Back To My Roots

by Bobby Womack

Product Description:

Personnel includes: Bobby Womack, J.W. Alexander, Patrick Moten, David T. Walker, Billy Preston, The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Sweet Inspirations.

Engineers include: Peter Doell, Charlie Paakkari, John Hendrickson.

Includes liner notes by Bill Dahl.

The roots in question here, of course, are gospel. Womack and his brothers got their initial commercial break by signing with Sam Cooke's SAR record label as a gospel quintet, although they opted for secular success rather soon thereafter. Womack was always enamored of gospel groups like the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama, and a gospel influence was often present even in his most commercial R&B hits ("Lookin' for a Love," in particular).

Highlights here include a beautiful reworking of the Edwin Hawkins Singers "Oh Happy Day," a sprightly version of Gene McDaniel's 1961 pop hit "A Hundred Pounds of Clay" which returns it to its gospel roots, and "Cousin Henry," an anti-war song complete with banjo and explosive sound effects. The latter isn't strictly speaking gospel, but seems to fit in nonetheless.