Survival (The O'Jays album)

Survival
Studio album by
The O'Jays
ReleasedApril 1975
Recorded1974
StudioSigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenrePhiladelphia soul, R&B, funk
Length32:52
LabelPhiladelphia International Records
ProducerKenny Gamble, Leon Huff
The O'Jays chronology
Ship Ahoy
(1973) 		Survival
(1975) 		Family Reunion
(1975)
Singles from Survival
  1. "Give the People What They Want"
    Released: April 1975
  2. "Let Me Make Love to You"
    Released: August 1975
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[2]

Survival is the eighth album by American R&B group The O'Jays, released on April 1975 via Philadelphia International Records label.

Reception

Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Survival includes the R&B chart-topping single "Give the People What They Want" and "Let Me Make Love to You", which reached #10 on the same chart. Survival matched exactly the chart performance of its predecessor Ship Ahoy, topping the R&B chart and peaking at #11 on the pop chart.[citation needed]

According to AllMusic's Ron Wynn, Survival "followed the spectacular Back Stabbers and Ship Ahoy" as a "good, but not on the same level" album featuring "many strong ballads and good message tracks". Wynn adds that, "while it may not have been as epic in its performances and compositions, it was certainly the other albums' equal in sales strength."[1] The Village Voice critic Robert Christgau wrote more harshly of the LP: "Except for the astonishing 'Rich Get Richer,' based on a text by Ferdinand Lundberg, this is the drabbest studio album this group has made since joining Gamble-Huff. Unfortunately, 'Rich Get Richer' is not the single."[2] The jazz writer Rob Backus cites the song as a politically charged work in progressive soul.[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gamble and Huff, except where noted [4]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Give the People What They Want" 4:14
2."Let Me Make Love to You"Bunny Sigler, Allan Felder4:21
3."Survival" 3:44
4."Where Did We Go Wrong" 3:40
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Rich Get Richer" 4:24
6."How Time Flies" 5:15
7."What Am I Waiting For"Bunny Sigler, Ron Tyson3:56
8."Never Break Us Up"Leon Huff3:18

Charts

Album

Chart (1975) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 91
Billboard Pop Albums[6] 11
Billboard Top Soul Albums[6] 1

Singles

Year Single Chart positions[7]
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 US
R&B
1975 "Give the People What They Want" 45 1
"Let Me Make Love to You" (A-side) 75 10
"Survival" (B-side) —

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Wynn, Ron (n.d.). "Survival – The O'Jays". AllMusic. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. ^ a b 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.
  3. ^ Backus, Rob (1976). Fire Music: A Political History of Jazz (2nd ed.). Vanguard Books. p. vi. ISBN 091770200X.
  4. ^ allmusic ((( Survival > Overview ))). All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2011-10-13.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 222. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ a b "US Albums Charts > The O'Jays". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
  7. ^ "US Singles Charts > The O'Jays". Allmusic. Retrieved 2011-08-31.