For the Love of Money - O'Jays (1974) 1/14/23

Today's "Great Songs of the '70s" blog entry begins with a Bible verse: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 1 Timothy 6:10 (King James Version)

In 1973, the Philadelphia songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, along with bassist Anthony Jackson created a song about the evils of money and handed it over to The O'Jays to record.

"For the Love of Money" was not only a perfect example of the "Philadelphia Sound," it was ahead of its time, production-wise.

Anthony's bassline was run through a wah-Wah pedal (normally reserved for lead guitars), and some of the vocals (especially the "Money Money Money" parts) were augmented with backwards echo. The overall effect was fresh, new, and a bit spooky.

Many people assumed those effects made the song more of a tribute to the wonders of MAKING & HAVING money. Indeed, the "Money Money Money" chorus was used as the theme song for TV's "The Apprentice." (No, I'm not being political.)

On the other hand, the same sections of the song have been used to denote greed and avarice in dozens of TV shows--like "Moonlighting," "CSI," and "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," to films like "Action Jackson,"New Jack City," and "Sister Act II."

And, as/per their Biblical inspiration, that's exactly what Gamble & Huff intended.

The album version (from "Ship Ahoy") was over 7 minutes long. There was a radio edit that came it at 3:47, but most stations played the whole thing.

In early 1974, "For the Love of Money" climbed to #3 on Billboard's Soul Chart, and #9 on The Hot 100.

It was a "Great Song of the '70s," complete with a message and a moral!

For the Love of Money" by The O'Jays:

Album version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXE_n2q08Yw

Single version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfQuvrlnOdo