Genre
Philadelphia soul and funk. Ship Ahoy is a concept album alternating between lush romantic ballads and pointed social commentary, addressing slavery, racism, greed, and environmental degradation, set to the richly orchestrated, groove-driven arrangements characteristic of the Philadelphia International Records sound.
Release
Released in October 1973 by Philadelphia International Records.
Production
Produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, the co-founders of Philadelphia International Records and the architects of the Philadelphia soul sound. Recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
Reception
Ship Ahoy was both a critical and commercial triumph. It reached number one on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and number eleven on the Billboard 200. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 21, 1974, and later certified Platinum on August 11, 1992. It produced two major hit singles: "For the Love of Money" (R&B No. 3, Pop No. 9) and "Put Your Hands Together" (R&B No. 2, Pop No. 10). A 1974 review in The New York Times described it as representing Gamble and Huff at their creative best.
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are a R&B and soul vocal group formed in Canton, Ohio, in 1958 by Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942), Walter Williams (born August 25, 1943), William Powell (1942–1977), Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. They adopted their name in 1963 as a tribute to Cleveland disc jockey Eddie O'Jay, who had championed their early career. After years of modest chart success, the group's fortunes were transformed when producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff signed them to their newly founded Philadelphia International Records in 1972. As a streamlined trio — Levert, Williams, and Powell — they released Back Stabbers (1972) and Ship Ahoy (1973), two of the defining albums of the Philadelphia soul era. Powell died in 1977; he was replaced by Sammy Strain. The O'Jays were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
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