RIP to soul legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bobby Womack...In 2011, I had the privilege of interviewing him and writing this bio for a project that ultimately was never released...but it was good to meet him and see him excited about recording again... BOBBY WOMACK Living In The House of Blues Bobby Womack has been dreaming of Living in the House of Blues a long time – and now, with his historic recording featuring legendary friends and musical cohorts Eric Clapton, Ron Wood and B.B. King, the R&B legend is finally moving in and making groovin’ musical magic like never before. In 2009, after over a decade out of the limelight, Womack enjoyed a banner year that sparked a long overdue career renaissance. The famed singer, songwriter and guitarist who graced recordings by Sly Stone, Wilson Pickett and Sam Cooke; wrote and originally recorded The Rolling Stones’ first UK #1 “It’s All Over Now”; and recorded such 70s soul classics as “Lookin’ For A Love,” “That’s The Way I Feel About Cha,” “Harry Hippie” and “Across 110th Street” at last got his due and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Then Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, the sonic masterminds behind the British virtual alternative hip-hop group Gorillaz, got a hold of him and made Womack and Mos Def the centerpiece of “Stylo,” a track from their Plastic Beach album that reached #24 on the Billboard Alternative chart. In 2010, Womack was part of the ensemble that performed the tune on The Colbert Report. After performing it at the Glastonbury Festival with De La Soul, Snoop Dogg and Lou Reed, Womack joined Gorillaz on their first ever world tour, which began in Lebanon and took them across America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Womack had recorded the highly anticipated gospel album Back To My Roots in 1999 and his classic instrumental “Breezin’” had become a staple of the smooth jazz format via George Benson’s mid-70s recording. He also earned a co-writing credit for Mariah Carey’s #1 multiple Grammy Award winning 2005 hit “We Belong Together” because the song mentions him and his 1981 top 5 soul hit “If You Think You’re Lonely Now.” Yet, Womack hadn’t penned any new material in 15 years. Gorillaz gave Womack the creative freedom to write and sing whatever was on his mind, and the singer didn’t hold back, “going crazy,” as he says, “about love and politics, getting it off my chest.” The Gorillaz experience, and the renewed appreciation for his legacy that it engendered, inspired him to begin composing again and provided the funds to begin recording an album dear to Womack’s heart. The multi-faceted solo project will allow several new generations of R&B/pop fans to dig into the singer’s fascinating history. He launched his career as a session guitarist for everyone from Joe Tex and The Box Tops to Aretha Franklin, Sly Stone and Janis Joplin, then became songwriter for Wilson Pickett before evolving into a hitmaking recording artist for United Artists in the 70s. Living In The House of Blues will feature a mix of new Womack-penned material and covers. The basic tracks were recorded at two studios in Los Angeles, including that of guitarist Michael Thompson, who plays throughout the recording. The 13-track collection includes a revamp of two Womack classics: “I Wish He Didn’t Trust Me So Much” (his final Top 10 R&B single), which the singer says he “changed to another pocket, to give it a face lift”; and “One More Chance on Love,” from his 1976 album Home Is Where The Heart Is. The project also features covers of Seals & Croft’s AC staple “Diamond Girl,” Johnny Taylor’s “Cheaper To Keep Her” and the poignant “The Sun Died,” a somewhat obscure Ray Charles song that Womack would often listen to with Barbara Campbell, Sam Cooke’s widow who later became Womack’s wife. New Womack songs on Living In The House of Blues include “Jealous Love,” “Let Me Kiss It Where It Hurts.” Womack is feeling other music these days as well. After the release of Living In The House of Blues, the singer will put out his first solo album in over 10 years, a labor of love entitled The Best Is Yet To Come. The album will feature an incredible array of legendary guests, including the late Gerald Levert and Teena Marie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Ronald Isley and Snoop Dogg. The collection will include “Lefthanded Upside Down,” a beautiful new autobiographical song about Womack’s early days learning to play his instrument. “Being on the Gorillaz tour reminded me of just how wonderful a feeling it is to walk out onstage and feel that connection with the audience,” says Womack. “It’s like I get to be a doctor, healing these people in ways the guy in the white coat can’t. Every time I perform, I have a chance to make a difference in people’s lives by simply having the courage to sing my truth. I’m looking forward to getting out there with these new projects and keeping that exciting conversation going with the many generations of pop and R&B fans.” Q&A with Bobby Womack How do your recording and touring experiences with Gorillaz play a role in making Living in the House of Blues a reality? Well, on the financial side of things, coming off the tour, I had earned enough money to fund ten albums, and I’m glad we’re able to do the recording ourselves before we worry about getting involved with a label. On the artist side, I like to say my talent came back when I was on tour with them. My pen came back! I had been off the scene and not written anything for so long that I lost all my confidence in myself as a writer, singer and performer. I didn’t think I could be in this business anymore. People would always ask when I would be coming out with something new. I didn’t know what to tell them. All of a sudden, I’m singing on a hit single and walking onstage in front of 60,000 people with someone saying, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Bobby Womack.’ And the fans are cheering. At one of the shows, a little girl came up to me and said she loved my song ‘Harry Hippie’ that I recorded many years before she was born. I felt wanted and needed again. It lit the fire, and I kept it burning. I began to write. I thought about what I kept saying to Bobby over the years about producing him, and knew I had the material and financial means to start making it happen.
Posted on: Sat, 28 Jun 2014 14:14:56 +0000
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