The Intruders - "Together" (1967)

The Intruders were an American soul music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s. As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they had a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.

Formed around 1960, the group originally consisted of Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phillip "Phil" Terry and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards. In 1969, Sam Brown was replaced as lead singer by Bobby Starr, only to rejoin the group in 1973.

In 1965, when songwriters and record producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff first contemplated leaving the Cameo-Parkway record label to risk launching their own label, the vocalists on which they pinned all their hopes and venture capital were The Intruders. Like many other subsequent acts the duo produced, which include the popular Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and The O'Jays, The Intruders had already developed a vocal sound that was both theirs and uniquely Philadelphian.

Brown, Daughtry, Terry and Edwards had been recording and performing one-off singles together since 1961, blending Philly's street corner doo-wop tradition with black gospel fervor. The result was neither as pop-infected as Motown, nor as funky and blues-inflected as Stax. The sound which The Intruders refined for the Excel, Gamble and Philadelphia International imprints reflected a different attitude than either Stax or Motown.

Gamble and Huff's success with The Intruders helped convince Columbia Records to grant them the money to launch Philadelphia International. Gamble and Huff acknowledged that their work with The Intruders was the very foundation of what they called "The Sound Of Philadelphia".

The Intruders, meanwhile, were undergoing some internal turmoil. When the group resurfaced on the 1970 Gamble LP, When We Get Married, lead singer Brown was replaced by nightclub singer, Bobby Starr (born Robert Ferguson). The title song, "When We Get Married" (R&B #8, Pop #45), a Dreamlovers cover, became a hit on the charts, as was the follow-up "(Win, Place Or Show) She's A Winner". Starr's tenure with the group include the historical Soul Train TV appearances, and the rare collector's classic single "I'm Girl Scoutin". Brown returned to the group in 1973 for the album Save The Children, which spawned The Intruders' last two big hits, "I'll Always Love My Mama" (R&B #6, Pop #36) and "I Wanna Know Your Name" (R&B #9, Pop #60).

"Cowboys To Girls" (R&B #1, Pop #6) remains the only chart topping single of their career. It was awarded an R.I.A.A. gold disc for one million sales in mid May 1968. It was recently covered by the Hacienda Brothers. Other covers of their hit singles include Tiarra's cover of "Together", which was also done by Gladys Knight & The Pips on their Silk'N'Soul LP as well as The Three Degrees on their 1975 work Take Good Care Of Yourself.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, their music was popular on the West Coast among Latino, specifically Chicano, youth. Daughtry died of cancer in 1994, and Brown committed suicide in 1995. The Intruders today include Bobby Starr, Glenn Montgomery and Phil Gay. The group is featured on the "My Music DVD hosted by Patti LaBelle on PBS, and tour with the Love Train: Sound of Philadelphia Concert series. There are also several tribute groups including "The Philly Intruders," who appear on The Big Show DVD.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The
• Intruders
• Together
• 1967
• Philadelphia
• Soul
• R&B
• TheBacmaster
• Music
• Videos

[HenryJ126]

GHOST!

[hanknell]

This reminds me of 1967 for real! Sunny days, the older guys driving around in those big red caddy's with the white interiors. Girls is mini skirts. DC comics, Marvel Comics! Cowboy and Girls! Food taste better back then. Movies was cheap to get into. You could take dollar and buy pop, candy chips, and oatmeal cookies and have change left over. It was a time when we was Together!

[MrNighttrain28]

To be young, stupid and in love listening to this in 1967 --- PRICELESS

[gabriel0702ful]

super musica



[herman58100]

Damn my heart aches for music like this, not that all music today is crappy, but this tune and ones like it are a treasure that can never again be duplicated........

[WonderfulWil1]

Too bad there not any of the original Intruders perfoming now. Nothing but fake ass Intruders.

[dottieku]

Wow, I was cruisin' around listening to this. My now BF was just born! lol! How funny!

[atthrower02]

good stuff------ but plz--- not donating to world vision and that liberal sham

[mspedie55]

Just Nice!

[fluffyLeo22]

MY FAVORITE!

[avenqer]

Well, it took over 31 years to even think of this song after hearing it and now know it wasnt Tierra who were the originals, hats off to the originals.

[steelcross101]

some sweet days