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'''The Intruders''' were an American [[soul (music)|soul]] music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=270}}</ref> As one of the first groups to have [[hit single|hit]] songs under the direction of [[Kenny Gamble]] and [[Leon Huff]], they were a major influence on the development of [[Philadelphia soul]].<ref name="AllMusic"/>
'''The Intruders''' were an American [[soul (music)|soul]] music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=270}}</ref> As one of the first groups to have [[hit single|hit]] songs under the direction of [[Kenny Gamble]] and [[Leon Huff]], they were a major influence on the development of [[Philadelphia soul]].<ref name="AllMusic"/>


The Intruders are also noted for having 24 R&B chart hits, including 6 R&B Top Tens, and 14 chart hits in the Billboard Hot 100,<ref name="allmusic singles"/> including their signature song, the million-selling Top 10 smash, "[[Cowboys to Girls]]." Other hits include the Top 10 R&B smashes "(Love Is Like A) Baseball Game", "[[Together (The Intruders song)|Together]]", "[[I'll Always Love My Mama]]", "United", and "I Wanna Know Your Name". The original members, all natives of Philadelphia, were Samuel "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phil Terry, and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.
The Intruders are also noted for having 24 R&B chart hits, including 6 R&B top tens, and 14 chart hits in the Billboard Hot 100,<ref name="Awards"/> including their signature song, the million-selling top 10 hit, "[[Cowboys to Girls]]." Other notable songs include the top 10 R&B hits "(Love Is Like A) Baseball Game", "[[Together (The Intruders song)|Together]]", "[[I'll Always Love My Mama]]", "United", and "I Wanna Know Your Name".<ref name="Awards"/> The original members, all natives of Philadelphia, were Samuel "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phil Terry, and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.<ref name="Soul"/>


==Biography==
==Biography==
Formed in 1960, the group originally consisted of Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phillip "Phil" Terry and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/241 241]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url-access=registration|url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/241}}</ref> In 1969, Sam Brown was replaced as lead singer by [[Bobby Starr]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=3&T=3&ART=2985 |title=Intruders Interview (1971) |website=SoulMusic.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006085843/http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=3&T=3&ART=2985 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> only to rejoin the group in 1973.
Formed in 1960, the group originally consisted of Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phillip "Phil" Terry and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book|first=Joseph|last=Murrells|year=1978|title=The Book of Golden Discs|edition=2nd|publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd|location=London|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/241 241]|isbn=0-214-20512-6|url-access=registration|url= https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/241}}</ref> In 1969, Sam Brown was replaced as lead singer by [[Bobby Starr]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=3&T=3&ART=2985 |title=Intruders Interview (1971) |website=SoulMusic.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006085843/http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?S=3&T=3&ART=2985 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> only to rejoin the group in 1973.


In 1965, when songwriters and record producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff first contemplated leaving the [[Cameo-Parkway]] record label to risk launching their own label, the vocalists on which they pinned all their hopes and venture capital were The Intruders. Like many other subsequent acts the duo produced, which included [[Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes]] and [[The O'Jays]], The Intruders had already developed a vocal sound that was both theirs and uniquely ''Philadelphian''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rnbshowcasemag.com/intrudersprofile|title=Artist Profile - The Intruders|website=Rhythm and Blues Showcase|accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref>
In 1965, when songwriters and record producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff first contemplated leaving the [[Cameo-Parkway]] record label to risk launching their own label, the vocalists on which they pinned all their hopes and venture capital were The Intruders. Like many other subsequent acts the duo produced, which included [[Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes]] and [[The O'Jays]], The Intruders had already developed a vocal sound that was both theirs and uniquely ''Philadelphian''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rnbshowcasemag.com/intrudersprofile|title=Artist Profile - The Intruders|website=Rhythm and Blues Showcase|accessdate=August 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715191406/http://www.rnbshowcasemag.com/intrudersprofile|archive-date=July 15, 2011}}</ref>


