The Intruders – Soul Icons Of The 60’s!
November 21, 2008 by admin
Filed under Featured Artists
The Intruders Is an American soul music band and was quite popular in the 1960’s to 1970’s. The band is known to be an icon for Philadelphia soul music. They gave some excellent music and great. lyrics due to which they were highly acknowledged in Philadelphia. They have set standards for most soul music groups which are featuring soul music singles and albums.
The band was formed in 1960 and had founder members “Eugene “Bird” Daughtry, “Phillip “Phil” Terry, “Little Sonny” Brown and Robert “Big Sonny” Edwards. Sam Brown was replaced by Bobby Starr in 1969 as the lead singer and Sam joined back in 1973.
The group kept performing and recording on singles since 1961 with Gospel fervor in their music and the group never became a pop group or any funky group but they were impressive on their own. The Intruders created sound for Gamble, Excel and Philadelphia International which was different from most groups. Gamble and Huff sought success with The Intruders and Columbia Records was impressed with this effort. Columbia granted money to the band to launch Philadelphia International which was one of the most successful soul label of the 1970’s.
Gamble and Huff acknowledged The Intrudes and their efforts and said that they were the foundation and called them “The Sound Of Philadelphia”.
There were some changes in the group during this period which include Bobby Starr replaced “little Sonny” Brown as the lead singer. The group had come out with “When We Get Married” in 1970 with Gamble LP. The title song of the album “When We Get Married” was a hit among most R&B and pop music lovers. The song reached No 8 on the R&B and No 45 on the Pop charts. The song was followed by “(Win, Place Or Show) She’s A Winner” which was again a big hit as the earlier one. The music was really fascinating and the group became popular with most fans.
Starr returned n 1973 when the group gave the album “Save The Children” which had the two big hits “I Wanna Know Your name” which was R&B No 9 in the R&B charts and reached No 60 in Pop and “I’ll Always Love My Mama” which reached No6 R&B and No 36 in Pop.
Their biggest hit came as “Cowboys To Girls” which rocked the charts with reaching No1 in R&B and No 6 Pop. The group fell apart when Eugene “Bird” Daughtry died of cancer and Sam “Little Sonny” Brown had committed suicide.
The group gave several hit singles which were “Gonna Be Strong” in 1965, “(We’ll Be) United” in 1966, “Together” in 1967, “A Love That’s Real” in 1967, “Cowboys To Girls” in 1968, “Love Is Like A Baseball Game” in 1968, “Slow Drag” in 1968, “Sad Girl” in 1969, “Me Tarzan, You Jane” in 1969, “When We Get Married” in 1970, “Save The Children” in 1973, “I’ll Always Love My Mama” in 1973, “ I Wanna Know Your Name” in 1973, “ (Win Place Or Show) She’s a winner” in 1974, “Hang On In There” in 1974, “Energy of Love” in 1974 and “A Nice Girl Like You” in 1974.
Eugene “Bird” Daughtry was born on 26th October 1939 and died on 25th December 1994. Phil Terry was born on 1st November 1943 in Philadelphia. Robert “Big Sonny” Edwards was born on 22nd February in Philadelphia and Samuel “Little Sonny “Brown died in April 1995. The group had Bobby Starr later who was born on 19th January 1937 in Maryland.
The group was quite famous in the1970’s and has given immense contribution to the music fraternity.
TJ Grooves
Rare Soul Grooves & Soul Music TV
Cowboys to Girls - was this the forerunner to Brokeback Mountain? Love is Like a Baseball Game - what ? You’re in danger of being struck out? And any band who has the audacity to record a song like I’ll Always love my Mama will get my vote. Check out the amazing lyrics on weddingvendors.com - hilarious. These guys were the original gangstas.
My father bought the album “Save The Children” in 1973. I was a kid back then but that was the time when I started listening to the group. Nothing can beat “I Wanna Know Your Name”. That one is an all time favorite. Just like other fans of this group, I love listening to “Cowboys to Girls” and “I’ll Always Love My Mama.”
Give any other modern song and I will still scream for, “Baseball Game”, “Love That’s Real”, “Me Tarzan, You Jane” and Friends No More. I have grown up listening to the intruders. I was a great admirer of ‘Little Sonny’ Brown. However, Bobby Starr is not bad either. Who can forget about the songs of “When We Get Married”?
