For the Love of Money is a soul/funk song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, and Anthony Jackson; and recorded by Philadelphia soul group The O'Jays for the album Ship Ahoy. Produced by Gamble and Huff for Philadelphia International Records, "For the Love of Money" was issued as a single in late 1973 (see 1973 in music), with "People Keep Tellin' Me" as its b-side. The single peaked at number three on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart, and at #9 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart
in spring 1974. Though the album version of the song was over seven
minutes long, it received substantial radio airplay. The song's title
comes from a well-known Bible verse, 1 Timothy
6:10: "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" (King James Version).
Director: Ellie Kanner
Writers: Jenna Mattison (screenplay), Michael Micco (story)
Stars: Edward Furlong, James Caan and Jonathan Lipnicki
Anthony Jackson played bass guitar on the song. One day during fall 1973, producer/keyboardist Leon Huff was leading the members of the MFSB rhythm section and Jackson through a rehearsal. Sigma Sound Studios owner/engineer Joe Tarsia noticed that Jackson had a wah-wah pedal attached to his Fender Precision bass. Tarsia decided to run Jackson's bassline through a phaser,
giving it a swishing sound and later mixed in echo. During the final
mixing of the track, Kenny Gamble impulsively reached over to the echo
button and added echo to Jackson's opening riffs.
