Love Is The Message

If ’70s R&B had a holy trinity of session bands, Philadelphia International’s MFSB would be right there next to Willie Mitchell’s Hi Records crew and Stax’s Bar-Kays/Isaac Hayes Movement ensemble — and only one of these groups could boast literally writing the theme song to the most definitive R&B showcase in TV history. “Soul Train” theme “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)” made MFSB omnipresent, while “Love Is the Message” became an instant early-disco classic that early hip-hop got durable mileage out of, too. The jazzy flourishes of dance gem “Touch Me in the Morning” and vibe-sprinkled slow number “My One and Only Love” make this one a good not-just-for-the-hits pickup.