It was heart-rending when Eugene died in 1994. Many of his fans had prayed deeply for this singer to get cured of cancer, but it took his life. There was nothing anyone could do to save him. Samuel Brown too could not cope with his life and drugs, and took his life. 2 great artists were lost forever.
Great, great vocal group. Lead singer Sam “Little Sonny” Brown could croon with the best of them and let’s not forget the songwriters Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.
Thanks for this oldie but goodie. Haven’t heard it in many many years.
Little Sonny Brown’s vocals were amazing. Too bad things got so bad he saw little choice but ending his life — he jumped off a bridge into the Skuykill River, Spring 1995. You’re missed, Little Sonny.
They had the true soul spirit in the 1960s and Philadelphia soul became so famous only because of them. They were the life and soul of Philadelphia soul. They have now become immortal; as we can never forget their songs. “Hang On In There” and “Energy of Love” always touch my heart.
This legendary American soul music band was not only very popular in the 1960’s and the 1970’s, but is greatly loved by its fans today. Just like me I guess there are others who love to listen to their music. No other soul music group can match up to them.
The iconic soul music band was true essence of Philadelphia soul music. Whatever they attempted at resulted in great music. The Intruders were also very particular about their lyrics and every song was so different from one another. It was one of the reasons why they were so famous across Philadelphia.
Not only were these guys singing stars, but they looked like butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths when you see them on the old shows. Course, I’m sure they got up to their fair share of scrapes, but you’d never know it from their stylish sharp suits and dance routines. The Intruders - Philly classics.
the intruders is the best group of all times and litttle samual brown was the best singer i ever heard.
I have just come across a song by the intruders called What’s Easy For Two Is So Hard For One .. i think first sang by Mary wells but this one done by the intruders is just as good if not better it is fantastic im sure it will be played here in England if i have any thing to do with it ,,,
spoke it Collo
WILL SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT THE INTRUDERS,THE STORY OF LITTLE SONNY. IT WILL SELL LIKE THE FIVE HEARTBEATS AND THE TEMPTATIONS STORY.LITTLE SONNY WAS ON DRUGS JUST LIKE EDDIE CAIN AND DAVID RUFFIN. THERE ARE TWO REMAINING INTRUDERS LEFT WHO CAN TELL THIS STORY THEY ARE PHIL TERRY AND ROBERT EDWARDS BOTH LIVE IN PHILLY. THE INTRUDERS PUT GAMBLE AND HUFF ON THE MAP. AT LEAST THEY OWE THAT MUCH TO LITTLE SONNY. LITTLE SONNY STAYED ON DRUGS FOR YEARS AFTER THE GROUP DISBANDED IN 1975. HE LOST HIS WIFE ,MOTHER. AND FRIEND EUGENE DAUGHTERY THAT REALLY PUSHED LITTLE SONNY TO THE EDGE. HE COMMITED SUICIDE BY JUMPING OFF THE STRAWBERRY MANSION BRIDGE AND WHEN THEY FOUND HIM HE HAD SOME INTRUDERS CASSETTES TAPES TIED TO HIS WAIST . I HEARD THAT HE EVEN WENT TO GAMBLE AND HUFF FOR HELP, BUT THEY SAW THAT HE WAS NOT GETTING BETTER. THE GROUP REALLY STRUGGLED ONE TIME BOBBY STARR HAD TO REPLACE SONNY, BUT SONNY CAME BACK.MAYBE ROBERT TOWNSEND CAN DIRECT THIS MOVIE. SAMUEL L JACKSON COULD PLAY LITTLE SONNY. I MET THEM WHEN THEY SAME TO HOUSTON IN 1970. I WAS 17 THEN.PLEASE TRY TO GET SOMEONE TO MAKE THIS FILM I KNOW THET IF THE FIVE HEARTBEATS AND THE TEMPTATIONS STORY MADE MONEY THEN THIS WILL TOO. AT LEAST GAMBLE AND HUFF OWE THAT TO LITTLESONNY AND HIS FAMILY. FROM TROY HARLAND OF HOUSTON ,TEXAS 1115 TWIN FALLS RD. 77088
PLEASE E MAIL ME BACK ABOUT THE INTRUDERS, THE STORY OF LITTLE SONNY I THINK THAT IT WILL BE A GREAT IDEA. HARLAND.TROY@COMCAST.NET