The Three Tenors Of Soul – now there’s a more than intriguing moniker… so let’s cut straight to the chase and reveal that the ‘three’ are Philly legends Russell Thompkins Jr., Ted Mills and William Hart. Throughout the seventies, with their respective groups – the Stylistics, Blue Magic and the Delfonics, the sweet-voiced threesome were responsible for leading on some of Philly’s best ever recordings. Earlier this year another Philly legend, Bobby Eli, got all three into the studio to recreate the classic Philadelphia sound on a dozen new recordings and though the set doesn’t break new ground it will delight Philly fans everywhere. What makes the set so delightful is the combination and quality of the voices and the timelessness of the songs. Of the ten songs, only two are originals. They are the sweet ballad ‘Grateful’ (penned by Eli and Vinnie Barrett) and the title cut which was provided by Daryl Hall and John Oates. H&O add vocal support, and their ‘I Can’t Go For That’ also gets makeover from the team. Other covered classic include ‘Caravan Of Love’, ‘A Love Of Your Own’, ‘Fantasy’ , ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ and ‘Where Are All My Friends’. The standouts, though, are the Thompkins-led versions of the Bee Gees ‘Too Much Heaven’ and the Spinners’ ‘How Could I Let You get Away’. Listen quietly and it’s as if time’s stood still – and I know that some will argue that soul must move on … and, yes, I agree, but there’s nothing wrong with nostalgia every now and then – especially when it’s as classy and soulful as this.
(BB) 4/5