Brown, Daughtry, Terry and Edwards had been [[sound recording and reproduction|recording]] and performing one-off [[single (music)|singles]] together since 1961, blending Philly's street corner [[doo-wop]] tradition with black gospel fervor. The result was neither as pop-infected as [[Motown Records|Motown]], nor as [[funk]]y and [[blues]]-inflected as [[Stax Records|Stax]]. The sound which The Intruders refined for the [[Excel Records|Excel]], [[Gamble Records|Gamble]] and [[Philadelphia International Records|Philadelphia International]] imprints reflected a different attitude than either Stax or Motown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soultracks.com/Gamble_and_Huff|title=Gamble and Huff &#124; SoulTracks – Soul Music Biographies, News and Reviews|publisher=SoulTracks|date=September 19, 2005|accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref>
Brown, Daughtry, Terry and Edwards had been [[sound recording and reproduction|recording]] and performing one-off [[single (music)|singles]] together since 1961, blending Philly's street corner [[doo-wop]] tradition with black gospel fervor. The result was neither as pop-infected as [[Motown Records|Motown]], nor as [[funk]]y and [[blues]]-inflected as [[Stax Records|Stax]]. The sound which The Intruders refined for the [[Excel Records|Excel]], [[Gamble Records|Gamble]] and [[Philadelphia International Records|Philadelphia International]] imprints reflected a different attitude than either Stax or Motown.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.soultracks.com/Gamble_and_Huff|title=Gamble and Huff|magazine=[[SoulTracks]]|date=September 19, 2005|accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref>


[[Gamble and Huff]]'s success with The Intruders helped convince [[Columbia Records]] to grant them the money to launch Philadelphia International. Gamble and Huff acknowledged that their work with The Intruders was the foundation of what they called "The Sound of Philadelphia".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/features/special-feature-philadelphia-international-1002689866.story#/features/special-feature-philadelphia-international-1002689866.story|title=Special Feature: Philadelphia International Records|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=August 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105103055/http://www.billboard.com/features/special-feature-philadelphia-international-1002689866.story|archive-date=November 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Ken|last=Shane|url=http://popdose.com/soul-serenade-the-intruders-together/|title=Soul Serenade: The Intruders, "Together"|publisher=Popdose.com|date=October 17, 2012|accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref>
[[Gamble and Huff]]'s success with the Intruders helped convince [[Columbia Records]] to grant them the money to launch Philadelphia International. Gamble and Huff acknowledged that their work with the Intruders was the foundation of what they called "The Sound of Philadelphia".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/features/special-feature-philadelphia-international-1002689866.story#/features/special-feature-philadelphia-international-1002689866.story|title=Special Feature: Philadelphia International Records|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=August 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105103055/http://www.billboard.com/features/special-feature-philadelphia-international-1002689866.story|archive-date=November 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Ken|last=Shane|url=http://popdose.com/soul-serenade-the-intruders-together/|title=Soul Serenade: The Intruders, "Together"|publisher=Popdose.com|date=October 17, 2012|accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref>


