Travelin' at the Speed of Thought
Encyclopedia
Travelin' at the Speed of Thought is a 1977 album by American
R&B group The O'Jays
, released on the Philadelphia International Records
label. The album was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios
in Philadelphia, with six of the eight tracks written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Unusually for the time, there had been no advance single release from the album; the only single subsequently issued, "Work on Me", became a #7 R&B
hit but failed to reach the pop listings
, making this the first O'Jays PIR album without a top 100 pop single. Travelin' at the Speed of Thought peaked at #6 on the R&B chart
and reached #27 on the pop chart
.
Travelin' at the Speed of Thought is the first O'Jays album to feature vocals from Sammy Strain, who in 1976 had been brought into the group as the replacement for the then-terminally ill William Powell. Powell's death from cancer
in May 1977 coincided with the release of the album.
In 2004, Travelin' at the Speed of Thought was reissued by Demon Music in the UK in a double package with The O'Jays' previous album Message in the Music
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B group The O'Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
, released on the Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia International Records is a record label founded by writer-producers, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971. It was famous for showcasing the sub-genre of Philadelphia soul music and released a string of worldwide hits during the decade.-History:...
label. The album was recorded at Sigma Sound Studios
Sigma Sound Studios
Sigma Sound Studios is an American music recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania founded by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia in 1968.Located at 212 N. 12th Street in Philadelphia, it was the second studio in the country to offer 24-track recording and the first in the country to use console...
in Philadelphia, with six of the eight tracks written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Unusually for the time, there had been no advance single release from the album; the only single subsequently issued, "Work on Me", became a #7 R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
hit but failed to reach the pop listings
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, making this the first O'Jays PIR album without a top 100 pop single. Travelin' at the Speed of Thought peaked at #6 on the R&B chart
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
and reached #27 on the pop chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Travelin' at the Speed of Thought is the first O'Jays album to feature vocals from Sammy Strain, who in 1976 had been brought into the group as the replacement for the then-terminally ill William Powell. Powell's death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in May 1977 coincided with the release of the album.
In 2004, Travelin' at the Speed of Thought was reissued by Demon Music in the UK in a double package with The O'Jays' previous album Message in the Music
Message in the Music
Message in the Music is a 1976 album by American R&B group The O'Jays,-Reception:Released in 1976 on the Philadelphia International Records label...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, except where noted.Side one
- "Travelin' at the Speed of Thought" – 4:59
- "We're All in This Thing Together" – 4:52
- "So Glad I Got You, Girl" – 3;32
- "Stand Up" – 4:46
Side two
- "Those Lies (Done Caught Up with You This Time)" (John WhiteheadJohn Whitehead (singer)John Whitehead was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as one of the key members of the Philadelphia International record label, and was one-half of the successful team of McFadden & Whitehead with Gene McFadden.McFadden and Whitehead wrote many hits for...
, Gene McFaddenGene McFaddenGene McFadden was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as one of the key members of the Philadelphia International record label, and was one-half of the successful team of McFadden & Whitehead with John Whitehead.-Biography:McFadden met John Whitehead as a teenager...
, Victor Carstarphen) – 3:45 - "FeelingsFeelings (song)"Feelings" is a song based on a melody composed by Loulou Gasté and made famous by Morris Albert, who recorded it as a single released in 1974 that later appeared as the title track of his 1975 debut album. The song's lyrics, recognizable by their "whoa whoa whoa" chorus, concern the singer's...
" (Morris AlbertMorris AlbertMorris Albert is a Brazilian singer and songwriter, famous for his 1975 hit single "Feelings"....
) – 7:11 - "Work on Me" – 4:26
- "Let's Spend Some Time Together" – 4:33
Personnel
- Eddie LevertEddie LevertEdward "Eddie" Levert is an American singer, and is the lead vocalist of the soul/funk/R&B vocal group, The O'Jays.Levert was born in Bessemer, Alabama, but was raised in Canton, Ohio. While attending high school, he met buddies Walter Williams, Bill Isles, Bobby Massey, and William Powell...
, Walter Williams, Sammy Strain – vocals - MFSBMFSBMFSB was a pool of more than thirty studio musicians based at Philadelphia’s famed Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom Bell, and backed up such groups as Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Stylistics, the...
– Horns, strings - Roland Chambers, Dennis Harris, T. J. Tindall – guitar
- Charles Collins – drums
- Michael "Sugar Bear" Foreman – bass guitar
- Larry Washington – congas, bongos
- Dennis Williams – piano
- Carlton Kent – organ