Journalist, Political Reporter, Cultural Critic, Editor/Proofreader
Alex V. Henderson
Philadelphia, PA
vixenatr
March 2013
The Futures Castles in the Sky [Expanded Edition)
In the 1970s, Philadelphia was one of the top cities for northern soul. Philadelphia International Records, founded by the legendary producer/songwriters Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, boasted a roster that included the likes of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, MFSP, the Intruders, Billy Paul, the Three Degrees, Patti LaBelle, McFadden & Whitehead and the O’Jays (who were from Cleveland but were considered honorary Philadelphians because they recorded most of their major hits in Philly). And there were many Philly soul stars who weren’t part of Philadelphia International, including the Delfonics, the Stylistics, the Moments (a.k.a. Ray, Goodman & Brown), Blue Magic and Barbara Mason. But Philly soul has also had its lesser-known talents, and one vocal group that fit that description was the Futures.
Formed in 1968, the Futures lasted 14 years—and during that time, a major commercial breakthrough eluded them. But as this reissue of 1975’s Castle in the Sky demonstrates, it wasn’t due to a lack of quality material.
The Futures didn’t start out as strictly a vocal group. According to drummer Keith Stafford, the Futures started out as a full band that had eleven members—and Stafford, along with guitarist Bob Mack, was part of that original 1968 lineup. But after Stafford, Mack and others left, the Futures were marketed as a vocal quintet instead of a band. The vocalists who contributed to the Futures included James King, his brother John King, Kenny Crew, Harry McGilberry and Richard Wright (who died of an aneurysm in 1970 and was replaced by Frank Washington). And whatever the lineup, the Futures had an attractive sound that was influenced by both Philly soul and Detroit soul (especially the Temptations). The Futures launched their recording career in 1970 with the single “Breaking Up” and its b-side “Our Thing” (released on the Amjo label) before recording their second single, “Love Is Here,” for Gamble & Huff’s Gamble Records (formerly Excel Records). Gamble & Huff were successful in the 1960s, producing major hits that included “Expressway to Your Heart” for the Soul Survivors and “Cowboys to Girls” for the Intruders. But it was after they launched Philadelphia International Records in 1971 that Gamble & Huff enjoyed their greatest commercial success. In 1973, however, the Futures ended up signing not with Philadelphia International, but with Buddah Records, which released their single “That’s The Way of a Woman in Love,” b/w “Grade-A Woman,” in early 1974. Buddah released a few more Futures singles (including “No One Could Compare”/“You Better Be Careful” and “Castles”) before putting out their first album, Castles in the Sky, in 1975.
Most of the songs on this reissue were written by Jerry Akines, Johnny Bellman, Victor Drayton and Reginald Turner, who had been members of another underexposed Philly vocal group: the Formations, best remembered for their Huff-produced 1968 single “At the Top of the Stairs” (the Formations ended up changing their name to the Corner Boys and, after that, the Silent Majority). But “Ninety Days (In the House of Love Connection)” was written by none other than Philadelphia soul star Barbara Mason (whose hits included her 1965 smash “Yes, I’m Ready” and 1975’s “From His Woman to You,” a response to Shirley Brown’s 1974 hit “Woman to Woman”).
The Formations gave the Futures solid material to work with, and their combination of Detroit and Philly influences serves them well on the romantic ballads “I Had a Dream,” “Love Will Be Around Forever” and “(Love Lives On a) Windy Hill” as well as on funk smokers like “Castles” and “Every Man Is God (But God Is the King).” The arrangements on “Don’t Close the Book” and “Do Unto Others” clearly have the Philly sound, yet the influence of the Temptations asserts itself as well.
FunkyTownGrooves’ expanded edition of Castles in the Sky contains no less than eight bonus tracks, which include four pre-LP songs from 1974—“No One Could Compare,” “You Better Be Certain,” “Grade-A Woman” and “(That's) The Way of a Woman in Love)”—as well as the single version of “Castles” and 1975’s “(I Can Feel) The Ice Breaking.”
“No One Could Compare” was arranged by the late Norman Harris, who was one of Philly’s top soul producer/arrangers of the 1970s and worked with famous Philadelphians who included Blue Magic, First Choice and the Trammps, among many others (his brother, singer Major Harris, is best remembered for his 1975 smash “Love Won’t Let Me Wait”). And two of the bonus tracks, “We Got Each Other” and “Make It Last,” boast Barbara Mason as a featured vocalist.
After parting company with Buddah, the Futures were reunited with Gamble & Huff when they signed with Philadelphia International Records in 1978. Philadelphia International released two albums by the Futures: Past, Present and the Futures in 1979 and The Greetings of Peace in 1980. But neither album sold, and the Futures broke up in 1982 (which was also the year in which Crew died).
In 2013, James King is working as an entertainment consultant in a major hotel in Atlantic City, although his brother John King gout of music and went into the construction business. Stafford (who now lives in Northern California) and Mack are still active in the music industry.
McGilberry went on to join a 1990s/early 2000s edition of the Temptations, which was quite appropriate given how much the Temptations influenced the Futures. McGilberry joined the Temptations in 1995 and performed on three of their albums (1998’s Phoenix Rising, 2000’s Ear-Resistible and 2001’s Awesome) before leaving in 2003 (when he was replaced by Joe Herndon of Spaniels fame). McGilberry was only 56 when health problems claimed his life on April 3, 2006.
The richness of R&B is illustrated not only by the artists who sold millions of albums, but also, by the many artists who—for whatever reason—never achieved the commercial success they were hoping for. And 38 years after its original 1975 release, Castles in the Sky remains a rewarding example of what the Futures brought to Philadelphia soul.
—Alex Henderson, March 2013
Alex Henderson’s work has appeared in Billboard, Spin, Creem, The L.A. Weekly, JazzTimes, Jazziz, AlterNet, Cash Box, HITS, CD Review, Skin Two, Black Beat, The Pasadena Weekly, Black Radio Exclusive (BRE), Music Connection, Latin Style, The New York City Jazz Record and many other well known publications. Henderson (alexvhenderson.com) has also contributed several thousand CD reviews to The All Music Guide’s popular website and series of music reference books.
Copyright 2022 Alex V. Henderson. All rights reserved.
Alex V. Henderson
Philadelphia, PA
vixenatr