Now past their "TSOP" apogee and working well with producers
Gamble & Huff,
the Three Degrees bounded back into the Top 40 with 1975's
International. Working across a slick set dominated by
Gamble & Huff-penned songs that provided a smooth vehicle for the trio's powerhouse vocals,
the Three Degrees took the pleasing "Take Good Care of Yourself" into the charts. But despite the evidence of a fine performance, it never really feels like the band really hit its stride. Both "Long Lost Lover" and the very Motown-ish "Loving Cup" are pleasant efforts but, as the songs unfold, the band seems to stagnate across an apparently endless supply of ballads. Even a reprisal of "TSOP" and a cover of
Marvin Gaye's 1973 classic "Distant Lover" don't manage to stir the old heartstrings. Although they'd revamp and revive across later efforts for Ariola, the bandmembers were running out of steam in the confines of the Philadelphia International format. Stripped of their earlier fire and spark, it's obvious
the Three Degrees really didn't have anything fresh to offer. However, that's not to say that this album isn't without merit -- after all, it did carve a respectful niche for itself. In another time and place,
International would probably crackle with effervescence but, in retrospect, there are far better ways to sample this wonderful trio.