Drexel’s Student Record Label Revives Unreleased Album By Washington, D.C. Band Recorded Over Half a Century Ago  

Students in Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and the University’s student-operated record label MAD Dragon Records revived a new album out of Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios nearly four decades after the iconic recording venue’s closure.

“Clean Up Your Mind,” a collection of unreleased music by the Washington, D.C. soul group Choice 4 Inc., originally recorded at Sigma in 1972, will be available on streaming services and as a limited quantity vinyl release, on May 8. It’s title track and lead single, “Clean Up Your Mindwas released on streaming services on April 3 after an eight-month project project led by Drexel music industry students to unearth the recordings from a trove of musical treasures maintained by the University.

The eight-track album captures an early intersection of soul, funk and psychedelia. It was originally produced by Philadelphia’s Billy Jackson, who was a foundational yet often under-recognized architect of “The Philadelphia Sound,” a subgenre of soul music that emerged from the Sigma recordings of the 1970s.

Preserved within the Sigma Sound Studios Collection in the Drexel University Audio Archives, these recordings are being released to the public for the first time as the capstone project of a hands-on, industry-integrated learning experience through the University’s student-run record label. The students managed every stage of a professional album rollout, from archival research to marketing, distribution and physical production.

“Projects like this give students the opportunity to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and apply it in a real, professional context with a public-facing outcome,” said Monika Julien, an assistant teaching professor in Westphal’s Music Industry program. “They’re not just learning about how the music industry works, they’re actively participating in it, collaborating with industry partners and contributing to a release that will live on beyond the classroom.”

A Band Disbanded

In the 1970s, Choice 4 Inc. brought together Washington, D.C. vocalists and a seasoned rhythm section whose members would later go on to notable careers in soul, funk and disco. ​These recordings capture an early moment in the evolution of artists who would later find commercial success, including as the funk and disco group Kleeer, known for hits such as "Get Tough”, "Winners" and "Tonight's the Night (Good Time)."

A Musical Discovery

Finding music that never found its way to the airwaves is something that doesn’t happen very often. Drexel has stewarded the Sigma Sound Studios Audio Archive’s since 2005 and in the process of researching, organizing and preserving its more than 7,000 audio recordings, sometimes hidden gems emerge.

“I mine the shelves of the archives all the time,” said Toby Seay, PhD and professor of music production in Westphal College and director of the Drexel Audio Archives. “When artists and producers are listed on tapes that draw my attention, I listen. There are many recordings in the archives that are intriguing and warrant release. But this one was fascinating as it was a complete Billy Jackson production of a D.C. group with an untold story.”

The album attracted his attention for many reasons. The tracks were extremely compelling and distinctive, according to Seay, but for some reason they had never been released. Jackson’s influence and history with Cameo-Parkway Records in Philadelphia — including penning the Tymes’ hit “So Much In Love” — made the recordings stand out even more. Seay originally reached out to Joe Tarsia, the late founder of Sigma Sound Studios, and Billy Jackson’s daughter Kelly Majid in 2016 to express interest in having MAD Dragon Records release the recordings. Seay and Majid reconnected in August of 2025 and the project began soon after.

Reviving a Record

Seay shared his discovery with Julien, who oversees the Music Industry program’s MAD Dragon practicum course, which provides students with opportunities to learn about the industry by actually producing, releasing and promoting music. Founded in 2003, MAD Dragon Records is Drexel University’s award-winning student-run record label. The label serves as a practicum course and experiential learning initiative that provides students with hands-on experience across the music industry. When it launched, it was one of the nation’s first student-run record labels associated with a degree program.

A group of five students were selected for the project as part of the year-long class: Hayden Clark, Cole Herrmann, Adriana Criswell, Bella Kaminsky and Harper Risch.

“We began to imagine the potential of it, from atmosphere, to what the listening demographics would be, etc.,” Kaminsky said. “Once we figured out the market and the vibes, we started to visualize it all with our graphic design team.”

