Friday 45 – The Intruders – Pray For Me – Classic Philadelphia Soul

Last weekend one of our local Nashville record stores had a warehouse sale where everything was priced 50 cents each. Upon arrival, I walked back to the rear of the record store and entered through a door that led to a huge room filled with stacks of comics, books, records, CDs and, my favorite, boxes of 45s. Everything was 50 cents each!

I spent three hours flipping through boxes of 45s where I hoped to find some gems for my collection. I left the store that day with a box full of 269 45s including music of all genres, from reggae to R&B to country.

One of the 45s I took a “gamble” on (pun intended, sorry) was a 45 by the Intruders called Pray For Me released in 1970 on Gamble Records. It first caught my eye because it was a white label DJ promo copy with the same song on both sides, one version in mono, the other side in stereo.

But the song title, Pray For Me, also intrigued me. I love collecting gospel soul records from the 1960s – 70s and I was curious if this might fit within that genre. I had found a few other gospel soul 45s at the sale that day so I added this one to the stacks and hoped for the best.

The Intruders formed in 1960 in Philadelphia, PA, where they were taken under the wings of legendary songwriters and producers, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

Gamble and Huff are most known for starting the label, Philadelphia International Records where they would establish what was known as the “Philly sound” of the R&B and soul genre in the 1970s.

Before starting P.I.R. in 1971, Gamble and Huff focused their efforts on their first label, Gamble Records with a flagship artist, The Intruders. In 1968, Gamble and Huff had a top ten hit with The Intruders singing a song the duo wrote titled, Cowboys to Girls.

Pray For Me was released in 1970, originally as the B-side for Best Days Of My Life. The song opens with a dramatic piano intro and the reciting of a children’s bedtime prayer, Now I lay me down to sleep before sliding into the smooth Philadelphia R&B soul sound that Gamble and Huff made famous.

The song’s main lyric, “Won’t you get down on your knees and ask the heavens above, to bless our love”, solidifies it as a love song more than gospel soul. Regardless, it’s a new favorite song for me and I can’t wait to include it in a DJ set soon.

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