Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: The Nutty Professor Quartet Grand Finale

 

If you've been following this portion of my "Throwback of the Week" series, then you already know what time it is: "Lillo, Peabo, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass...TEDDY P!"  The late, great Philly soul singer rounds out my aptly-named quartet, but I'm throwing y'all a curve ball: I'm not featuring "Close the Door"...kinda.  I know, don't be so disappointed, but what person that calls themselves an R&B fan doesn't know that song?  Besides, we do things a little different 'round here, slim.  So I started thinking about Teddy P songs sampled in hip-hop songs, and I had quite a few choices.  "Love TKO" is too easy and so is "Come Go With Me".  Almost rolled with "Can't We Try", which was sampled in Ghostface Killah's "Camay".  However, I dug a little more for a record that not everybody knows about but is still one of his better songs: "Easy, Easy, Got To Take It Easy".

Once Teddy Pendergrass decided to strike out on his own after leaving Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes in 1977, he worked with legendary producers Gamble & Huff to put together his classic, self-titled solo debut for Philadelphia International Records.  Written by Victor Carstarphen, Gene McFadden & John Whitehead and produced by McFadden & Whitehead--the "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" dudes for folks who only know the names of songs and never who sings them--"Easy, Easy, Got To Take It Easy" is a beautiful record that features Teddy P weaving through the melody with his style of "taking it easy" but building up to his signature, soulful hollers.  Little Brother fans and natural born crate diggers will recognize this song as heralded producer 9th Wonder sampled the slow jam in "Not Enough", one of my favorite songs from The Minstrel Show (2005, Atlantic Records).  (Yeah...I'm still mad at my ex for listening to that CD so much that it won't play anymore, but I digress.)

 

BONUS TIME!!!  Since I love my faithful readers so much, I can't have something called the "Nutty Professor Quartet" without including the original scene from The Nutty Professor where Sherman Klump thinks he's in Sigma Sound or on stage with a bunch of women ready, willing and able to toss their panties in his direction.  It's only right!

So I hope y'all enjoyed "The Nutty Professor Quartet" series as this also marks the end of this posting series as you presently know it because I'm revamping it altogether.  Why, you might ask?  Welp...hip-hop has always been excellent and exceptional at introducing its youthful listeners to the old school via the art of sampling.  Because the radio can't and won't play every single song that was ever made and since the contemporary stations only go but so far back with their selections, I would've never known about certain artists or songs if it weren't for hip-hop.  I'm going to keep featuring throwback tracks, but there's going to be more of a correlation between the original songs and their borrowers.  Hence, "Scribbler's Borrowers & Lenders of the Week" will begin the first full week of June.  Stay tuned, ladies and gents...

(Oh yeah, and if you have suggestions for future features for this series, please feel free to hit me on Facebook, Twitter or email me at dirk.scribbler.dc@gmail.com.)