On 24th February, Sonos Radio HD will debut The Sound of Philadelphia, a radio station hand-curated and hosted by legendary producer and veritable American songwriting hero Kenny Gamble. Gamble co-founded one of the most influential record labels in history, Philadelphia International Records, which produced iconic hits from Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, Elton John, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin and many more. Sonos Radio is launching The Sound of Philadelphia in celebration of the label’s 50th anniversary, in collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment, which acquired the label in 2014.
Named after the signature Philly Soul sound Philadelphia International Records came to be known for, The Sound of Philadelphia will explore the label’s greatest hits – from soul to disco to the catalog’s defining love songs – with Gamble himself, who will share behind-the-scenes stories from his time writing, producing and working on 120 internationally-beloved albums and 175 gold and platinum records. The station will feature special guests, as well unique programming for Black History Month, Women’s History Month and more.
The Sound of Philadelphia will be available February 24 on Sonos Radio HD, the ad-free, high-definition tier of Sonos’ popular streaming service, Sonos Radio. Radio HD offers an expanded catalogue of original content, and is currently available in the US and UK for $7.99 per month after a free 30-day trial.
Coming to Sonos Radio and Sonos Sound System
In celebration of Black History Month, Sonos Radio will debut two stations that examine the impact of the black diaspora on modern music.
- Black is Black: a monthly radio station hosted by DJ Lindsey explores the impact of black culture on modern music. The station will premiere February 4 on Sonos Radio and Mixcloud.
- Say it Loud: a station curated by Sonos’ Employee Resource Group, Black@ Sonos, featuring tracks that span across genres and eras with voice-over reflections from Sonos staff. The station will be live on Sonos Radio on February 1 and offer new content and shows throughout the year.
And as we mentioned a couple weeks ago: FKA twigs will give fans exclusive access to her latest inspirations and obsessions on main squeeze, which airs 10th February; industry veteran and manager Corey Smyth willgive listeners a behind-the-scenes look at his unprecedented career on Blacksmith Radio, which airs February 24.
Sonos Radio is available free for all Sonos customers globally, pre-loaded in the Sonos app. Listeners everywhere can tune-in to select Sonos Radio shows at www.mixcloud.com/sonos.