Back Stabbers (album)
Back Stabbers | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 1972 | |||
Recorded | 1972 | |||
Studio | Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:54 | |||
Label |
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Producer | ||||
The O'Jays chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Christgau's Record Guide | B+[2] |
The Daily Vault | A[3] |
Melody Maker | favorable[4] |
MusicHound | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rhapsody | favorable[6] |
Rolling Stone 1972 | favorable[7] |
Rolling Stone 2004 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Yahoo! Music | favorable[10] |
Back Stabbers is a studio album by Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays, released in August 1972 on Philadelphia International Records and the iTunes version was released and reissued under Epic Records via Legacy Recordings.[11] Recording sessions for the album took place at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972.[12]
Reception[]
Back Stabbers was a breakthrough album for the group, reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Pop Albums chart and selling over 500,000 copies within a year of release. It also featured two of their most successful singles, "Back Stabbers" and "Love Train", which hit #1 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. On September 1, 1972, the title track was certified as a gold single by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The following year, on May 8, Back Stabbers was also certified Gold by the RIAA.[13] It has gained the reputation as a landmark album of early 1970s soul and has been cited by critics as "the pinnacle of Philly soul."[8] In 2012, the album was ranked #318 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[14]
It was voted #754 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (2000).[15]
Trivia[]
The song Back Stabbers was featured on the Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film) soundtrack
The song Back Stabbers was featured on the Carlito's Way soundtrack, which was found and collected as evidence from O. J. Simpson's white Ford Bronco.[16]
Track listing[]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "When the World's at Peace" | Kenneth Gamble, Bunny Sigler, Phil Hurtt | 5:21 |
2. | "Back Stabbers" | Leon Huff, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead | 3:07 |
3. | "Who Am I" | Sigler, Hurtt | 5:14 |
4. | "(They Call Me) Mr. Lucky" | Gamble, Huff | 3:20 |
5. | "Time to Get Down" | Gamble, Huff | 2:53 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
6. | "992 Arguments" | Gamble, Huff | 6:09 |
7. | "Listen to the Clock on the Wall" | Gamble, Huff, Whitehead, McFadden | 3:48 |
8. | "Shiftless, Shady, Jealous Kind of People" | Gamble, Huff, Whitehead, McFadden | 3:36 |
9. | "Sunshine" | Sigler, Hurtt | 3:42 |
10. | "Love Train" | Gamble, Huff | 2:59 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
11. | "992 Arguments" (single version) | Gamble, Huff, Whitehead, McFadden | 2:22 |
12. | "Love Train" (Tom Moulton Mix) | Gamble, Huff | 6:13 |
Personnel[]
The O’Jays
- Eddie Levert
- Walter Williams
- William Powell
Musicians
- Dennis Harris – guitar
- Bobby Eli – guitar
- Roland Chambers – guitar
- Bunny Sigler – guitar, piano, producer
- Norman Harris – arranger, guitar
- Ronnie Baker – bass guitar
- Lenny Pakula – organ
- Leon Huff – producer, piano
- Earl Young – drums
- Don Renaldo – conductor, horns, strings
- Thom Bell – arranger, strings, producer
- Larry Washington – bongos, congas, percussion
- Vincent Montana Jr. – percussion, vibraphone
Production and design
- Kenneth Gamble – producer
- Tony Martell – executive producer
- Adam Block – director
- Joe Tarsia – engineer
- Leo Sacks – reissue producer
- Tony Sellari – art direction
- Bobby Martin – arranger
- Thom Bell - arranger
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
Title | Information[17] |
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Back Stabbers |
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Singles[]
Title | Information[17] |
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"992 Arguments" |
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"Back Stabbers" |
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"Love Train" |
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"Time to Get Down" |
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References[]
- ^ Henderson, Alex. "The O'Jays: Back Stabbers" at AllMusic. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: O". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ McGuane, Kenny S (9 April 2008). "Backstabbers: The O'Jays". DailyVault.com. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "The O'Jays, Back Stabbers". Melody Maker. London: IPC Specialist & Professional Press. 13 July 1996. p. 52. ISSN 0025-9012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
a stone-classic
- ^ Graff, Gary; McFarlin, Jim (1998). MusicHound R & B : the essential album guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978-1-57859-026-1. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "Back Stabbers: The O'Jays". Rhapsody. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ Goldberg, Daniel (26 October 1972). "The O'Jays: Back Stabbers". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow (RS 120). ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on 2007-05-06.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The new Rolling Stone album guide (Completely revised and updated 4th ed.). New York: Fireside. pp. 601–602. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
- ^ Crisafulli, Chuck (27 February 1996). "Back Stabbers". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on 2006-09-12.
- ^ "O'Jays, The – Back Stabbers". Discogs. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- ^ "O'Jays – Back Stabbers CD". CDUniverse.com. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- ^ "American album certifications – The O'Jays – Back Stabbers". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Straight Arrow (Special Issue). 318 | Back Stabbers – The O'Jays. November 2003. ISSN 0035-791X. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- ^ Colin Larkin (2006). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 239. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ "A SAMPLE OF THE EVIDENCE IN O.J. SIMPSON CASE". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Back Stabbers > Charts & Awards at AllMusic. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
External links[]
- 1972 albums
- The O'Jays albums
- Albums produced by Kenneth Gamble
- Albums produced by Leon Huff
- Albums arranged by Bobby Martin
- Albums recorded at Sigma Sound Studios
- Philadelphia International Records albums