The O’Jays’ ‘Backstabbers’ is a 24 carat soul classic. Now over 50 years old, it still sounds contemporary and the message remains relevant. What many might not know is that since 1981 an exciting and intriguing cover (crafted by many of the original musicians who played on the O’Jays’ version) has been doing the rounds.
We’ve posted on this before – but here’s a recap. Back in 1981, the cream of Philadelphia’s session musicians went into the city’s Virtue Sound Studios to re-record some of the Philly classics they’d originally played on. They called themselves THE PHILLY ALL STARS – an apt name as they numbered Norman Harris on guitar, Lenny Pakula on organ, Vince Montana on vibes, Ronnie Baker on bass, Earl Young on drums and Larry Washington on congas. That ensemble cut a whole album with vocalists Joe Freeman, Ron Tyson (who was to soon join the Temptations) and David Simmons and the repertoire consisted of various medleys and songs like ‘Backstabbers’ and ‘Bad Luck’. Sadly the album seemed to slip under most peoples’ radar.
Now earlier this year master mixer ERIC KUPPER came across the album and decided to remix some of the tracks. Already Eric has released his mixes of the All Stars’ versions of Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes’ ‘Bad Luck’ and the O’Jays’ ‘Love Train’ and now he’s turned his spotlight onto ‘Backstabbers’ – and what a job he’s done! The All Stars’ cover didn’t stray too far from the original and Eric’s mix shows the same level of respect but he adds a 21st century spin. The beats are heavy, the strings swirl and the vibes are a delight! The vocalist, by the way, is Joe Freeman. This one’s out now with an equally rewarding instrumental of the tune on the flip.
