Only You
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Close The Door
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It Don’t Hurt Now
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When Somebody Loves You Back
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Album: Life Is A Song Worth Singing (1978)

This is part two of a two-part tribute to Teddy Pendergrass. part one

Teddy Pendergrass’s Life Is A Song Worth Singing is a fine example of how Philly soul adapted to the disco/funk movement while remaining true to the diverse vocal personalities, complex orchestral arrangements, and accessible melodies that defined this popular regional subgenre. Teddy was (arguably) the biggest star of the storied Philadelphia International label, with a voice that can blow you away or woo you to bed — sometimes within the same song.

The first featured cut is “Only You,” which I can’t listen to without remembering Eddie Murphy’s classic bit from Delirious:

“Close The Door” may be my all-time favorite Teddy track, an unequivocal 5-star classic and Teddy’s only single to crack the Top 40 pop charts. Laid-back but with a driving backbeat, this is a groove you can put on at the end of a night of dancing for one last feel-good jam.

Your hip black aunt would have been mighty pissed at me if I didn’t include “It Don’t Hurt Now,” which was one of those Teddy tracks that had women throwing their panties onto the stage. What did Teddy do with all those panties?

The final selection is the uplifting stepper “When Somebody Loves You Back,” arranged by the legendary Thom Bell (check the “Flight of the Bumblebee” strings). This is typical of the songwriting style pioneered by (Kenny) Gamble & (Leon) Huff — catchy and straightforward with a touch of melancholy.