Gamble and Huff are:
Kenny Gamble (b. Kenneth Gamble, 11th August 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)
and
Leon Huff (b. Leon Huff, 8th April 1942, Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.)
Gamble and Huff are an American songwriting and record production team that have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records.
They were pioneers of the Philadelphia soul genre, and were the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label.
Their career output of over 3,000 songs places them among the most prolific professional songwriters of all time.
the sapphires / the soul survivors
Gamble and Huff have written and/or produced for several local acts including the Sapphires ('Who Do You Love') and the Soul Survivors ('Expressway to Your Heart'), as well as nationally known artists including Archie Bell and the Drells ('I Can’t Stop Dancing'), Wilson Pickett ('Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You'), and Aretha Franklin ('A Brand New Me').
gamble and huff
On March 10, 2008 the team was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the non-performer category.
Kenny Gamble
b. Kenneth Gamble, 11th August 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Kenny Gamble began singing for several imprints including Columbia, Epic, Atlantic and Arctic.
He moved on to running a record store, and became a lead vocalist for the Philadelphia (not the Detroit) version of the group, the Romeo's.(Kenny Gamble and The Romeos).
In 1964, Kenny Gamble was discovered and managed by Jerry Ross when Gamble was only 17 years old and they began collaborating for many years.
Kenny teamed up with Leon Huff for the first time on a recording for Candy & The Kisses.
Jerry then signed Kenny to Columbia Records in 1963 as a solo recording artist, releasing 'You Don't Know What You Got Until You Lose It'.
Gamble & Ross & Huff collaborated on the song 'I'm Gonna Make You Love Me', recorded by Dee Dee Warwick and Diana Ross & The Supremes and the Temptations.
Kenny founded Gamble Records, a company which distributed its own product and set the careers of the Intruders, in motion.
MFSB
He was an essential component of The Philadelphia Sound, a medium which brought the dance genre into the mainstream, embellishing the sound with the strings of the in-house MFSB orchestra.
Kenny has written and produced for many performers including Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, Laura Nyro, Nancy Wilson and Dusty Springfield, as well as his Philadelphia portfolio of artists, including Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, The O'Jays, MFSB, Shirley Jones, The Jones Girls, The Whitehead Brothers and Billy Paul.
Kenny and Leon Huff, co-founded Philadelphia International Records in 1971.
Philadelphia became associated with CBS Records for distribution.
Kenny worked directly with CBS sales and promotion personnel.
He was chairman and founder of an organization known as Clean Up The Ghetto Incorporated, which employed youth in inner city areas throughout the country.
let's clean up the ghetto
An album of the same title raised funds for community programs.
Kenny owns 175 gold and platinum records, and was nominated, along with his partner, Leon Huff, for his first Grammy in 1972, with the Billy Paul number one hit, 'Me and Mrs. Jones'.
Thesedays Kenny Gamble now works as a music instructor at Raising Horizons Quest Charter School.
Leon Huff
b. Leon Huff, 8th April 1942, Camden, New Jersey, U.S.A.
Leon Huff is an accomplished pianist.
He hails from the New Jersey city of Camden, and began playing the piano at age five.
He later became an accompanist for the junior choir of the 10th Street Baptist Church in Camden.
Leon could be found performing on street corners with 'doo wop' groups at the time.
He was part of a group called The Dynaflows, who after becoming The Lavenders, scored a regional hit with their recording of 'The Slide'.
In the late '50s, Leon became a career commuter between Philadelphia and New York City.
Leon became well known on the recording studio scene in Manhattan.
Here he began concentrating on his songwriting skills.
His first recording as a writer was the number one hit, 'The Boy from New York City', by the Ad Libs.
Leon also wrote the hit song, 'Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl', recorded by Patty and the Emblems.
He recorded in Philadelphia, additionally, as session man, songwriter and producer.
Leon began working in the same building as Kenny Gamble.
By 1965, the two were working together and formed a production company.
Releasing songs such as 'Expressway to Your Heart', and 'Cowboys to Girls' (for the Intruders) the duo's repuations allowed them to collaborate with the likes of Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, Nancy Wilson, Joe Simon and Archie Bell and the Drells.
In 1971, Gamble and Huff formed Philadelphia International Records, and signed a distribution deal by CBS Records.
The label began producing several hit songs including 'Back Stabbers' by the O'Jays; 'Me and Mrs. Jones' by Billy Paul, 'If You Don't Know Me by Now' and 'The Love I Lost,' both by Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, and 'Love Train' and 'For the Love of Money,' by The O'Jays.
The Gamble and Huff songwriting team had become a songwriting machine, very much in the style that Motown Records enjoyed, during the previous decade, with Holland / Dozier / Holland.
Leon Huff owns more than 300 gold and platinum records, has been nominated for a number of Grammy Awards.
...check out the philadelphia international records page here....
