Some extremely talented artists never make their mark on the wider public because they just never find the situation that suits them best. That fate nearly befell The O’Jays, who we now know as one of the definitive R&B artists of their era.
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The key event that sprung the vocal trio came when they signed with a label that knew the material and production that would suit them best. When all that fell into place, The O’Jays landed at No. 1 on the pop charts in 1973 with “Love Train.”
Looking for the Breakthrough
The O’Jays, named after a local DJ, formed as high school students back in 1958 in their hometown of Canton, Ohio. Quick math should tell you that it took them 15 years from that point to reach the pinnacle of the music world. Why did it take them so long?
Throughout the 60s, the group released a slew of singles, some of which did well on R&B radio (although none dented the pop charts). As the years passed, it started to look like that big breakthrough would never come. In fact, they briefly considered hanging it up for good.
On top of that, two group members departed at the beginning of the 70s, leaving the trio of Eddie Levert, Walter Williams, and William Powell. Luckily, The O’Jays found a new home with the Philadelphia International label. And their fortunes changed in an instant.
“Train” Dreams
The founders of Philadelphia International, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, had worked briefly with The O’Jays in previous years. Wanting to build their stable of artists, the duo signed the group. Gamble and Huff saw the potential of having a group with three singers who could all trade off on lead vocals.
The partnership immediately paid dividends when “Back Stabbers”, the first single The O’Jays released with Philadelphia International, went to No. 3 in 1972. Meanwhile, when recording the Back Stabbers album, Gamble and Huff, acting as songwriters and producers, decided the album should close out with a song promoting togetherness in difficult times.
They wrote “Love Train” to fill that role. And it did even better than “Back Stabbers”, landing at the No. 1 spot on the pop charts in early 1973. The O’Jays went on to record seven straight Top 10 R&B albums with the label, albums that spun out seven Top 40 singles.
Behind the Lyrics of “Love Train”
“People all over the world,” The O’Jays beckon at the beginning of the song. “Join hands/Start a love train.” The destinations on the trip include a series of countries and regions, some of which historically haven’t always been the closest of friends: England, Russia, China, Africa, Egypt, and Israel.
“Don’t you know that it’s time to get on board?” the group asks. The idea of a train delivering people to someplace special has long been a staple of pop music. Gamble and Huff milk that idea for all it’s worth. “‘Cause if you miss it, I feel sorry, sorry for you,” the group warns.
“Love Train” continues to pop up over and over again in different pop culture scenarios. After all, the message never goes out of style. Nor does The O’Jays’ sublime way of delivering it with the help of Gamble and Huff.
Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
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