His initial rise to stardom occurred under tutelage of producer's Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff on the then CBS subsidiary Philadelphia International in 1970. The Blue Notes had hits such as "I Miss You," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody," the two million seller "If You Don't Know Me By Now" and many more. Following personality conflicts between Melvin and Pendergrass, Pendergrass launched a solo career and released hit singles like "The More I Get the More I Want," "Close the Door," "I Don't Love You Anymore," "Turn Off the Lights" and others.
His first solo album was self titled Teddy Pendergrass (1977), followed by Life is a Song Worth Singing (1978), Live! Coast to Coast and Teddy (1979), 1980's TP and the final Philadelphia International Records album It's Time for Love (1981). He also sang a duet with Whitney Houston on "Hold Me," from her self-titled debut album.
Teddy Pendergrass started singing gospel music in Philadelphia churches, becoming an ordained minister at ten years old. While attending public school, he sang in the citywide McIntyre Elementary School Choir and in the All-City Stetson Junior High School Choir. A self-taught drummer, Pendergrass had a teen pop vocal group when he was 15.
By his late teens, Pendergrass was a drummer for local vocal group the Cadillacs. In the late 60s, the Cadillacs merged with another more-established group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. In 1970, when the Blue Notes broke up, Melvin, now aware of Pendergrass' vocal prowess, asked him to take the lead singer spot. It's no secret that Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff wanted Marvin Junior of the Dells for their Philadelphia International Records roster. Since the Dells were signed to Chess, they were unavailable. When the gruff'n'ready vocals of Pendergrass came their way, they eagerly signed the group.
Beginning with "I Miss You," a steady stream of hit singles flowed from the collaboration of Pendergrass and Gamble & Huff: "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "The Love I Lost," "Bad Luck," "Wake Up Everybody" (#1 R&B for two weeks in 1976), and two gold albums, To Be True and Wake Up Everybody.
Unfortunately, the more success the group had, the more friction developed between Melvin and Pendergrass. Despite the revised billing of the group, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Theodore Pendergrass, Pendergrass felt that he wasn't getting enough recognition. Around 1976, Pendergrass left Melvin's Blue Notes and formed his own Blue Notes, featuring Teddy Pendergrass. Briefly, there was some confusion as to which Blue Notes was which. The resolution came when Pendergrass disbanded his Blue Notes in favor of a solo career and Melvin's group signed a recording contract with Source Records, distributed through ABC Records, scoring a hit with "I Want to Be Your Lover."
Pendergrass signed a new contract with Philadelphia International Records sometime between late 1976 and early 1977. He burst back on the scene with Teddy Pendergrass, a platinum solo debut that included the top-notch singles "I Don't Love You Anymore," "You Can't Hide From Yourself," and "The More I Get the More I Want." Around this time, Pendergrass began to institute his infamous "Ladies Only" concerts. His next three albums went gold or platinum: Life Is a Song Worth Singing, Teddy, and Live! Coast to Coast. The hit single "Close the Door" was used in the film Soup for One, where Pendergrass had a minor role.
The singer received several Grammy nominations during 1977 and 1978, Billboard's 1977 Pop Album New Artist Award, an American Music Award for best R&B performer of 1978, and awards from Ebony magazine and the NAACP. He was also in consideration for the lead in the movie biopic The Otis Redding Story. The '70s ended, but Pendergrass kept racking up the hits. TP, his fifth solo album, went platinum in the summer of 1980 off the singles "Turn Off the Lights," "Come Go With Me," "Shout and Scream," "It's You I Love," and "Can't We Try." It's Time for Love gave Pendergrass another gold album in summer 1981, which included the hit singles "Love TKO" and "I Can't Live Without Your Love." However in the UK chart success was limited to a handful of singles peaking just short of the top 40. Amazingly "Love TKO" failed to even grace the top 100.
A 1982 car accident left Pendergrass paralyzed from the waist down and wheelchair-bound. After almost a year of physical therapy and counseling, Pendergrass returned to the recording scene, signing a contract with Elektra/Asylum in 1983. His ninth solo album, his Elektra/Asylum debut, Love Language went gold the spring of 1984. Philadelphia International issued two albums of unreleased tracks, This One's for You (1982) and Heaven Only Knows (1983). Other albums included Workin' It Back (1985), Joy (1988, whose title track stayed at #1 in the R&B charts for two weeks), and A Little More Magic (1993). The latter half of '90s found Pendergrass recording for the Surefire/Wind Up label. Truly Blessed (the name of an 1991 Elektra album) is the title of the autobiography Pendergrass co-authored with Patricia Romanowski.
Pendergrass passed away at age 59 on January 13, 2010 from complications following surgery for colon cancer.
