Which Philadelphia soul group recorded the 1972 hit "If You Don't Know Me by Now"?

The Philadelphia soul group that recorded the 1972 hit "If You Don't Know Me by Now" was Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

Written by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the song was recorded at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios and released in September 1972 on Philadelphia International Records. Teddy Pendergrass, then the group's lead singer, delivered the lead vocal, helping give the recording its dramatic, pleading character.

The single became Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' first major hit. It topped the U.S. R&B chart and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also appeared on the group's debut album, I Miss You. The song had originally been written for Labelle, but that group never recorded it.

A common mix-up involves Simply Red, whose 1989 version became a No. 1 U.S. pop hit. That later recording is much more familiar to some listeners, but the original 1972 hit was by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.