(March 7, 2021).   It’s been just over 48 hours since the new collective of pop/R&B superstar Bruno Mars and immensely talented musician Anderson .Paak dropped their instant smash single “Leave the Door Open,” a pure soul throwback to the days when R&B music was still known as “soul” music because, well, it was soul music.

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak as members of the new group Silk Sonic

“Leave the Door Open” is a soul music-lover’s dream.  For us old heads who were listening to the radio and buying records in the early ‘70s (or whose parents were), it’s a reminder of what things were like before disco, funk and hip-hop changed the direction of Black music forever.  It was a time when melody and instrumentation mattered, when intricate vocal arrangements and harmonies were the norm and not the exception, and when sex was implied, not brazenly expressed.

“Leave The Door Open” by the talented twosome of Mars and .Paak – aptly billed under the name Silk Sonic – has all of those old elements and more.  

Sweet main melody?  Check.  

Unexpected chord changes at the transitions from verse to chorus (and a key modulation before the final chorus)?  Yep. 

Vocal harmonies (including a .Paak-led call-and-response) built around Mars’ tenor that effortlessly morphs from smooth to soaring and back again (with a hint of falsetto thrown in for good measure).  Yep, it has that, too. 

Enough “la-la-la’s” to give “My Cherie Amour” or any number of other great 20th century ballads a run for their money?  No problem in that department, either.

Real drums…and a tambourine to boot? You can never lose with those elements.

And get this:  it even has a 20-second fade-out at the end.  Who does that anymore in R&B?   Or in any genre of music this side of 2010?

Even the single cover art for Silk Sonic’s new song mimics the old Sue Records label from waaaay back in the day.

But if you’re having a hard time pinpointing exactly which old-school soul group Silk Sonic was aiming for in this new masterpiece, well you’ve come to the right place.

Djrobblog has narrowed down the list of the most likely candidates to five acts based on the similar sounds they put down during their respective heydays, which, for many of them, were around the same time in the 1970s and early ‘80s. 

And some of the answers might surprise you.  Here they are:

The Delfonics

The Delfonics.  This Philadelphia soul group was popular during the late 1960s and early ‘70s.  Their two biggest hits were “La-La (Means I Love You)” and “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time).”  Most of their songs were conducted by maestro Thom Bell of Mighty Three Music fame.  Their harmonies were tight and were usually surrounded by a lush string arrangement.  It was “Didn’t I” that made early prominent use of the glockenspiel, a miniature percussive instrument similar to the xylophone with keys arranged in the shape of a piano which produced high-pitched bell sounds.  Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open” makes very prominent use of that instrument, along with various other elements that make the Delfonics’ the group whose sound bandmates Bruno and Anderson were likely inspired by the most.

Switch

Switch. Now this comparison may surprise readers, if for no other reason than Switch – the latter day Motown band featuring Bobby and Tommy DeBarge – came into the music game in the late 1970s, long after soul music had peaked in popularity and groups like the Delfonics had become a distant memory on the charts.  But Switch had a sound that was about as close to what Silk Sonic are doing today than anything by those older groups.  Consider mid-tempo burners like the top-40 hit “There’ll Never Be,” “You’re The One For Me,” (both of those infused with a lot of sweet “la-la-la’s“, by the way), or any of their classic ballads such as “Calling On All Girls,” “Love Over and Over Again” or the unforgettable “I Call Your Name.”  Perhaps it’s the fact that Switch came after those other bands which makes them the closer comparison to the soul sound of Silk Sonic today.

Blue Magic

Blue Magic.  Here’s another Philly soul group who, like the Delfonics, didn’t record for the famed Philadelphia International label helmed by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.  Instead, Blue Magic recorded for Atco/Atlantic during their heyday.  It was that heyday that produced such classics as “Sideshow,” “Stop to Start,” and “Three Ring Circus.”  On average, their songs play a little slower than Silk Sonic’s “Leave the Door Open,” and they eschew tenor for the smooth falsetto of lead singer Ted Mills.  But the unmistakable glockenspiel is there, along with lush string arrangements that envelope those beautifully crafted melodies that were so characteristic of Blue Magic and the many other soul groups of their day.

The Dramatics

Dramatics. This group out of Detroit is a one-of-a-kind that would be hard for any act to duplicate (although they themselves tried when they splintered into a couple different factions after their first major success in the early 1970s).  Founded by the late Ron Banks, the “original” Dramatics had huge hits in “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get” and later “In The Rain,” both million-selling singles in 1970 and ‘72, respectively.  A personal fave of mine was “Be My Girl,” a 1977 No. 3 hit on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart.  Though Silk Sonic’s sound carves out a slightly different niche than that of the Dramatics, there’s still enough melody, full instrumentation, and trademark blending of baritone, tenor and falsetto voices on the Dramatics’ songs to make them legitimate forerunners of Mars’ and .Paak’s current brand of soul.

