Gamble wrote the timeless Philadelphia lyric that likens an out-of-gas love affair to a traffic jam on the Schuylkill Expressway while stuck in traffic on his way to see his then-girlfriend, "Mashed Potato Time" singer Dee Dee Sharp. "Not only did they bring our Philly Sound and Gamble & Huff to the national spotlight," Gamble and Huff said in a joint statement that praised the late singer for his "unique and mellow voice." "But they truly were like brothers to us. Richie was a true soul singer who sang from the heart."