Callin', the second of two albums that the Pips recorded without Gladys Knight in the late '70s, didn't come out on Philadelphia International but might as well have. This LP was produced by Bunny Sigler, who does most of the writing, and the Pips are backed by the Philly soul-funk band Instant Funk (best known for its major hit "I Got My Mind Made Up"). So not surprisingly, Callin' (which was recorded in the Los Angeles suburb of Burbank but mixed at Philly's legendary Sigma Sound Studios) is about as Philly-sounding as it gets. Thanks to Sigler and Instant Funk, the Pips end up having a lot of O'Jays/Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes/Intruders-type appeal; and Sigler can also take credit for the fact that 1978's Callin' is a stronger, more satisfying release than 1977's uneven At Last... the Pips. As far as Philly soul goes, Callin' isn't in a class with the O'Jays' Survival or Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' To Be True. But it's definitely respectable, and the Pips are as pleasing on the up-tempo selections as they are on the ballad "Anything" (which is easily recommended to anyone who savored the unapologetic crooning of the O'Jays' "Forever Mine"). Now for the bad news: Casablanca gave Callin' very little promotion, and the LP died as quick a death as At Last...the Pips.
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