The Intruders, meanwhile, were undergoing some internal turmoil. When the group resurfaced on the 1970 Gamble LP, ''When We Get Married'', lead singer Brown was replaced by [[Bobby Starr]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://social.zune.net/album/The-Intruders/When-We-Get-Married/8c260000-0400-11db-89ca-0019b92a3933/details|title=Zune Music + Video |publisher=Social.zune.net |accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref> The title song, "When We Get Married" (R&B No. 8, [[Billboard Hot 100|Pop]] #45), a [[The Dreamlovers|Dreamlovers]] [[cover version|cover]], became a hit on the [[record chart|charts]], as was the follow-up "Win, Place or Show (She's a Winner)" ([[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #14).<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> Starr's tenure with the group included ''[[Soul Train]]'' television appearances, and the rare collector's single, "I'm Girl Scoutin".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/intruders.htm|title=The Intruders|publisher=Soulfulkindamusic.net|accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref> Brown returned to the group in 1973 for the album ''[[Save the Children (The Intruders album)|Save the Children]]'', which spawned The Intruders' last two big hits, "I Wanna Know Your Name" (R&B No. 9, Pop #60) and "I'll Always Love My Mama" (R&B No. 6, Pop #36).<ref name="allmusic singles"/> Kenny Gamble's mother Ruby, the inspiration for "I'll Always Love My Mama", died March 10, 2012, in [[Mount Airy, Pennsylvania]], at age 96.
The Intruders, meanwhile, were undergoing some internal turmoil. When the group resurfaced on the 1970 Gamble LP, ''When We Get Married'', lead singer Brown was replaced by [[Bobby Starr]].<ref name="AllMusic"/> The title song, "When We Get Married" (R&B No. 8, [[Billboard Hot 100|Pop]] #45), a [[The Dreamlovers|Dreamlovers]] [[cover version|cover]], became a hit on the [[record chart|charts]], as was the follow-up "Win, Place or Show (She's a Winner)" ([[UK Singles Chart|UK]] #14).<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> Starr's tenure with the group included ''[[Soul Train]]'' television appearances, and the rare collector's single, "I'm Girl Scoutin".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/intruders.htm|title=The Intruders|publisher=Soulfulkindamusic.net|accessdate=August 19, 2015}}</ref> Brown returned to the group in 1973 for the album ''[[Save the Children (The Intruders album)|Save the Children]]'', which spawned the Intruders' last two big hits, "I Wanna Know Your Name" (R&B No. 9, Pop #60) and "I'll Always Love My Mama" (R&B No. 6, Pop #36).<ref name="Awards"/> Kenny Gamble's mother Ruby, the inspiration for "I'll Always Love My Mama", died March 10, 2012, in [[Mount Airy, Pennsylvania]], at the age of 96.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Morrison |first1=John F. |title=Ruby Gamble, 96, mother of musician Kenneth Gamble |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/obituaries/20120316_Ruby_Gamble__96__mother_of_musician_Kenneth_Gamble.html |access-date=28 September 2023 |work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=March 16, 2012}}</ref>


==Legacy==
==''Cowboys to Girls''... and cover versions==
"[[Cowboys to Girls]]" (R&B No. 1, Pop #6), the only [[record chart|chart topping]] single of their career, was a 1968 Top 10 Pop and R&B smash that was awarded an [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]] for one million sales in mid-May 1968.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/>
"[[Cowboys to Girls]]" (R&B No. 1, Pop #6), the only [[record chart|chart topping]] single of their career, was awarded an [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] [[music recording sales certification|gold disc]] for one million sales in May 1968.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs"/>


During the late 1970s and early 1980s, their music was popular on the West Coast among Latino, specifically [[Chicano]], [[adolescence|youth]], as evidenced by their covers by the Hacienda Brothers and Tierra. Daughtry died of cancer on December 25, 1994, at age 55,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Intruders.html|title=The Intruders Page|website=Soulwalking.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|last1=Huey |first1=Steve|title=Artist Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/biography|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref> and lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown committed suicide in 1995 at age 54.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23794617|title=Little Sonny (1941–1995) – Find A Grave Memorial|website=Findagrave.com|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref><ref name="AllMusic"/> According to Marc Taylor, in the book, "A Touch of Classic Soul of the Early 1970's" (1996, Aloiv Publishing, Jamaica, New York), in 1975, the other two original Intruders, Robert Edwards and Phil Terry, walked away from the industry after becoming Jehovah's Witnesses. Edwards died on October 15, 2016, from a heart attack at age 74, leaving Phil Terry as the last surviving original member, as of 2018.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, their music was popular on the West Coast among Latino, specifically [[Chicano]], [[adolescence|youth]], as evidenced by their covers by the Hacienda Brothers and Tierra. Daughtry died of cancer on December 25, 1994, at age 55,<ref name="Soul">{{cite web|url=http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Intruders.html|title=The Intruders Page|website=Soulwalking.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="AllMusic">{{cite web|last1=Huey |first1=Steve|title=Artist Biography|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/biography|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=11 January 2022}}</ref> and lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown committed suicide in 1995 at age 54.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23794617|title=Little Sonny (1941–1995) – Find A Grave Memorial|publisher=[[Find a Grave]]|accessdate=October 26, 2017}}</ref><ref name="AllMusic"/> According to Marc Taylor, in the book, ''A Touch of Classic Soul'', in 1975, the other two original Intruders, Robert Edwards and Phil Terry, walked away from the industry after becoming Jehovah's Witnesses.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Touch of Classic Soul: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s|first=Marc|last=Taylor|edition=illustrated|isbn=9780965232845|publisher=Aloiv Publishing|location=[[University of Michigan]]|year=1996|page=122}}</ref> Edwards died on October 15, 2016, from a heart attack at age 74, leaving Phil Terry as the last surviving original member.<ref name="Soul"/>


