BOBBY WOMACK-PIECES.

dereksmusicblog ♦ September 21, 2014 ♦ Leave a comment

BOBBY WOMACK-PIECES. 

On  June 27th 2014, Bobby Womack, one of the legends of soul music died. Bobby’s career had lasted over fifty years. It began when Bobby was a member of The Valentinos. After that, Bobby embarked upon a solo career. He released his debut album Fly Me To The Moon in 1968. Bobby would then release another twenty-five albums. His swan-song was 2012s The Bravest Man In The Universe. That was a fitting title for his final album.

By 2012, Bobby Womack was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. His health was deteriorating rapidly. Sadly, this was one battle Bobby couldn’t win. Previously, Bobby had beaten drug addiction and cancer. He had also managed to reinvent himself musically several times. Bobby Womack was a soul survivor.Right up until the final days of his life, Bobby Womack was fighting.

Just three months after his death, it’s become apparent that Bobby Womack was broke. He was technically insolvent. Bobby had cash reserves of $52,000 and $8,000 in material goods. However, Bobby owed $250,000 in child support. For a man who’d written Lookin’ For A Love, That’s the Way I Feel About Cha, Harry Hippie and Across 110th Street, this looked like an ignominious end to a great career. However,  just before his death, the soul survivor had managed to secure the rights to some of his back-catalogue. This should solve the financial problems Bobby left behind. The soul survivor it seemed, was still fighting from beyond the grave. That describes Bobby Womack. He was always a fighter. In 1977, Bobby Womack was fighting to save his career.

In 1977, when Bobby Womack entered the recording studio in to record his twelfth studio album Pieces, his career had hit the buffers. Bobby’s music was no longer as successful as it had been in late-sixties and early-seventies. His two previous albums, BW Goes C&W and Home Is Where the Heart Is showed that Bobby was lacking in musical direction. Like many soul singers, his music wasn’t as popular in the disco era. With disco flavour of the month, soul singers like Bobby were even struggling to get a record contract. As if that wasn’t bad enough Bobby’s personal life wasn’t in a good place.

Bobby felt that his life was falling to pieces.  He was struggling to keep his life together. So it was almost ironic that Bobby’s twelfth studio album was called Pieces. In many ways, Pieces was a good description of the album, as different songs were recorded at different times, with different personnel and guest artists. Eventually, and just like a jigsaw, all the pieces fell into place and Pieces was ready for release in 1977. Would Pieces which will be rereleased on Blu-spec CD2 format by Columbia on 22nd September 2014, and featured guest appearances from David Ruffin and Candi Staton see a return to form from Bobby Womack? That’s what I’ll tell you, after I’ve told you the background to Pieces.

With Bobby ready to record what became Pieces in 1977, he headed to Detroit, and Don Davis’ studio. In Detroit eight songs would be recorded. This included three tracks that Bobby cowrote. Bobby and Leon Ware, who’d produced Marvin Gaye’s seminal album Here My Dear, cowrote two tracks. They were Trust Your Heart with producer Don Davis and Wind It Up With Bobby’s brother Cecil. Cecil also cowrote Never Let Nothing Get the Best of You. Don Davis would cowrite two other track. These were the album opener It’s Party Time with Willie Schofield, and Caught Up In the Middle with Jerry Stephens and Ronnie McNeir. Other tracks included the Jimmy George and John Hammond composition Is This the Thanks I Get and the Allee Willis’ penned When Love Begins Friendship Ends. Stop Before We Start, which Arenita Walker and Cynthia Girty cowrote, was one of two tracks that featured longtime friends of Bobby.

When Bobby headed to Don Davis’ Detroit studio, he hooked up with two of his longtime friends, Candi Staton and David Ruffin. The three of them had grownup together and stayed close since then. By 1977, Candi had just enjoyed one of her most successful songs, the disco classic Young Hearts Run Free in 1976. Candi would duet with Bobby on Stop Before We Start. Given Candi’s success, this would surely help sales of Pieces. David Ruffin was still a successful artist, having released Everything’s Coming Up Love in 1976 and would release In My Stride in June 1977. Bobby had long respected David Ruffin as a singer, and wanted to have him feature on one of his albums. So for Pieces, David added backing vocals on Trust Your Heart. Accompanying David, Candi and Bobby Womack would be some of the best session musicians of the time.

