THE BEST OF MFSB is a collection of instrumentals recorded by Philadelphia International Records' famed in-house backup band, Mother, Father, Sister, Brother--better known as MFSB.
MFSB: Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, T.J. Tindall, Reginald Lucas, Roland Chambers (guitar); Tony Williams (flute, saxophone); Zach Zachary (alto saxophone); Eddie Green, Harold Williams (piano); Leon Huff (electric piano); Lenny Pakula (organ); Vince Montana (vibraphone); Ronnie Baker, Anthony Jackson (bass); Earl Young, Karl Chambers, Norman Farrington (drums); Larry Washington (congas, bongos).
Additional personnel: The Three Degrees (vocals); Don Renaldo And His String And Horn Sections.
Producers: Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Vince Montana, Bobby Martin, Jack Faith.
Compilation producer: Leo Sacks.
Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the mid-1970s. Includes liner notes by Richard Torres.
This is part of Legacy's Rhythm And Soul series.
Personnel: Reggie Lucas, T.J. Tindall, Norman Harris, Roland Chambers, Bobby Eli (guitar); Don Renaldo (strings, horns); James Calvin Wilsey, Toni Williams (flute, saxophone); Zach Zachary (alto saxophone); Eddie Green , Eddie Green , Harold "Ivory" Williams (piano); Leon Huff (electric piano); Lenny Pakula (organ); Vince Montana (vibraphone); Karl Chambers, Earl Young, Norman Farrington (drums); Larry Washington (congas, bongos).
Arrangers: Vince Montana; Dexter Wansel; Zach Zachary; Bobby Martin ; Jack Faith; Lenny Pakula; Thom Bell.
Triangulate a midpoint somewhere between Philly soul, Space Age Bachelor Pad lounge sounds, and disco fever, and you've got MFSB (stands for Mother, Father, Sister, Brother). MFSB was made up of the session men who played on the bulk of the classic mid-'70s Philly soul tracks under the suzerainty of producers Gamble and Huff. After the instrumental track "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" became a hit, MFSB began turning out a host of lush-but-funky instrumentals, and the best of these are collected on BEST OF MFSB: LOVE IS THE MESSAGE. The groove-happy rhythm section that makes up the core of the band is augmented by sleek layers of horns and strings for a sonic widescreen effect on both original themes and instrumental versions of such R&B hits as "Back Stabbers" and "Freddie's Dead." A particular highlight is the title song, which was a pre-mainstream disco national anthem.