There are also several tribute groups, including "The Philly Intruders", who appear on "The Big Show" DVD, and "The Fabulous Intruders", founded by William Payton, Sr.
There are also several tribute groups, including "The Philly Intruders", who appear on "The Big Show" DVD, and "The Fabulous Intruders", founded by William Payton, Sr.


Bobby Starr had his own group of Intruders featuring Glenn Montgomery and Phil Gay, until his death on October 15, 2016.</ref>{{cite web|url=https://baltimoretimes-online.com/rambling-rose/2022/04/07/baltimores-own-bobby-starr-of-the-intruders-passed-away/</ref>.
Bobby Starr had his own group of Intruders featuring Glenn Montgomery and Phil Gay, until his death on March 18, 2022.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://baltimoretimes-online.com/rambling-rose/2022/04/07/baltimores-own-bobby-starr-of-the-intruders-passed-away/|title=Baltimore's own "Bobby Starr" of the Intruders passed away|date=April 7, 2022|first=Rosa|last=Pryor|quote=Robert "Bobby Star" Ferguson passed away on March 18, 2022; he was born January 19, 1937.|work=[[Baltimore Times]]}}</ref> This line-up is featured on the "My Music" DVD hosted by [[Patti LaBelle]] on [[PBS]] and tour with the Love Train: Sound of Philadelphia Concert series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillysoulclassics.com/Love-Train-The-Sound-of-Philadelphia|title=Legacy Recordings &#124; Life Changing Music, Latest News, New Releases|publisher=Phillysoulclassics.com|accessdate=August 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206002606/http://phillysoulclassics.com/Love-Train-The-Sound-of-Philadelphia/|archive-date=December 6, 2008}}</ref>
This line-up is featured on the "My Music" DVD hosted by [[Patti LaBelle]] on [[PBS]] and tour with the Love Train: Sound of Philadelphia Concert series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillysoulclassics.com/Love-Train-The-Sound-of-Philadelphia|title=Legacy Recordings &#124; Life Changing Music, Latest News, New Releases|publisher=Phillysoulclassics.com|accessdate=August 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206002606/http://phillysoulclassics.com/Love-Train-The-Sound-of-Philadelphia/|archive-date=December 6, 2008}}</ref>


