Saturday Stax: Remembering Bobby Womack
To me there is a trinity of male soul vocalists: Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, and Bobby Womack. Each brings a different style of singing to the table and offer different grooves to brighten your day or capture your heartbreak.
In a professional career that lasted nearly six decades, Womack worked closely with leading musicians ranging from Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett and Sly Stone to Damon Albarn and most recently groups like the Gorillaz. For many he was better known as a songwriter and session musician. The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, George Benson and Chaka Khan were among the many who recorded his songs. His super funky guitar licks can be heard on records by Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin.
For me, he will be remembered for his voice - a rugged and emotive baritone holler that sounded like it came straight from a church service. There was something about the way that he sang that really connected with me. I think it's because of how direct his lyrics were. There was no ambiguity or impenetrable subtlety. You knew when he felt pain. You knew when he was expressing jubilation. And all of it felt pure and sincere.
Though his career spanned many decades and he amassed numerous hit records. The Bobby Womack album that means the most to me was one of his first "Bobby Womack and the Valentinos" from 1965. Curtis Womack and the Womack Brothers with his siblings Curtis, Harry, Cecil and Friendly Jr. After Sam Cooke signed the group to his SAR Records in 1960, they released a handful of gospel singles before changing their name to the Valentinos and earning success with a more secular, soul- and pop-influenced sound.
This particular album was loaded with simple soul ballads with classic instrumentation, and each of them hit home in their own way. It's an album that made it's way into regular rotation in my DJ sets, with "See Me Through" and "Baby Girl" being my go-to songs to slow things down, but still keep the energy in the room positive.
In hip hop music, Womack was often sampled. 9th Wonder released all of his beats sampling Bobby Womack for free, to honor Womack's life. His flip of Womack's "And I Love Her" for Little Brother's "Speed" is a classic.
In recent memory, Womack was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. And in 2012, Womack began a career renaissance with the release of The Bravest Man in the Universe, his first album in more than 10 years. Produced by Damon Albarn and XL's Richard Russell, the album earned numerous critical accolades.
"You know more at 65 than you did at 25. I understand the songs much better now," Womack told Rolling Stone at the time. "It's not about 14 Rolls Royces and two Bentleys. Even if this album never sells a nickel, I know I put my best foot forward." Upon his death, Womack was in the process of recording his next album, tentatively titled The Best Is Yet to Come. He will be missed.