The Informers

The Informers ranked among the many competent yet unremarkable Philadelphia soul ensembles that managed to issue one or two 1960s singles whose production values aligned closely with prevailing soul-radio sounds, despite receiving scant airplay. Their output encompassed both the customary slow ballad style associated with Philly soul and brisker, Motown-tinged tracks that revealed a pronounced Temptations influence on their second 45. Military conscription of two members in mid-1967 halted the group’s progress for roughly two years; after those members completed their service and rejoined in 1969, the act adopted the name the Fabulous Performers upon discovering that another ensemble already used the Informers moniker. Both sides of the two Informers singles originally issued on J-Rude later appeared on the compilation The Sounds of North Philly, which also restored both sides of an early unreleased acetate. The same collection contains eight released and previously unissued tracks by the Fabulous Performers together with ten selections by the unrelated 1960s Philadelphia soul group the Royal Five.