The O'Jays were one of the most popular and successful bands of the Philadelphia Soul genre in the 70s. Thanks to top songwriting and production team Gamble & Huff, they had a string of memorable hit singles, and multiple gold and platinum albums.
First forming in 1958 as the Triumphs, it took a long time for the band renamed The O'Jays to attain success. In the mid-60s they had a number of minor R&B hits - "Lonely Drifter", "Lipstick Traces", "Let It All Out" and "Stand In For Love" - without making any obvious progress. It wasn't until they met Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff - then working at a label called Neptune - that their fortunes began to change. This collaboration showed much promise, particularly in their excellent 1969 album The O'Jays In Philadelphia.
After Neptune collapsed, Gamble and Huff moved on to Philadelphia International and invited the O'Jays to join them. Kenny Gamble wanted the O'Jays music to carry a moral message, much like Curtis Mayfield was doing in Chicago. Their first album for the new label Backstabbers (1972) was an instant classic, and included two pop hits - "Backstabbers" (No. 3) and "Love Train" (No. 1). It was followed by Ship Ahoy (1973), which featured anti-greed song "For The Love Of Money". These three albums are often considered to be their best, though the O'Jays continued to sell millions. In particular, Family Reunion (1975), So Full Of Love (1978), and Identify Yourself (1979) each sold over a million copies. Meanwhile they enjoyed more hit singles as their sound translated easily to the new disco craze, including "I Love Music", "Livin' For The Weekend", "Message In Our Music" and "Darlin' Darlin' Baby".
The O'Jays continue to be a popular live act even today. In 2004 their music enjoyed a brief renaissance thanks to the choice of "For The Love Of Money" as theme tune to the hit TV show The Apprentice.
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