==Discography==
==Discography==
Line 56: Line 55:
! rowspan="2"| Record label
! rowspan="2"| Record label
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name="Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name="allmusic albums">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/awards|title=US Albums Charts > The Intruders|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=October 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106204155/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/awards|archive-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="allmusic albums"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="Awards"/>
|-
|-
||1967
||1967
Line 109: Line 108:
! rowspan="2"| Record label
! rowspan="2"| Record label
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name="allmusic albums"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br /><ref name="Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="allmusic albums"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="Awards"/>
|-
|-
||1969
||1969
Line 120: Line 119:
||1973
||1973
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Super Hits''
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Super Hits''
| 205
| —
| 51
| 51
|-
|-
Line 156: Line 155:
! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions
! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref name="allmusic singles">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/awards|title=US Singles Charts > The Intruders|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=October 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106204155/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/awards|archive-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br /><ref name="Awards">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/awards|title=US Charts > The Intruders|publisher=AllMusic|accessdate=October 13, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106204155/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-intruders-mn0000082955/awards|archive-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="allmusic singles"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|US<br />R&B]]<br /><ref name="Awards"/>
! style="width:35px;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14998/intruders/|title=UK Charts > The Intruders|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|accessdate=October 13, 2011}}</ref>
! style="width:35px;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14998/intruders/|title=UK Charts > The Intruders|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|accessdate=October 13, 2011}}</ref>
|-
|-
Line 349: Line 348:
* {{cite book|title=A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul|first=John A.|last=Jackson|isbn=0-19-514972-6|publisher=New York Oxford University Press|year=2004}}
* {{cite book|title=A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul|first=John A.|last=Jackson|isbn=0-19-514972-6|publisher=New York Oxford University Press|year=2004}}
* {{cite book|title=Chicago Soul|first=Robert|last=Pruter|isbn=0-252-06259-0|location=Urbana, IL|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=1991}}
* {{cite book|title=Chicago Soul|first=Robert|last=Pruter|isbn=0-252-06259-0|location=Urbana, IL|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=1991}}
* {{cite book|title=A Touch of Classic Soul: Vol, 1: Soul singers of the early 1970s|first=Marc|last=Taylor|isbn=0-9652328-4-0|publisher=Aloiv Publishing|location=New York (U.S.)|year=1996}}
* {{cite book|last1=Bogdanov|first1=Vladimir|title=All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul|date=2003|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=9780879307448|edition=illustrated}}
* {{cite book|last1=Bogdanov|first1=Vladimir|title=All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul|date=2003|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=9780879307448|edition=illustrated}}


Line 355: Line 353:
{{Portal|Philadelphia}}
{{Portal|Philadelphia}}
*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4554}}
*{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4554}}
*{{Discogs artist}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O77DkK5Jno YouTube Video: The Intruders (with Bobby Starr) "I Bet He Don't Love You"]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t70lBcxYzdk YouTube Video: The Intruders (with original lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown) "Cowboys to Girls"]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t70lBcxYzdk YouTube Video: The Intruders (with original lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown) "Cowboys to Girls"]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsYKaDBleJA YouTube Video: The Intruders (with original lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown) "I'll Always Love My Mama"]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyhnjwzIR40 YouTube Video: The Intruders (with original lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown) "I Wanna Know Your Name"]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARoGBx_EzT4 YouTube Video: The Intruders (with original lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown) "(Win, Place or Show) She's a Winner"]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

Revision as of 11:05, 28 September 2023

The Intruders
The Intruders in 1968 (clockwise from bottom): Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Phil Terry, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.
The Intruders in 1968 (clockwise from bottom): Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Phil Terry, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.
Background information
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresR&B, soul
Years active1960–1985
Labels
Past members
  • Sam "Little Sonny" Brown
  • Phillip "Phil" Terry
  • Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards
  • Eugene "Bird" Daughtry
  • Robert "Bobby Starr" Ferguson

The Intruders were an American soul music group most popular in the 1960s and 1970s.[1] As one of the first groups to have hit songs under the direction of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, they were a major influence on the development of Philadelphia soul.[2]

The Intruders are also noted for having 24 R&B chart hits, including 6 R&B top tens, and 14 chart hits in the Billboard Hot 100,[3] including their signature song, the million-selling top 10 hit, "Cowboys to Girls." Other notable songs include the top 10 R&B hits "(Love Is Like A) Baseball Game", "Together", "I'll Always Love My Mama", "United", and "I Wanna Know Your Name".[3] The original members, all natives of Philadelphia, were Samuel "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phil Terry, and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.[4]

Biography

Formed in 1960, the group originally consisted of Sam "Little Sonny" Brown, Eugene "Bird" Daughtry, Phillip "Phil" Terry and Robert "Big Sonny" Edwards.[5] In 1969, Sam Brown was replaced as lead singer by Bobby Starr,[6] only to rejoin the group in 1973.