Cameo circa 1980

Cameo. This may be the other surprise on this list.  Most people consider Cameo to be a funk/R&B band whose biggest successes came in the 1980s with uptempo jams like “Word Up,” “Candy,” “Attack Me With Your Love,” “She’s Strange” and so many others.  And those people would be right. But Cameo’s ballad game was just as tight as their uptempo one, especially as the 1970s were giving way to the ‘80s.  Songs like “Sparkle,” “We’re Going Out Tonight,” and “Why Have I Lost You?” are late-period ballads that kept Cameo’s catalog balanced and which could easily fit in a playlist featuring the new track by Silk Sonic. 

But who would you consider to be one of the forerunners of the sound Bruno and Anderson were shooting for?  One of the acts above, or someone I didn’t include like the Chi-Lites, the Main Ingredient, Stylistics, Spinners, or any number of acts on the Philadelphia International roster?

Feel free to comment below or in any of the social media feeds where this article is posted. In the meantime, please enjoy the new song’s video below.

DJRob 

DJRob is a freelance music blogger from somewhere on the East Coast who covers R&B, hip-hop, pop and rock genres – plus lots of music news and current stuff!  You can follow him on Twitter at @djrobblog.

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By DJ Rob

28 thoughts on “Haven’t figured out which old-school group the hot new Bruno Mars/Anderson .Paak jam “Leave the Door Open” sounds most like? These five come the closest.”
  1. The clip of “Leave the Door Open” I had to find was just a little instrumental bit- turns out it’s from Seals & Crofts – Summer Breeze. Just a short clip, but it made me crazy until I found it!

  2. David Ruffin and Eddie
    Kendricks as leads with The Temps
    At times mirrored the duo style of Bruno and Anderson with Silk Sonic background duo doing what Melivin Franklin and the Williams brothers did for Ruffin and Kendricks.

  3. The Philly sound has been resurrected by these two young talednts..mainly because it was genius then, and genius now.

    The added delight and surprise is Paak’s delicate touch drumming, he can make drums ooze sensuality, as do the perfect background vocals of their wider band.
    The base line is a killer…I kinda wish they asked Thundercat to sit in…maybe they will with other songs oh the album.
    Even more stunning are the live renditions of Leave The Door Open at the “Grammy’s”, and the version where Noah , the guy that came to the States from South Africa, introduces them…both “live cuts “as far as i can see…simply outstanding, with perfect outros to finish!! And gorgeous on the ears at the very least …bring it on brothers!!

  4. I thought of The Dells. Delfonics, and Switch: I love the song because of old school melodies

    1. I’m looking forward to hearing the rest of the album. I’ve grown a little burned out from “Leave the Door Open.” Staying tuned in anticipation.

  5. Agree with the Philly soul sound and a sprinkling of Prince thrown in for good measure!! Leave the door open is an absolute triumph! ❤️

  6. How about Ms knight and the Pips singing ” Neither one of us wants to be the first to say Good Bye, the part where she extends the words , Farewell myy Loveee Goodbye.

  7. Whatever the influences,some fine bands mentioned by the way,Let’s be thankful for a fantastic song a real soul tune and for me something we’ve been crying out for,for years,and I’m talking as a soul funk disco boogie dj.i played this during my set last Saturday and it certainly didn’t get lost in the set…thank you guys for an amazing song,let it be the start of many more,as there’s so much underground talent out there.

        1. the Jackson’s slow song game was excellent and I hear them as well. it’s just an excellent song that captures the entire feel from 60s 70s and early 80s.

  8. Reminds me of Cameo – I never knew. Leave the door open, a great track, that hints at so many songs of the era. Love it

  9. I’d say the Chi-Lites. It has the production quality their songs were known for. Listen to “Have you Seen Her?”; you’ll find the same smooth sound.

    Also, I know this isn’t 70’s, but lots of jazzy chords structure can be found used heavily in early New Edition and NKOTB ballads, believe it or not.

  10. They sound a lot like the main ingredient. Listen to “I’m leaving this time” or “you aint got it no way”…..very similar style

  11. Early 70s Jackson 5 when they switched from teeny bop t o more adult material like “Never Can Say Goodbye” “Be There In the Morning” “Maybe Tomorrow.”

  12. The first time I heard it, I instantly thought of the Delfonics & Philly Soul in general. Something else that stood out was at the end of the the pre-chorus, “so if you tryna lay in these arms” reminds me a lot of the end of the pre-chorus for Rock With You, “share the beat of love”. These guys are well versed in the classics. No doubt about that.

      1. Listen to old June Millington of “Fanny” and the song almost sounds like one she could have written. Don’t know who she is? Check her out. Great talent, great songs, great slice of “Herstory”. (which should not be only considered under the heading of ‘women’s music”) which of course has never been appreciated fully in it’s own right…same “Old Soul” roots. Thanks for your blog.☮

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