TP
Studio album by
Teddy Pendergrass
ReleasedJuly 25, 1980
Recorded1979–1980
Genre
Length39:20
LabelPhiladelphia International
ProducerAshford & Simpson, Dexter Wansel, Cecil Womack, John R. Faith, Jerry Cohen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead
Teddy Pendergrass chronology
Live! Coast to Coast
(1979) 		TP
(1980) 		It's Time for Love
(1981)
Singles from TP
  1. "Can't We Try / This Gift of Life"
    Released: June 12, 1980
  2. "Love T.K.O. / I Just Called to Say"
    Released: October 2, 1980

TP is the fourth album by American R&B singer Teddy Pendergrass. It reached No. 14 on the US pop albums chart and No. 3 on the US R&B albums chart. It spawned the top ten singles, "Can't We Try", which was also featured in the soundtrack to the film Roadie, and "Love T.K.O." TP is Pendergrass's only album while at Philadelphia International Records made without any input from label founders Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Robert ChristgauA−[2]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[3]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention))[4]

The Globe and Mail deemed the album "disco Muzak at its most innocuous: lame, unoriginal, and curiously sexless."[5] The New York Times wrote that "the strongest cuts ... were all ballads that showed Mr. Pendergrass developing long narrative laments with unprecedented subtlety and emotional conviction."[6]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Is It Still Good to Ya?"Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson4:35
2."Take Me in Your Arms Tonight" (duet with Stephanie Mills)Dexter Wansel, Cynthia Biggs5:24
3."I Just Called to Say"Cecil Womack4:28
4."Can't We Try"Ken Hirsch, Ron Miller5:04
Total length:19:31
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Feel the Fire" (duet with Stephanie Mills)Peabo Bryson5:31
2."Girl You Know"Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson4:03
3."Love T.K.O."Womack, Eddie "Gip" Nobel5:00
4."Let Me Love You"Jerry Cohen, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead5:15
Total length:19:49
2016 Expanded Edition CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."This Gift of Life" (12" Long Version)Kenneth Gamble, Leon A. Huff4:39
10."Take Me in Your Arms Tonight" (12" Long Version)Wansel, Biggs7:00
11."Can't We Try" (Single Version)Hirsch, Miller3:42
12."Love T.K.O." (Single Version)Womack, Nobel3:43
13."Is It Still Good to Ya" (Single Version)Ashford, Simpson3:45
Total length:22:49

Charts

Chart (1980) Peak
[7]
U.S. Billboard Top LPs 14
U.S. Billboard Top Soul LPs 3
Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions
US
[7] 		US
R&B
[7] 		US
Dan
[7]
1980 "Can't We Try" 52 3 52
"Love T.K.O." 44 2 —

References

  1. ^ Lytle, Craig. TP review at AllMusic. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert. "TP review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
  3. ^ "The 80 Greatest Albums of 1980". Rolling Stone. November 11, 2020.
  4. ^ Hull, Tom (May 24, 2021). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  5. ^ Niester, Alan (September 27, 1980). "TP Teddy Pendergrass". The Globe and Mail. p. F6.
  6. ^ Holden, Stephen (September 3, 1981). "Pop-Soul". The New York Times. p. A87.
  7. ^ a b c d "US Charts > Teddy Pendergrass". Allmusic. Retrieved April 4, 2013.

External links

Teddy Pendergrass
Authority control databases
Categories