VMP Magazine

In 1978 and 1979, Teddy Pendergrass was a mega-star with nothing to prove. He was the hottest male vocalist in R&B. He released Platinum albums, headlined sold-out stadium concerts, and even had his own line of Teddy Jeans for women.

Just one year earlier, though, he was an emerging solo artist with everything to prove. All it took for the change was two solo albums, led by Life Is a Song Worth Singing.

In April, members of Vinyl Me, Please Classics will receive Laugh To Keep From Crying, a Vinyl Me, Please curated compilation of the mostly unreleased — until now — work of Nat Turner Rebellion, a Philly soul/funk/R&B group that released three singles, and recorded many more, in a very short window in the early ’70s before breaking up. We partnered with Drexel University and Reservoir to make this happen. Learn what went into pulling the album together here, and sign up here.

Below, you can read an excerpt from our Listening Notes booklet for the album.