Teddy Pendergrass started singing gospel music in Philadelphia churches, becoming an ordained minister at ten years old. While attending public school, he sang in the city-wide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and in the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. A self-taught drummer, Pendergrass had a teen pop vocal group when he was 15.
By his late teens, Pendergrass was a drummer for local vocal group the Cadillacs. In the late '60s, the Cadillacs merged with another more-established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. In 1970, when the Blue Notes broke up, Melvin, now aware of Pendergrass' vocal prowess, asked him to take the lead singer spot. It's no secret that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff wanted Marvin Junior of the Dells for their Philadelphia International Records roster. Since the Dells were signed to Chess, they were unavailable. When the gruff'n'ready vocals of Pendergrass came their way, they eagerly signed the group.
Beginning with "I Miss You," a steady stream of hit singles flowed from the collaboration of Pendergrass and Gamble & Huff: "If You Don't Know Me by Now," "The Love I Lost," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody" (number one R&B for two weeks in 1976), and two gold albums, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody.
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. Around 1976, Pendergrass left Melvin's Blue Notes and formed his own Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass. Briefly, there was some confusion as to which Blue Notes were which. The resolution came when Pendergrass disbanded his Blue Notes in favor of a solo career and Melvin's group signed a recording contract with Source Records, distributed through ABC Records, scoring a hit with "I Want to Be Your Lover."
Pendergrass signed a new contract with Philadelphia International Records in late 1976/early 1977. He burst back on the scene with Teddy Pendergrass, a platinum solo debut that included the top-notch singles "I Don't Love You Anymore," "You Can't Hide from Yourself," and "The More I Get the More I Want." Around this time, Pendergrass began to institute his infamous "Ladies Only" concerts. His next three albums went gold or platinum: Life Is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Teddy (1979), and Teddy Live (Coast to Coast). The hit single "Close the Door" was used in the film Soup for One, where Pendergrass had a small role.
The singer received several Grammy nominations during 1977 and 1978, Billboard's 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award, an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, and awards from Ebony magazine and the NAACP. He was also in consideration for the lead in the movie biopic The Otis Redding Story. The '70s ended, but Pendergrass kept racking up the hits. TP, his fifth solo album, went platinum in the summer of 1980 off the singles "Turn Off the Lights," "Come Go with Me," "Shout and Scream," "It's You I Love," and "Can't We Try." It's Time for Love gave Pendergrass another gold album in summer 1981, which included the hit singles "Love TKO" and "I Can't Live Without Your Love."
A 1982 car accident left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair bound. After almost a year of physical therapy and counseling, Pendergrass returned to the recording scene, signing a contract with Elektra/Asylum in 1983. His ninth solo album, his Elektra/Asylum debut, Love Language went gold the spring of 1984. Philadelphia International issued two albums of unreleased tracks, This One's for You (1982) and Heaven Only Knows (1983). Other albums included Workin' It Back (1985), Joy (1988, whose title track went to number one R&B for two weeks), and Little More Magic (1993). The latter half of '90s found Pendergrass recording for the Surefire/Wind Up label. Truly Blessed (the name of an 1991 Elektra album) is the title of the autobiography Pendergrass co-authored with Patricia Romanowski.
