S4L Showdown I: "Dee Dee Sharp vs. The Ambassadors"

First of a new series I'm puttin' together for the site. The "S4L Showdown" will feature two versions of the same song by different acts.

For this showdown I thought I'd start with a Philly soul nugget written by Jimmy Bishop & Kenny Gamble. With production handled by Gamble alongside partner Leon Huff, "I Really Love You" was first recorded in 1965 by Dee Dee Sharp for Cameo Records as one of her last for the label. Three years later, the team of Gamble & Huff found themselves re-cutting the record with the Philadelphia soul group, The Ambassadors. The cover version was released as a 45 and earned the group a minor R&B hit. The song was also used to lead off their full-length Arctic records LP, Soul Summit.

Neither of these records are very hard to find nowadays. With a bit of patience, each 45 can be yours via eBay for a decent price. Both are available on CD as well. The Dee Dee Sharp version can be found here on the 2005 Abkco records collection, The Best of Dee Dee Sharp 1962-1966 and the 1997 reissue of The Ambassadors' Soul Summit album is available here.

Listen (password req'd)