In 1965, when songwriters and record producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff first contemplated leaving the Cameo-Parkway record label to risk launching their own label, the vocalists on which they pinned all their hopes and venture capital were The Intruders. Like many other subsequent acts the duo produced, which included Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and The O'Jays, The Intruders had already developed a vocal sound that was both theirs and uniquely Philadelphian.[7]

Brown, Daughtry, Terry and Edwards had been recording and performing one-off singles together since 1961, blending Philly's street corner doo-wop tradition with black gospel fervor. The result was neither as pop-infected as Motown, nor as funky and blues-inflected as Stax. The sound which The Intruders refined for the Excel, Gamble and Philadelphia International imprints reflected a different attitude than either Stax or Motown.[8]

Gamble and Huff's success with the Intruders helped convince Columbia Records to grant them the money to launch Philadelphia International. Gamble and Huff acknowledged that their work with the Intruders was the foundation of what they called "The Sound of Philadelphia".[9][10]

The Intruders, meanwhile, were undergoing some internal turmoil. When the group resurfaced on the 1970 Gamble LP, When We Get Married, lead singer Brown was replaced by Bobby Starr.[2] The title song, "When We Get Married" (R&B No. 8, Pop #45), a Dreamlovers cover, became a hit on the charts, as was the follow-up "Win, Place or Show (She's a Winner)" (UK #14).[1] Starr's tenure with the group included Soul Train television appearances, and the rare collector's single, "I'm Girl Scoutin".[11] Brown returned to the group in 1973 for the album Save the Children, which spawned the Intruders' last two big hits, "I Wanna Know Your Name" (R&B No. 9, Pop #60) and "I'll Always Love My Mama" (R&B No. 6, Pop #36).[3] Kenny Gamble's mother Ruby, the inspiration for "I'll Always Love My Mama", died March 10, 2012, in Mount Airy, Pennsylvania, at the age of 96.[12]

Legacy

"Cowboys to Girls" (R&B No. 1, Pop #6), the only chart topping single of their career, was awarded an RIAA gold disc for one million sales in May 1968.[5]

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, their music was popular on the West Coast among Latino, specifically Chicano, youth, as evidenced by their covers by the Hacienda Brothers and Tierra. Daughtry died of cancer on December 25, 1994, at age 55,[4][2] and lead singer Sam "Little Sonny" Brown committed suicide in 1995 at age 54.[13][2] According to Marc Taylor, in the book, A Touch of Classic Soul, in 1975, the other two original Intruders, Robert Edwards and Phil Terry, walked away from the industry after becoming Jehovah's Witnesses.[14] Edwards died on October 15, 2016, from a heart attack at age 74, leaving Phil Terry as the last surviving original member.[4]

There are also several tribute groups, including "The Philly Intruders", who appear on "The Big Show" DVD, and "The Fabulous Intruders", founded by William Payton, Sr.

