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VMP ANTHOLOGY

The Story of Philadelphia International Records

A story told through eight albums of distinct, inimitable Philadelphia soul, with special attention to vibrant storytelling and quality mastering.

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NOTE: Please purchase this product individually, as it cannot be combined with other products in our store. Orders are expected to ship
in late February 2022. Timeline is subject to change due to COVID-19. We will notify you of any shipping updates.
We've been through all of that — where they wouldn't even put no albums on the shelf in a store that had a Black person’s face on it. So we were able to beat all that stuff down with excellence. What made [PIR’s] music break all those roadblocks was: the music was good, and the message was good. Love train, love train — that’s what our message is. Our message is love… Ain’t nothing greater than love.
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Kenny Gamble, Co-Founder of Philadelphia International Records

Get The Whole Story….

VMP Anthology goes beyond the eight LPs included in your box. Alongside your box and the albums within it, we provide in-depth, original Listening Notes and a digestible multi-episode podcast to serve as your definitive guide though these records. VMP Anthology isn’t just a box set that’s supposed to gather dust on your shelves — it’s an immersive and transformative story that comes alive for you to spend weeks (or longer!) inside of. We can’t wait for you to dive deeper into PIR’s incredible history, and perhaps even enjoy some Soul Train-inspired living room dance breaks along the way.

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The O'Jays
Back Stabbers (1972)
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Billy Paul
360 Degrees of Billy Paul (1972)
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MFSB
Love is the Message (1973)
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The Three Degrees
The Three Degrees (1973)
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Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes
Wake Up Everybody (1975)
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Dexter Wansel
Life on Mars (1976)
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The Philadelphia International All-Stars
Let's Clean Up the Ghetto (1977)
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Leon Huff
Here to Create Music (1980)

What's Included

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Accompanying Podcast Series
Hear the story of Philadelphia International Records — and the explosive epicenter of soul music it created — from the people at the helm of the movement itself.
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Eight Classic Philly Soul Albums
First edition limited to 1,000, on exclusive 180g colored vinyl, plated and pressed at RTI. All eight albums were AAA-mastered from tapes by Bernie Grundman.
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AAA-mastered from tapes

All of these albums were lacquered directly from tapes, prioritizing the quality and warmth of the albums’ sound and transporting you right back to the soul of the ’70s.
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Listening Notes
Read the story of these eight albums in a very special 23-page Listening Notes and photo booklet written by Niela Orr.
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Premium Commemorative Box
Designed in-house at VMP, this original box with matte varnish and multi-color foil, is inspired by the label’s timeless style and the vibrant colors and patterns of the 1970s. Bonus: Also includes a "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)" throwback bumper sticker.
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An Anthology Mail Bag + Contest
You’ll receive an invite to ask any question you want to know about soul and R&B music, the featured albums, the podcast, what might be next in Anthology or anything else on your mind, and be entered into a contest to win test pressings from the Story of Philadelphia International. Keep your ear to the ground!
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How Was The Audio Sourced?

All eight albums in this VMP Anthology were cut by Bernie Grundman and plated and pressed at RTI on high-quality 180g color vinyl. All eight albums were AAA-mastered from tapes.

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Podcast and Listening Notes

Go deeper than just the albums by reading our 23-page Listening Notes booklet, which covers the story of the label and its cultural impact, and our podcast, which tells the story of each album through interviews with PIR’s key figures like Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff and more. This digestible four-episode podcast series will tell a concise story of each album in this box, the artists who made them and how they shaped The Sound of Philadelphia. Find it on streaming services when the Anthology ships and listen to each corresponding episode as you make your way through the records in your box.

FAQS

Got a question?

VMP Anthology is the vinyl box set, reinvented. It aims to use music to tell a story, and gives space for lots of listening, learning, and conversation along the way.
VMP started as a record of the month club in 2013 and has expanded into an online record store and magazine.
Shipping is free in the U.S. and $40 internationally. Records will be sent in one shipment. Orders are expected to ship in late February 2022. Timeline is subject to change due to COVID-19. We will notify you of any shipping updates.
We created VMP Anthology for people who recognize that every album has a deep story to tell. By breaking up the albums, we give you space to truly listen and absorb each individual recording, listen to the podcast and soak it in. Of course, this is just a suggestion!
Nope! We built VMP Anthology as a way for all fans to experience music more deeply, and VMP membership is not required.
Yes, shipping is available in 16 countries in addition to the U.S. (view all FAQs for more details). For international customers, customs and duties will be pre-paid and nothing will be due upon receipt.
Afterpay is an interest-free financing option that allows you to make four bi-weekly (every two weeks) installment payments rather than one upfront payment. If you choose Afterpay at checkout, you will be redirected to the Afterpay site to create an account and to complete your payment. You won’t be charged any interest or fees, as long as your payments are made on time. At this time, Afterpay is only available for customers in the United States.
To get the Member Price, you must be an active VMP Member for our monthly record subscription (and make sure you are logged in).

The Story of Philadelphia International Records

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