Sadly, there’ll never be another Teddy Pendergrass. “Anything that you want / Anything that you need / I got it!” Woo! Here, he’s supported by backing vocals (“Tell me what you wanna do / Tell me what you wanna do baby”), while he professes his love (+ sex) to her. Truly, you buy what TP is selling, particularly when he dramatically sings, “Turn ‘em off.” One of my favorite moments is the outro section. Clearly, he sounds dedicated to his lover, expressively constructing this romantic, sensual evening with an utterly sublime vocal. His voice is chocked-full of soul and authenticity. Yes, Gamble and Huff constructed nothing short of musical excellence for Teddy Pendergrass. Those warm, sensual sounds, the orchestra – awe inspiring (and sex-inciting). The lushness of the production was enough to make “Turn Off the Lights” a hit. Pendergrass never utters the word sex, but he doesn’t have to – it’s obvious what he’s getting at on this 1979 🎼✍ 🎛 Kenneth Gamble and 🎼✍ 🎛 Leon Huff gem (“Girl I just wanna give you a special treat, you’re so sweet”). “Let’s take a shower, shower together / I’ll wash your body, and you’ll wash mine,” he sings on 🎵 “Turn Off the Lights,” adding, “Rub me down in some hot oils baby, yeah / And I’ll do the same thing for you.” He’d be tame in the 2020s where explicitness rules, but back when, his standout from his platinum-certified album, 💿 Teddy, pushed the envelope. Why? Well, the handsome R&B singer’s music oozed with sex. “Turn off the lights and light a candle / Tonight I’m in a romantic mood, yeah.” Ooh-la-la! Back in the day, 🎙 Teddy Pendergrass would be characterized as risqué. The records that grace Throwback Vibez 🕶️ 🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! On the 8 th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶, we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Turn Off the Lights”, performed by 🎙 Teddy Pendergrass. The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️ 🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️ 🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. Later, his abilities as a drummer landed him a spot in Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and he eventually took over as the group's lead singer, racking up a run of hits such as 'If You Don't Know Me By Now,' 'The Love I Lost' and 'Wake Up Everybody.Reading Time: 3 min read On the 8 th edition of Throwback Vibez, we recollect and reflect on “Turn Off the Lights” by late soul artist, Teddy Pendergrass. He was reportedly ordained as a minister while still in his teens. Together with Pendergrass, they helped define the Philadelphia Soul sound.īut before all that, Pendergrass started in the church - and not only singing. Yes, his charismatic sex appeal and his nickname ('Teddy Bear') drew in droves of women - with hits like 'Turn Off the Lights' and 'Love TKO' - but men also appreciated his rich, smoky baritone, as well as the finely crafted melodies by his main songwriters, Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. And, believe it or not, not only women were buying them. I was working in a record store in the late 1970s when Pendergrass' solo records, like Teddy and TP, were selling like crazy. Pendergrass died in a hospital outside of Philadelphia, the city in which he was born 59 years ago. On Wednesday night, he finally succumbed, according to the Associated Press, to colon cancer. That was in 1982, when, returning from a basketball game, his Rolls Royce skidded into a barrier and left him in a wheelchair, partially paralyzed. Teddy Pendergrass cheated death at least once. Teddy Pendergrass performs in London in 1982.

Teddy pendergrass turn off the lights