But bringing an album to life after 54 years was no small task. The tapes were in good shape, according to Seay, but their age was beginning to show. Older back coated tapes exhibit what is known as soft-binder-syndrome or sticky-shed-syndrome, a condition in which the binding material of the tape becomes soft and sticky over time due to degradation and moisture intrusion.

To address the problem, Seay employed a “baking” method — heating the tapes at a low temperature to remove the moisture and rid the surface of debris. While baking made the tapes temporarily playable the team needed to act quickly to transfer them to a more stable medium.

In addition, there were some splice repairs needed, as the original adhesive tape connecting each song deteriorated. Then, all machinery was calibrated for the highest-quality playback possible. When played, the recording was converted to high-resolution digital files for preservation and reuse. Minor editing was then done to assure the songs would fit on an LP.

Affirming a Legacy

As the team carefully worked through the process of physically restoring the record, the students also researched and studied the legacy of the man who made it.

Jackson, who passed away in 2016, was a singer, songwriter and producer best known for writing the songs “Midnight Stroll” and “Don’t Throw Your Love Away.” He was one of the most prolific writers and producers for Cameo-Parkway Records, working with soul and R&B artists from Billy Abbott and the Jewels, to Dee Dee Sharp, The Orlons and Ronnie Dyson.

“Our perspective started as one where we were releasing a special archival album which then transformed into one where we knew we had a mission to tell the story of Philadelphia producer Billy Jackson,” said Herrmann. Drexel senior Criswell agreed. “Although working with the music has been a highlight, what truly made this project rewarding has been sharing the stories of Choice 4 Inc. and Billy Jackson,” Criswell said.

In hopes of bringing his work back to life, the students reached out to Jackson’s family to learn more about his life and musical legacy.

“Connecting with producer Billy Jackson’s daughters Kelly Majid and Kia Jackson, has been especially heartfelt,” said Clark. “It’s inspiring to tell this story and contribute to Billy Jackson’s legacy, as well as the broader Philadelphia music scene. I hope listeners can take their time with this album and truly appreciate it. It’s an exceptional piece of Philadelphia history, yet still so timeless and funky.”

For Jackson’s family, the album release was a way to recognize the contributions made to the Philadelphia music scene. “I just want to see my father’s legacy,” Kelly Majid, Jackson’s daughter said. “I don’t want people to forget him, because he contributed so much to the Philadelphia Sound. He just wanted this for generations to come.”

The Finishing Touch

To finalize the album, the team sent their audio files to mastering engineer Margaret Luthar at Dark Sky Mastering who prepared the album for both the streaming and vinyl release. This process created digital assets for long-term preservation and transformed what began as archival recordings into a high-quality musical experience for the release.

The students worked directly with a number of other external partners to complete the project. This included Dirty Napkin (https://dirtynapkin.co), a graphic design team made up of recent Westphal College graduates. 

They also worked with Mainfactor (e-commerce), The Orchard (digital distribution), Studio 4 Vinyl (vinyl pressing), Twin Girls Music (publishing and Billy Jackson’s estate) and Clarissa Brooks (liner notes writer).

The album, which features a unique cover of Bill Withers 1971 hit single, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” is the first album from the Sigma Sounds Studio Collection in the Drexel Audio Archives to be released by MAD Dragon Records in seven years. The last one came out in label.

MAD Dragon will host a release party on May 30, 2026 from 6-9 p.m.. at Milkcrate Café in Fishtown. The event is free and open to the public.

“Being able to continue the legacy of Sigma Sound Studios and producer Billy Jackson through this archival Choice 4 Inc. release has been the most rewarding part of this process,” Risch said. “This project is bigger than just me and my peers, it is a commitment to uplifting the Philadelphia music industry, and it has really allowed me to humanize and connect with music history from the city I get to call home.”

To stream Choice 4 Inc. Clean Up Your Mind: https://orcd.co/cleanupyourmind

To purchase Choice 4 Inc. Clean Up Your Mind on Vinyl: https://mainfactormerch.com/collections/choice-4-home