Bobby Starr had his own group of Intruders featuring Glenn Montgomery and Phil Gay, until his death on March 18, 2022.[15] This line-up is featured on the "My Music" DVD hosted by Patti LaBelle on PBS and tour with the Love Train: Sound of Philadelphia Concert series.[16]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Record label
US
[3] 		US
R&B
[3]
1967 The Intruders Are Together — 23 Gamble
1968 Cowboys to Girls 112 11
1970 When We Get Married — 48
1973 Save the Children 133 12
1974 Energy of Love — 41 TSOP
1985 Who Do You Love? — — Streetwave
2002 How Long Has It Been — — Moor Ent.
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Year Album Peak chart positions Record label
US
[3] 		US
R&B
[3]
1969 Greatest Hits 144 19 Gamble
1973 Super Hits — 51
1994 Philly Golden Classics — — Collectables
1995 Cowboys to Girls: The Best of the Intruders — — Epic/Legacy
1998 On the Move — — Sony Music
2002 Super Hits — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US
[3] 		US
R&B
[3] 		UK
[17]
1961 "Come Home Soon" (A-side) (Gowen label) — — —
"I'm Sold (On You)" (B-side) (Gowen label) — — —
1962 "This Is My Song" — — —
1966 "Gonna Be Strong" — — —
"(We'll Be) United" 78 14 —
"Devil with an Angel's Smile" — 29 —
1967 "(You Better) Check Yourself" — — —
"Together" 48 9 —
"Baby I'm Lonely" (A-side) 70 28 —
"A Love That's Real" (B-side) 82 35 —
1968 "Cowboys to Girls" 6 1 —
"(Love Is Like A) Baseball Game" 26 4 —
"Slow Drag" 54 12 —
1969 "Give Her a Transplant" 104 23 —
"Me Tarzan You Jane" — 41 —
"Lollipop (I Like You)" 101 22 —
"Sad Girl" 47 14 —
"Old Love" — 35 —
1970 "Tender (Was the Love We Knew)" 119 25 —
"When We Get Married" 45 8 —
"This Is My Love Song" 85 22 —
1971 "I'm Girl Scoutin'" 88 16 —
"Pray for Me" 105 25 —
"I Bet He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" 92 20 —
1972 "(Win, Place or Show) She's a Winner" — 12 14
1973 "I'll Always Love My Mama (Part 1)" 36 6 32
"I Wanna Know Your Name" 60 9 —
1974 "A Nice Girl Like You" — 21 —
1975 "Rainy Days and Mondays" — 81 —
"Plain Ol' Fashioned Girl" — — —
1979 "Goodnight" — — —
1984 "Who Do You Love?" — — 65
1985 "Warm and Tender Love" — — 99
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

References

  1. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 270. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ a b c d Huey, Steve. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i "US Charts > The Intruders". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c "The Intruders Page". Soulwalking.co.uk.
  5. ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 241. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  6. ^ "Intruders Interview (1971)". SoulMusic.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014.
  7. ^ "Artist Profile - The Intruders". Rhythm and Blues Showcase. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  8. ^ "Gamble and Huff". SoulTracks. September 19, 2005. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  9. ^ "Special Feature: Philadelphia International Records". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  10. ^ Shane, Ken (October 17, 2012). "Soul Serenade: The Intruders, "Together"". Popdose.com. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  11. ^ "The Intruders". Soulfulkindamusic.net. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  12. ^ Morrison, John F. (March 16, 2012). "Ruby Gamble, 96, mother of musician Kenneth Gamble". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  13. ^ "Little Sonny (1941–1995) – Find A Grave Memorial". Find a Grave. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  14. ^ Taylor, Marc (1996). A Touch of Classic Soul: Soul Singers of the Early 1970s (illustrated ed.). University of Michigan: Aloiv Publishing. p. 122. ISBN 9780965232845.
  15. ^ Pryor, Rosa (April 7, 2022). "Baltimore's own "Bobby Starr" of the Intruders passed away". Baltimore Times. Robert "Bobby Star" Ferguson passed away on March 18, 2022; he was born January 19, 1937.
  16. ^ "Legacy Recordings | Life Changing Music, Latest News, New Releases". Phillysoulclassics.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  17. ^ "UK Charts > The Intruders". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 13, 2011.

Bibliography

  • Jackson, John A. (2004). A House on Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul. New York Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-514972-6.
  • Pruter, Robert (1991). Chicago Soul. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06259-0.
  • Bogdanov, Vladimir (2003). All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul (illustrated ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 9780879307448.
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