The Intruders "All The Time" 45 (1966 Excel)

Weather appropriate track for everyone on the Eastern Seaboard enduring the lashing or licking that Hurricane Irene has been dropping on us over the past couple days. This is an early production/release by the soon to be massively famous team of Gamble and Huff on Excel Records which was their stepping stone into Gamble Records, then on into the Philadelphia International umbrella. The Intruders were constant companions of the Gamble and Huff team who, relative to what they were able to do with some artists and 'The Philadelphia Sound', never really broke out the way they should have with the big blip that carried them being the classic "Cowboys to Cowgirls." This record is (along with being weather relevant) a really great uptempo dancer that is carried by an awesome performance by Sam ‘Little Sonny’ Brown who manages to give the otherwise bubbly song a touch of emotion to accompany "the birds may sing, but they don't sing sweet all of the time" tone of the song. Clearly an early Gamble and Huff work it lacks any of the touches that became their trademark instead following a driving Detroit sound and adding in some of the doo-wop like back ups this track is definitely an interesting stepping stone in the musical path that Gamble and Huff blazed. They're super interesting dudes if you ever get the chance to read up on them.