Among the musicians joining Bobby Womack and his guest artists were a rhythm section of drummer Roger Hawkins, bassist Anthony Willis and rhythm guitarist Jimmy Johnson. Charles Fullove played lead guitar, Barry Beckett keyboards and percussion was played by Laurence Fratangelo and Barbara Huby. Horns were provided by The Detroit Horns and The Horny Horns. Adding backing vocals were Friendly, Curtis,  Cecil and Bobby Womack, along with Peggy Young, Cassetta George and Josephine Howard. Once the eight songs that comprise Pieces were recorded, the album was set for release later in 1977.

On the release of Pieces in 1977, it wasn’t a huge commercial success, reaching a lowly 205 in the US Billboard 200. This wasn’t surprising. Many other soul singers were releasing quality albums but they weren’t selling. Disco it seemed, had overtaken soul in terms of popularity. One singer who’d crossed over from soul to disco was Candi Staton, who duetted with Bobby on Stop Before We Start. Trust Your Heart was chosen as the lead single from Pieces, but only managed to reach number forty-seven in the US R&B Charts. Maybe the problem was that Pieces was the wrong album at the wrong time?After all, disco was King, whereas soul was no longer as popular. Was that the case? That’s what I’ll tell you, after I’ve told you about the music on Pieces.

Opening Pieces is It’s Party Time, a track that more than tips its hat to disco. Bobby vamps his way through the introduction with the rhythm section, testifying backing vocalists and blazing horns creating an uptempo, dance-floor friendly arrangement. From the opening bars, Bobby grabs the song by the scruff of its neck, delivering his vocal with a powerful, sassy, swagger. Although not quite Bobby does disco, it’s quite different to previous Bobby Womack albums. One thing doesn’t change, the quality of Bobby’s vocal. It’s just as good. Especially with the cooing, soaring backing vocals, rasping horns and pounding rhythm section that accompany Bobby. They play their part in the track’s irresistibly catchy, dance-floor friendly, good-time sound.

Trust Your Heart was the lead single from Pieces, but it only gave Bobby a minor US R&B hit. Bobby’s vocal is a sassy rasp, before he delivers a heartfelt, impassioned vocal. He’s accompanied by a slow, moody backdrop, where the rhythm section and piano add to the drama. His vocal is soulful, soaring and cascading above the arrangement, as swathes of strings sweep and swirl. The drama builds and builds, and Bobby’s vocal matures as the song progresses. Soon, he unleashes a vocal tour de force, where power, passion and drama unite as one.

Stop Before We Start is a much slower song, and features Bobby duetting with Candi Staton. Keyboards and synths show the changing sound of soul and R&B in 1977, while lushest of strings add to the song’s emotion and beauty. They might seem strange bedfellows, but they work, giving the track an innovative sound for 1977. With wistful horns and Bobby’s heartfelt, emotive vocal added, this a potent partnership. Proving the perfect accompaniment to Bobby’s vocal is Candi’s impassioned pleas. Her vocal is needy and full of feeling, matching Bobby each step of the way.Their vocals are a perfect match, the soulful equivalent of ying and yang, playing their part in making this one of the highlights of Pieces.

Allee Willis wrote the philosophical When Love Begins Friendship Ends. It’s a track that quickly grows in drama and emotion, as if designed to grab your attention. Soon, you’re glad you are. Just searing guitars, wistful strings and bursts of a dramatic rhythm section give way to Bobby’s impassioned vocal. He unleashes a vocal that’s full of sadness and regret, accompanied by bursts of growling horns and drums. Quickly, the drama grows. Bobby’s vocal grows in power, as he breathes life and meaning into the track. So good is is vocal, you can sense his hurt and heartache. Sometimes, the arrangement takes on an understated sound, but then, just as quickly changes, matching Bobby’s vocal for power, drama and emotion.