The More I Get the More I Want
Teddy Pendergrass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The more I get it, the more I want
The more I get it, the more I want from you, baby
Give me habit, I just can't kick
'Cause it's your love I'm so happy with
There's no other, I can't compare
'Cause when I want your love, you're always there
You always give me what I need when I need it
I don't ever want our love to end
'Cause I want that good thing over and over again
The more I get, the more I want
The more I get it, the more I want
The more I get it, the more I want from you, baby
The more I want from you baby
Too much of anything ain't good for the soul
If you got too much, you just might lose control (that's what they say)
Every time I get it I just want more
'Cause each time I get it, that thing gets better
You always give me what I want when I want it
You always give me what I need when I need it
I don't want you to take your love and go
That's why I ain't ashamed to let you know
(I've gotta tell you baby)
The more I get, the more I want (I can't help it, baby)
The more I get it, the more I want (oh yeah)
The more I get it, the more I want from you, baby
I can't help the way I feel about you baby (I want from you baby)
Just can't get enough
Can't get enough
Swear to God you make me a happy, happy man
Just can't get enough
Can't get enough
I ain't gonna change baby, no, I'mma stay just the same
Just can't get enough
Can't get enough
Hey, I need your love, yes I do
Ooh
Oh well
Well
Since I need your love
I need it so bad
Ah
Just can't get enough (I can't get enough of your love)
Can't get enough
Don't you ever take your love from me child
Just can't get enough
Can't get enough
I don't know what I'd do
Well, see your love is so good to me
And I've got to have it the rest of my life
Just can't get enough
Can't get enough
Just can't get enough (don't you do it)
Can't get enough (don't you do it)
Just can't get enough (don't you do it)
Can't get enough (don't you do it)
Just can't get enough (don't you do it)
Can't get enough (see I, see I, I-I)
I can't get your love
I can't do it
You better believe it
Got something special
Make me feel like I want to feel
You know how to do that thing to me
In Teddy Pendergrass's hit song "The More I Get, the More I Want," the singer expresses his insatiable desire for his lover's love. He admits that the more he receives, the more he wants, making it a never-ending cycle for him. He declares that he cannot kick the habit because it is his lover's love that makes him so happy. He can't compare her to anyone else, and whenever he wants her love, she is always there to give it to him. It seems as though she unknowingly gives him the love and attention he wants, making their relationship special in his eyes. Pendergrass sings about how he doesn't ever want their love to end because he wants that good thing over and over again.
The singer goes on to say that too much of anything can't be good for the soul, and he admits that he wants more each time he gets it because that thing gets better. He can't help how he feels about her, and he needs her love so bad it hurts. He is not ashamed to let her know that he can't get enough of her love, and he swears to God that she makes him a happy, happy man. He concludes by saying that her love is so good to him that he needs it for the rest of his life, and he doesn't know what he would do without it.
Line by Line Meaning
The more I get, the more I want
Each time I receive something, my desire for it grows stronger
The more I get it, the more I want
When I obtain what I desire, I desire more of it
The more I get it, the more I want from you, baby
My craving for your love increases each time I receive it
Give me habit, I just can't kick
I have become addicted to the feeling of your love
'Cause it's your love I'm so happy with
I am happy because of the love you give me
There's no other, I can't compare
I cannot compare your love with anyone else's
'Cause when I want your love, you're always there
Whenever I crave your love, you are always available
You always give me what I want without knowing it
You fulfill my needs even before I express them
You always give me what I need when I need it
You always provide me with what I require at the right time
I don't ever want our love to end
I want our relationship to last forever
'Cause I want that good thing over and over again
I want to keep experiencing the happiness that our love brings
Too much of anything ain't good for the soul
Excessive indulgence can be harmful
If you got too much, you just might lose control (that's what they say)
As the saying goes, too much of something can lead to losing control
Every time I get it I just want more
Each time I receive your love, I desire even more
'Cause each time I get it, that thing gets better
Each time I feel your love, it gets better and better
I don't want you to take your love and go
I do not want you to leave me and take your love with you
That's why I ain't ashamed to let you know
I am not ashamed to declare my love for you
(I've gotta tell you baby)
I have to express this to you
Just can't get enough
I cannot get enough of your love
Swear to God you make me a happy, happy man
I thank God that you make me extremely happy
I ain't gonna change baby, no, I'mma stay just the same
I will not change my affection for you, I promise to remain the same
Hey, I need your love, yes I do
I need your love, it is crucial to me
Ooh
Exclamation to express joy and pleasure
Oh well
Interjection that indicates resignation or apathy
Since I need your love
As I require your love
I need it so bad
I need your love intensely
Ah
Exclamation to express excitement, realization, or satisfaction
Don't you ever take your love from me child
Please never take away your love from me, my dear
I don't know what I'd do
I do not know what I would do without your love
Well, see your love is so good to me
Your love is incredibly good to me
And I've got to have it the rest of my life
I have to experience your love for the remainder of my life
I can't get your love
I cannot receive enough of your love
I can't do it
I cannot bear it without your love
You better believe it
You need to believe the significance of my sentiments
Got something special
I have someone exceptional
Make me feel like I want to feel
You make me feel the way I want to feel emotionally and mentally
You know how to do that thing to me
You have the ability to make me feel overjoyed and adored
Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Whitehead, Gene McFadden, Victor Carstarphen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jaylen E. Turner
Written by
Gene McFadden
John Whitehead
Victor Carstarphen
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Lead Vocals:
Teddy Pendergrass
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Background Vocals:
Barbara Ingram
Carla Benson
Yvette Benton
Teddy Pendergrass
Gene McFadden
John Whitehead
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Instrumentation:
MFSB
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Arranger and
Conductor:
Bobby Martin
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Produced by
Gene McFadden
John Whitehead
Victor Carstarphen
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Year:
1977
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Album:
Teddy Pendergrass
Gary London
Who's still here in 2021 catching up with this fantastic song and brilliant artist?
Anthony Escalante
Me Teddy was the Man. Good Music never fades away 5-17-2021
Cedric Edwards
The Great Teddy P.
Alejandro Almada
si amigo somos fans del Philly sound y de Teddy
Ruben Riskowsky
Great song
Michael Burton
I am ๐๐บ๐ฝ
71ttorres
Those were the days. No twerking. Just partying ๐๐ฝ
Pamela Banks
You know it! ๐ฅณ
Danita Elder
Right
Barbara Jackson
Exactly ๐ฏ