Album: Teddy Pendergrass (1977)
01. You Can't Hide From Yourself
02. Somebody Told Me
03. Be Sure
04. And If I Had
05. I Don't Love You Anymore
06. The Whole Town's Laughing At Me
07. Easy, Easy, Got To Take It Easy
08. The More I Get, The More I Want
http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/49691867/file.html
Album: Life Is A Song Worth Singing (1978)
01. Life Is A Song Worth Singing
02. Only You
03. Cold, Cold World
04. Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose
05. Close The Door
06. It Don't Hurt Now
07. When Somebody Loves You Back
http://www13.zippyshare.com/v/30153450/file.html
Album: Teddy (1979)
01. Come Go With Me
02. Turn Off The Lights
03. I'll Never See Heaven Again
04. All I Need Is You
05. If You Know Like I Know
06. Do Me
07. Set Me Free
08. Life Is A Circle
http://www6.zippyshare.com/v/16678886/file.html
Album: Live! Coast To Coast (1979)
CD1
01. Life Is A Song Worth Singing
02. Only You
03. Medley If You Don't Know Me By Now The Love I Lost Bad Luck Wake Up Everybody
04. Introduction
05. When Somebody Loves You Back
06. Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose
CD2
01. L.A. Rap
02. Come Go With Me
03. Close The Door
04. Turn Off The Lights
05. Do Me
06. Live Interview
07. Where Did All The Lovin' Go
08. Live Interview
09. It's You I Love
10. Live Interview
11. Shout And Scream
12. Live Interview
http://www12.zippyshare.com/v/81606574/file.html
Album: TP (1980)
01. Is It Still Good To Ya
02. Take Me In Your Arms Tonight
03. I Just Called To Say
04. Can't We Try
05. Feel The Fire
06. Girl You Know
07. Love T.K.O.
08. Let Me Love You
http://www23.zippyshare.com/v/50460262/file.html
Album: Its Time For Love (1981)
01. I Can't Live Without Your Love
02. You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration
03. Nine Times Out Of Ten
04. Keep On Lovin' Me
05. It's Time For Love
06. She's Over Me
07. I Can't Leave Your Love Alone
08. You Must Live On
http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/54788320/file.html
Album: This One's For You (1982)
01. I Cant Win For Losing
02. This Ones For You
03. Loving You Was Good
04. This Gift Of Life
05. Now Tell Me That You Love Me
06. Its Up T You (What You do With Your Life)
07. Don't Leave Me Out Along The Road
08. Only To You
http://www3.zippyshare.com/v/82687976/file.html
Album: Heaven Only Knows (1983)
01. Crazy About Your Love
02. Judge For Yourself
03. I Want My Baby Back
04. Life Is For Living
05. You And Me For Right Now
06. Just Because You're Mine
07. Heaven Only Knows
08. Don't Ever Stop (Giving Your Love To Me)
http://www27.zippyshare.com/v/80546802/file.html
Album: Love Language (1984)
01. In My Time
02. So Sad The Song
03. Hot Love
04. Stay With Me
05. Hold Me
06. You're My Choice Tonight
07. Love
08. This Time Is Ours
http://www76.zippyshare.com/v/46874825/file.html
Album: Workin It Back (1985)
01. Love 4/2
02. One Of Us Fell In Love
03. Never Felt Like Dancin'
04. Let Me Be Closer
05. Lonely Color Blue
06. Want You Back In My Life
07. Workin' It Back
08. Love Emergency
http://www30.zippyshare.com/v/43213935/file.html
Album: Joy (1988)
01. Joy
02. 2 A.M.
03. Good To You
04. I'm Ready
05. Love is the Power
06. This is the Last Time
07. Through the Falling Rain (Love Story)
08. Can We Be Lovers
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/87442543/file.html
Album: Truly Blessed (1990)
01. She Knocks Me Off My Feet
02. It Should've Been You
03. Don't You Ever Stop
04. It's Over
05. Glad To Be Alive
06. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
07. I Find Everything In You
08. Spend The Night
09. With You
10. We Can't Keep Going On Like This
11. Truly Blessed
http://www11.zippyshare.com/v/59201633/file.html
Album: A Little More Magic (1993)
01. Believe in Love
02. Slip Away
03. I'm Always Thinking About You
04. I Choose You
05. Voodoo
06. Tender
07. Can't Help Nobody
08. A Little More Magic
09. My Father's Child
10. Say It
11. No One Like You
12. Reprise
http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/19365151/file.html
Album: U And I (1997)
01. Don't Keep Wastin' My Time
02. Let's Talk About It
03. Without You
04. You and I
05. Can We Try
06. One in a Million You
07. Hurry Up
08. Interlude
09. Give It to Me
10. Slow Ride to Heaven
http://www33.zippyshare.com/v/84417533/file.html
Album: Greatest Slow Jams (2001)
01. Somebody Told Me
02. And If I Had
03. The Whole Town's Laughing At Me
04. Close The Door
05. It Don't Hurt Now
06. Can't We Try
07. Love T.K.O
08. Turn Off the Lights
09. You're My Latest Greatest Inspiration
10. It's Time For Love
11. Now Tell Me That You Love Me
12. Come Go With Me
http://www6.zippyshare.com/v/3950397/file.html
Album: From Teddy With Love (2002)
01. Joy
02. When Somebody Loves You Back
03. Love TKO
04. Do Me
05. You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration
06. Close The Door
07. Turn Off The Lights
08. Truly Blessed
09. If You Don't Know Me By Now
10. Wake Up Everybody
11. Bad Luck
12. The Love I Lost
13. Only You
14. Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose
http://www50.zippyshare.com/v/64737982/file.html
Album: The Best Of Teddy Pendergrass (2003)