As Wind It Up begins, you realize that something is about to unfold. You’re certainly not disappointed. Bobby powerfully vamps his way through the track fusing funk, soul and jazz. The arrangement is full of blazing horns, driving rhythm section, percussion and a jazzy piano, that’s key to the track’s sound and success. It’s a real  stomping track, that allows Bobby to kick loose. His vocal is fiery and feisty as he vamps his way through a track he cowrote with his brother Cecil and Leon Ware. Truly, this is vintage Bobby Womack. He he rolls back the years, delivering one of his best vocals on Pieces accompanied by one of the best arrangements.

Jimmy George and Johnny Hammond were a successful songwriting partnership, writing songs for George Benson and O.C. Smith. Is This The Thanks I Get is another of their compositions. It has a much more understated, laid-back sound, which grows in power and drama. It veers between the two styles throughout the track. Just rasping horns, backing vocalists and a meandering bass combine with Bobby’s vocal. His vocal is a mixture of sadness and hope, his voice growing in power like the arrangement. Crucal to this are blazing horns, guitars and bass. Then as the hope leaves Bobby’s voice, the arrangement is stripped bare, taking on an understated sound. This is perfect for Bobby’s melancholy, wistful vocal and is hugely effective.

Caught Up In The Middle is one of two songs producer Don Davis cowrote. Don cowrote the track with Ronnie McNeir and Jerry Stephens. Bobby scats, before he sings about being caught up in a love-triangle. Just woodwind, piano and a wandering bass combine with Bobby. He seems to have reserved one of his best vocals, throwing himself into the track, singing it with feeling and sass. It’s almost as if the lyrics are personal for Bobby. Rasping jazz-tinged horns, piano and harmonies, are joined by a wandering bass and lush strings. Together, they add to the drama and emotion of this jazz-tinged track.

Bookending Pieces is Never Let Nothing Get The Best Of You, written by Bobby and Cecil Womack. It’s another uptempo, dance-floor friendly track, where Bobby vamps and testifies his way through the track. Backing vocalists accompany Bobby, responding to his call, while growling horns, piano, percussion and the rhythm section drive the arrangement along at breakneck speed. For nearly five-minutes, Bobby unleashes a powerful vamp, as his band and backing vocalists fuse funk, soul and a touch of disco. Like the opening track, it’s an irresistibly catchy, dance track, where Bobby unleashes one of his trademark vamps with the power, passion and panache you’d expect of him.

Like so many other soul albums released during the disco era, Bobby Womack’s twelfth album Pieces, was one of these albums that passed almost unnoticed. This was because of disco’s popularity. Disco had surpassed soul as the most popular genre of the second half of the seventies. That meant music fans missed out on what was one of Bobby Womack’s best album of the late-seventies. Pieces followed BW Goes C&W and Home Is Where the Heart Is, which weren’t Bobby’s finest hours. Thankfully, Pieces was a welcome return to form from the veteran soul man. He combined soul, funk and even elements of disco during the eight tracks on Pieces.

Helping Bobby on Pieces were some of the best session musicians of the seventies, plus guest artists Candi Staton and David Ruffin. They all played their part in Pieces’ sound and success. After Pieces, Bobby Womack didn’t release another great album until 1981s The Poet. During this four year period, Bobby only released one album, Roads of Life, which like Pieces, wasn’t a commercial success. 

Sadly, after Roads of Life, Bobby like so many other soul singers, found himself without a recording contract. This was a long way from the height of Bobby’s success during the late-sixties and early-seventies. However, Bobby Womack’s last great album of the seventies was Pieces, which will be rereleased  on Blu-spec CD2 format by Columbia on 22nd September 2014. This allows anyone who back in 1977, when Pieces was released, was caught in disco’s spell and as a result missed out on each of soulful secrets and delights of Pieces, to discover what they missed out on first time round. 

BOBBY WOMACK-PIECES.