Ship Ahoy is a superb R&B album by Philadelphia Soul group The O'Jays, released in 1973. The album was a critical and commercial success, reaching #1 on Billboard's "Black Albums" chart and #11 on the "Pop Albums" chart and launching two hit singles, "For the Love of Money" and "Put Your Hands Together." Ship Ahoy was the highest selling R&B album on the Billboard Year-End chart for 1974.

 

In addition to its commercial success, the album was critically well received. Conceived as a theme album built around the title track, Ship Ahoy includes socially relevant tracks and love songs under a cover that is itself notable for its serious subject matter. The album's title track "Ship Ahoy" was built around the theme of African captives being transported in a slave ship as part of the Middle Passage of the Atlantic slave trade.

 

It had originally been penned by Gamble and Huff for inclusion in the soundtrack to Shaft In Africa, but the producers decided instead to give it to the O'Jays as part of a concept album centered around slavery.

 

180 gram audiophile vinyl

Gatefold sleeve