The Three Degrees – When Will I See You Again

Some songs can transport me back…this is one of them. This was written by the Philadelphia songwriting and production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It was released on their Philadelphia International Records and became the only #1 in the UK for the label.

This song peaked at #2 in the Billboard 100 in 1974.

Three Degree Sheila Ferguson: The song was played to me by Kenny Gamble at the piano in 1973 and I threw a tantrum. I screamed and yelled and said I would never sing it. I thought it was ridiculously insulting to be given such a simple song and that it took no talent to sing it. We did do it and several million copies later, I realized that he knew more than me.”

From Songfacts

A few months earlier in their first recording for Philadelphia International Records, The Three Degrees supplied the vocals for the US #1 hit “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia),” which was the theme song for the TV show Soul Train.
When Will I See You Again

When will I see you again?
When will we share precious moments?
Will I have to wait forever?
Or will I have to suffer and cry the whole night through?

When will I see you again?
When will our hearts beat together?
Are we in love or just friends?
Is this my beginning or is this the end?
When will I see you again?
(When will I see you again?)
When will I see you again?

Are we in love or just friends?
Is this my beginning or is this the end?
When will I see you again?
(When will I see you again?)
When will I see you again?
(When will I see you again?)
When will I see you again?
(When will I see you again?)
When will I see you again?

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

11 thoughts on “The Three Degrees – When Will I See You Again”

  1. I like it these days but I was with Sheila’s opinion back then 🙂 When it came out, after I’d gone big on The Year Of Decision and TSOP, and also Dirty Ol’ Man to a lesser extent, I was a bit disappointed! I was bemused by it’s huge success and all sniffy cos The Year Of Decision hadn’t been huge 🙂

    Took me another 5 years, Giorgio Moroder and The Runner in particular to bring me back on board properly, oops!

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    1. Thanks for bringing up “The Year of Decision”…I had forgotten about that entirely. Yea I was 7 years old when this song appeared and it takes me right back there.
      The Runner I do remember.

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  2. Kind of echo others reactions — at the time, when it came out and I was a kid, I thought it was OK but didn’t think too much of it one way or the other. Now 40-some years on, love the tune,not only for its “time machine” feel but the actual sound of the smooth single too. Rather surprised we didn’t hear much more from the Three Degrees

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    1. I when I wrote about it I thought it was an old Motown song they covered…it has a familiar sound to it…I was surprised they are the ones who put it out.

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      1. Very Motownish. Of course, back then I didn’t know there was a Philadelphia soul sound- I more or less assumed all the acts from there (like Harold Melvin or the O’Jays) were Motown ones.

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      2. It seemed…now that I look at it… you had sixties pop soul…then soul…then the Philadelphia sound and then disco started to blend in with it… after that it took over

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