01. Come Go With Me
02. Turn Off The Lights
03. When Somebody Loves You Back
04. You're My Latest, Greatest Inspiration
05. Love T.K.O.
06. I Can't Live Without You
07. Only You
08. Can't We Try
09. The Whole Town's Laughing At Me
10. Close The Door
11. And If I Had
12. It Don't Hurt Now
http://www24.zippyshare.com/v/7996231/file.html
Album: Anthology (2003)
CD1
01. I Don't Love You Anymore
02. The Whole Town's Laughing At Me
03. Close The Door
04. Only You
05. Turn Off The Lights
06. Come Go With Me
07. Shout And Scream (Live)
08. It's You I Love (Live)
09. Can't We Try
10. Love TKO
11. I Can't Live Without Your Love
12. Nine Times Out Of Ten
13. You're My Latest Greatest Inspiration
14. I Can't Win For Losing
15. This Gift Of Love
CD2
01. I Want My Baby Back
02. Life Is A Song Worth Singing
03. You Can't Hide From Yourself
04. Is It Still Good To Ya
05. The More I Get The More I Want
06. When Somebody Loves You Back
07. Feel The Fire
08. Do Me
09. Loving You Was Good
10. Live Medley - If You Don't Know...
11. Get Up Get Down Get Funky Get Loose (Live)
12. It Don't Hurt Now
http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/97359641/file.html
Album: The Platinum Collection (2006)
01. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
02. In My Time
03. Make It With You
04. Stay With Me
05. Let Me Be Closer
06. One Of Us Fell In Love
07. Love 4/2
08. Tender
09. Spend The Night
10. Glad To Be Alive
11. She Knocks Me Off My Feet
12. You're My Choice Tonight (Choose Me)
13. Joy
14. So Sad The Song
15. This Time Is Ours
16. Never Felt Like Dancin'
http://www48.zippyshare.com/v/90249147/file.html
Album: The Essential Teddy Pendergrass (2007)
CD1
01. I Don't Love You Anymore
02. When Somebody Loves You Back
03. Come Go With Me
04. The Whole Town's Laughing At Me
05. Somebody Told Me
06. Love T.K.O
07. You're My Latest, My Greatest Inspiration
08. And If I Had
09. Don't Leave Me This Way (Parts 1 & 2)
10. I Miss You
11. The Love I Lost
12. Nine Times Out Of Ten
13. Life Is A Song Worth Singing
14. If You Don't Know Me By Now
CD2
01. Feel The Fire
02. Close The Door
03. It's Time For Love
04. Turn Off The Lights
05. Wake Up Everybody
06. Bad Luck
07. Only You
08. Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose
09. It Should've Been You
10. Hold Me (duet with Whitney Houston)
11. Joy
12. This Gift Of Life
13. I'll Never See Heaven Again
14. I Want My Baby Back
http://www10.zippyshare.com/v/55355100/file.html
http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/42995970/file.html
Enjoy!!!!
Posts
1 comment:
Thiis was a lovely blog post
Post a Comment