art films" in their own right too. Then the theatre switched back to the arts / documentaries / foreign films. Ivy is that place still open near Roosevelt U.

I'm not sure Trina.

MickyDolenz said:

SoulAlive said:

If we can have a major motion picture about Casablanca Records,then there should be one for Philadelphia International,too a few years ago,there was talk of a Teddy Pendergrass biopic starring Tyrese.Why not just make Teddy's story part of a Philly International film? This could be a compelling film.You mentioned that Cadillac Records wasn't a major hit.I agree,but Philly soul music is something entirely different.Philly soul was HUGE in the 70s.Even folks like Elton John and the Jacksons (after they left Motown) were jumping on that sound.I insist that a film like this would easily find an audience.There's a rich story here.

back to the Casablanca Records film: I'm sure that this film is gonna focus on the rise of disco music and how Casablanca played a major role in it.No problem with that.But,it should be noted that Philly also played a huge role in that.Songs like "Bad Luck","The Love I Lost",T.S.O.P" and others,laid the foundation for disco music.One of the biggest disco hits of that era,"Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston,is actually a remake of a Philly soul track by Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes.

Isn't Casablanca also known for KISS?

It is known for KISS,plus some of the biggest disco acts of that era (Donna Summer,The Village People) and it was also the label that Parliament recorded for.No doubt,there is a rich history there.