The Intruders



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JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS



The Intruders



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The Intruders



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Soul Walking UK -- The IntrudersSoul Walking UK -- The Intruders
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As the first group to score hits with the songwriting/production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the Intruders played a major role in the rise of Philadelphia soul, but are sometimes lost in the shuffle amid better-known acts like the O'Jays or Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. The Intruders were originally formed as a doo wop group in 1960, and sang around Philadelphia for several years. Lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phil Terry, and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards signed with Gamble and Huff's fledgling Gamble label in 1966. They scored a Top 20 R&B hit that year with "(We'll Be) United," and followed it up a year later with "Together," as well as their first album, The Intruders Are Together. 1968, though, was the Intruders' breakthrough year: "Cowboys to Girls," a template for what would become Philly soul's trademark sound, topped the R&B charts and climbed to number six on the pop side, giving the group their biggest hit. The follow-up, "(Love Is Like A) Baseball Game," was their only other Top 40 pop hit, and the accompanying LP, Cowboys to Girls, wound up their most popular.

Gamble and Huff's success with the Intruders helped convince Columbia to grant them the money to launch Philadelphia International, which became the most successful soul label of the early '70s. The Intruders, meanwhile, were undergoing some internal turmoil; when they resurfaced on the 1970 Gamble LP When We Get Married, lead singer "Little Sonny" Brown had been replaced by nightclub singer Bobby Starr (born Robert Ferguson). The title cut, a Dreamlovers cover, was a hit on the R&B charts, as was the follow-up, "(Win, Place or Show) She's a Winner." Starr's tenure with the group was short-lived; Brown returned for the 1973 LP Save the Children, which spawned the Intruders' last two big hits, "I'll Always Love My Mama" and "I Wanna Know Your Name." For the 1974 follow-up, Energy of Love, the Intruders were switched from the Gamble imprint to the Philly International subsidiary TSOP; however, it was less successful than the quartet's previous releases, and they disbanded in 1975. Eugene Daughtry formed a new lineup in 1984 (without any other original members); they recorded an album titled Who Do You Love? for the U.K. imprint Streetwave before disbanding once again. Daughtry passed away in 1994 after a bout with cancer, while Brown unfortunately committed suicide following years of drug and alcohol problems. Bobby Starr, meanwhile, continued to lead another version of the group that features no other original Intruders.

-- Steve Huey, All Music Guide



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LINKSYEARTITLE
1967The Intruders Are Together
1968Cowboys To Girls
1970When We Get Married
1973Save The Children
1974Energy Of Love
1994Philly Golden Classics
1995Cowboys To Girls: The Best Of The Intruders
2001On The Move
2002How Long Has It Been
2002Super Hits


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1967 The Intruders Are Together



1968 Cowboys To Girls



1970 When We Get Married

01. When We Get Married
02. Best Days Of My Life
03. One In A Million
04. Hocus Pocus
05. Guess Who Loves You
06. Wonder What Kind Of Bag She's In
07. This Is My Love Song
08. Let Me In Your Mind
09. Tender (was the love we knew)
10. I Didn't Know
11. A Brand New Me



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1973 Save The Children

01. Save The Children
02. Mother And Child Reunion
03. I Wanna Know Your Name
04. To Be Happy Is The Real Thing
05. I'll Always Love My Mama
06. Memories Are Here To Stay
07. Teardrops
08. Hang On In There


1974 Energy Of Love



1994 Philly Golden Classics

01. Cowboys To Girls
02. Together
03. We'll Be United
04. Love Is Like A Baseball Game
05. Slow Drag
06. When We Get Married
07. Sad Girl
08. A Love That's Real
09. Friends No More
10. Gonna Be Strong
11. Me Tarzan, You Jane
12. Check Yourself
13. Save The Children
14. Mother And Child Reunion
15. I Wanna Know Your Name
16. To Be Happy Is The Real Thing
17. I'll Always Love My Mama
18. Memories Are Here To Stay
19. Teardrops
20. Hang On In There
21. Energy Of Love
22. Rainy Days And Mondays
23. A Nice Girl Like You
24. Jan
25. Be Thankful For What You Got
26. What's Easy For Two Is So Hard For One
27. Lonely, Lonely
28. Everyone's A Star
29. Plain Ol' Fashioned Girl
30. Be On Time


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1995 Cowboys To Girls: The Best Of The Intruders

01. A Love That's Real
02. Cowboys To Girls
03. Together
04. We'll Be United
05. Love Is Like A Baseball Game
06. Slow Drag
07. Sad Girl
08. Me Tarzan, You Jane
09. When We Get Married
10. Friends No More
11. Win Place Or Show, She's A Winner
12. Mother And Child Reunion
13. I'll Always Love My Mama
14. I Wanna Know Your Name
15. Teardrops
16. Hang On In There
17. A Nice Girl Like You
18. Plain Ol' Fashioned Girl
19. To Be Happy Is The Real Thing
20. Save The Children


2001 On The Move

01. Cowboys To Girls
02. A Nice Girl Like You
03. A Love That's Real
04. Win Place Or Show, She's a Winner
05. Gonna Be Strong
06. Love Is Like A Baseball Game
07. Slow Drag
08. Check Yourself
09. Friends No More
10. Memories Are Here To Stay


2002 How Long Has It Been

01. Talking About Pop (EP version)
02. How Long Has It Been
03. Talking About Pop (radio)



2002 Super Hits

01. I'll Always Love My Mama
02. I Wanna Know Your Name
03. We'll Be United
04. Sad Girl
05. Together
06. When We Get Married
07. Cowboys To Girls
08. A Love That's Real
09. Love Is Like A Baseball Game
10. Save The Children


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