''Live in Europe'' is an album by soul singer Billy Paul. The album was produced by Bobby Martin and arranged by Billy Paul and Caldwell McMillan. It was recorded at

Hammersmith Odeon The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ha ...

, London and Central Hall, Chatham, England in December 1973. Released in 1974, this album reached #10 on the Billboard Soul Album chart and #187 on the Billboard Pop album chart.

Release and critical reception

Following his 1973 European tour, Billy Paul taped an episode of ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series w ...

'' on January 20, 1974. Stephen McMillian wrote: "During Billy's interview with Don ornelius he mentioned that he had returned from a European tour with the O'Jays and The Intruders, stating that the response was great and very receptive. 'The most amazing thing is to see people who can’t understand your language but they enjoy your music and the sound,' Billy told Don. Several of the songs he performed on the London leg of the European tour were released on his wonderful live album entitled Billy Paul ''Live in Europe''." On its release in 1974, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' noted in its June 22 issue: "The five songs on the album average eight minutes in length, but the time is taken up by extended singing, concentrating on separate parts of the material, rather than a lot of empty rapping. The excitement at Paul's London debut is palpable. Best cut: 'Brown Baby.' Dealers: Can display in tandem with new O'Jay live LP cut at same hall."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Ron Wynn wrote: "Paul was not a great live vocalist either as a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer, something that was evident on this mid-'70s set. No matter how polished or well-rehearsed the backing band, Paul's flaws couldn't be covered as smoothly in a concert setting, and they're revealed along with his strengths -- timing, a good delivery, and decent range and interpretative skills."

Track listing

All tracks composed by

Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff Kenneth Gamble (born August 11, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and Leon A. Huff (born April 8, 1942, Camden, New Jersey) are an American songwriting and production team credited for developing the Philadelphia soul music genre (also known as ...

; except where indicated Side 1 #"War of the Gods Introduction-Brown Baby" – 9:11 #"Thanks for Saving My Life" – 4:19 Side 2 #"

Me and Mrs. Jones "Me and Mrs. Jones" is a 1972 soul song written by Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Cary Gilbert, and originally recorded by Billy Paul. It describes an extramarital affair between a man and his lover, Mrs. Jones. In the song, the two meet in secre ...

" ( Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Cary Gilbert) – 8:48 #" Your Song" (

Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English songwriter, singer and visual artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with musician Elton John, a songwriting partnership that is one of the most successful in history. Tau ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

) – 8:41 Note: digital versions of the album divide the LP's first track: "War of the Gods Introduction" (2:00) and "Brown Baby" (7:09); the live version of "

" appears in a slightly longer form (9:04) as a bonus track on digital versions of the studio album ''

360 Degrees of Billy Paul ''360 Degrees of Billy Paul'' is an album by soul singer Billy Paul. It was produced by Gamble & Huff, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and arranged by Bobby Martin (producer), Bobby Martin, Lenny Pakula and Norman Harris (musician), Norman Harris. Rel ...

'' (1972).

Personnel

*Arranged By – Billy Paul, Caldwell McMillan *Art Direction – Ed Lee *Engineer – Bob Hall *Engineer, Remix – Jay Mark *Liner Notes – John E. Abbey *Photography By – Urve Kuusik *Producer – Bobby Martin *Mobile Recording facilities provided by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

and The Manor *Remixed At –

Sigma Sound Studios Sigma Sound Studios was a recording studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.. It was founded in 1968 by recording engineer Joseph Tarsia. Located at 212 North 12th Street in Philadelphia, it was one of the first studios in the United States to ...

*Mastered At – Frankford/Wayne Recording Labs

Charts

References

External links

Billy Paul-Live in Europe at Discogs
{{Billy Paul 1974 live albums Billy Paul albums Albums produced by Bobby Martin Philadelphia International Records live albums Albums recorded at Sigma Sound Studios