Love Is the Message (MFSB album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Love Is the Message

| type = Album

| artist = MFSB

| cover = MFSBLoveisthemessage.jpg

| alt =

| released = 1973

| recorded = 1973

| studio = Sigma Sound, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

| venue =

| genre = {{hlist|Soul|disco|Philadelphia soul}}

| length = 35:06

| label = PIR

| producer = Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, Vince Montana, Bruce Hawes, Jack Faith

| prev_title = MFSB

| prev_year = 1973

| next_title = Universal Love

| next_year = 1975

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Natural High

| type = Studio

| single1 = TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)

| single1date = February 6, 1974

| single2 = Love Is the Message

| single2date = June 7, 1974

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{AllMusic |class=album |id=mw0000844156 |label=Love Is the Message review |first=Jason |last=Birchmeier |accessdate=2017-10-20}}

}}

Love Is the Message is the second album by Philadelphia International Records’ house band MFSB. The album includes the number one pop, R&B, and adult contemporary hit and winner of the 1974 Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)". The song was the theme song for the television show Soul Train. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked "Love Is the Message" number 53 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".{{cite magazine|first1=Jon|last1=Dolan|first2=Julyssa|last2=Lopez|first3=Michaelangelo|last3=Matos|first4=Claire|last4=Shaffer|title=200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/200-greatest-dance-songs-of-all-time-1372888|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=22 July 2022|accessdate=6 April 2025}}

Late 1970s resurgence

In the transition period between disco and the up-and-coming hip hop movement, the title track became a staple at house and block party events in the summers of 1978 and 1979.{{cn|date=August 2023}} That track later became the basis for the last Salsoul Orchestra single "Ohh, I Love It (Love Break)", released in 1983.

Track listing

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Zack's Fanfare

| writer1 = Burton Lane, Frank Loesser

| length1 = 0:23

| title2 = Love Is the Message

| writer2 = Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff

| length2 = 6:35

| title3 = Cheaper to Keep Her

| writer3 = Mack Rice

| length3 = 6:52

| title4 = My One and Only Love

| writer4 = Guy Wood, Robert Mellin

| length4 = 4:34

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| title5 = TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)

| note5 = Theme from the television show Soul Train

| writer5 = Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff

| length5 = 3:43

| title6 = Zack's Fanfare (I Hear Music)

| writer6 = Burton Lane, Frank Loesser

| length6 = 0:50

| title7 = Touch Me in the Morning

| writer7 = Michael Masser, Ron Miller

| length7 = 6:21

| title8 = Bitter Sweet

| writer8 = Bruce Hawes, Jack Faith

| length8 = 5:26

}}

Personnel

;MFSB

Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, Reggie Lucas, Roland Chambers, T.J. Tindall - guitar
Anthony Jackson, Ron Baker - bass
Leon Huff, Lenny Pakula, Eddie Green, Harold "Ivory" Williams - keyboards
Earl Young, Karl Chambers, Norman Farrington - drums
Larry Washington - percussion
Vincent Montana, Jr. - vibraphone
Zach Zachery, Tony Williams - saxophone
Don Renaldo and his Strings and Horns
The Three Degrees - vocals

Charts

class="wikitable"

!Chart (1974)

!Peak
position

Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=183}}

| style="text-align:center;"|55

Canada Top Albums (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5022a.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Albums - April 27, 1974}}

| style="text-align:center;"|6

US Billboard Top LPs{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/music/mfsb|title=US Charts > MFSB|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=23 October 2017}}

|align="center"|4

US Top Soul LPs (Billboard)

|align="center"|1

US Top Jazz LPs (Billboard)

|align="center"|4

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
scope="col" \| Chart (1974) ! scope="col" \| Position
scope="row" \| Canada (RPM){{cite web\|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.3891.pdf\| title=RPM Top 100 Albums of '74 - December 28, 1974}} \| 52

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

scope="col" | Chart (1974)

! scope="col" | Position

scope="row" | Canada (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.3891.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Albums of '74 - December 28, 1974}}

| 52

=Singles=

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
rowspan="2"\| Year ! rowspan="2"\| Single ! colspan="3"\| Peak chart positions
style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="35"\| US ! width="35"\| US R&B ! width="35"\| US A/C
rowspan="2"\|1974 \| align="left"\| "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" \| 1 \| 1 \| 1
align="left"\| "Love Is the Message" \| 85 \| 42 \| —

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

rowspan="2"| Year

! rowspan="2"| Single

! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions

style="font-size:smaller;"

! width="35"| US

! width="35"| US
R&B

! width="35"| US
A/C

rowspan="2"|1974

| align="left"| "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)"

| 1

align="left"| "Love Is the Message"

| 85

| 42

| —

Certifications

{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=United States|artist=MFSB|title=Love Is the Message|award=Gold|relyear=1973|certyear=1974|refname="riaa"}}