Philly soul staples
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
were in full swing on 1975's
Wake Up Everybody
. Sporting their trademark lush, string-laden production from
Gamble
and
Huff
(who also wrote about half the album's material), the smooth soul outfit delivers a mix of deep soul balladry and uptempo dance tracks. The title track, with its socially relevant messages, is a standout. There is no shortage of fine vocal performances all around, notably from
Melvin
and from future solo star
Teddy Pendergrass
. ~ Anthony Tognazzini