Willie Hutch on CD

[blkfrost]

Just notices that under Dusty Groove's "coming soon" 3 Willie Hutch albums are to be released on CD: Fully Exposed, Mark Of The Beast, and Ode To My Lady. I cannot wait for these.

[paladin]

True that, I'll be waiting as well.......

[gordy_hunk]

Yep - finally available on CD. Fully Exposed.

In my opinion, this was Willie Hutch's finest album, and is finally being issued on CD. Amazon are listing it [[10.99) along with the other two, all due on 21/03/2011.

[tomato tom]

This IS great news. I have The Mack & Foxy Brown soundtracks on CD, Plus The Very Best Of..so these are VERY welcome. My Favourite album of his was Concert In Blues. Hope this gets to CD soon too. Paulo xxxx

[Kamasu_Jr]

I'm interested in "Ode to My Lady" more than the others, which were uneven in my opinion.

[psychedelic jacques]

Strange coincidence - i've been putting together a compliation cd of Willie Hutch recently, based mainly on vinyl copies of his albums i've found through internet blogs.

It was quite a relevation for me - Willie Hutch really got very little attention from UK Motown in the 1970s - I think only TWO 45s saw a release, so I really found myself discovering him for the first time. For example, i'd never even heard singles like 'Get Ready For The Get Down' and 'Party Down' before. so it will be great to have a much larger body of his work available on cd [[shame they're not being released as 2-fers though).

"Discovering" Hutch for the first time has made me wonder about his wider standing and peope's awareness of his music - as I say, he received very little notice in the UK as a soul artist [[from memory) prior to 'In and Out' charting in 1983, and indeed, he rarely gets a mention on this forum. I'd be interested to know what his standing is in the USA - does he tend to be forgotten or just classified as a grade 2 blaxploitation artist, forever overshadowed by the likes of Curtis Mayfield and Isaac Hayes? I've really grown to appreciate his music in only the last month - better late than never, as they say!

[MIKEW-UK]

Hi Pj,

Willie Hutch is very under-rated everywhere. In addition to his numerous Motown albums, have you explored his albums on the Whitfield label? He was not only a great performer, he was also a superb guitarist, composer and arranger. Some of his best work was done producing Smokey Robinson, The Miracles first solo album without Smokey - Renaissance, Michael Jackson, and don't forget the little known tracks he produced for Marvin Gaye. These are available on the Let's Get It On Deluxe album.....Try It, You'll Like It, and Gonna Give You Respect [[also done by GC Cameron). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlY9-59wAdw

My personal favourite of Wille's recordings is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AW_j_3OWH4

[theboyfromxtown]

I suspect that Willie Hutch is equally well known in the UK for what he didn't release rather than what he did.

Check this out..

http://www.45cat.com/record/tmg885

[snakepit]

Xtown

thanks for that 45 web link......great stuff!

I liked the early Wille Hutch Lps.....Fully exposed,Concert in Blues,Mark of the Beast,Ode to my Lady AND Color her Sunshine.
Full of great tracks.....however I did tire of his later stuff...."get down with the boogie" type......

[MIKEW-UK]

Yep, I think Willie was always much more of an album artist in the UK as so few of his singles were released and promotion so poor. His recordings were also not the typical motown sound the UK in general would take to, his compositions were quite distinctive, showcased his guitar led rhythyms, and I think his voice is definitely not pop oriented. I noted your example of an unreleased Tell Me Why ........Have you seen this clip of Wilile performing it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flN3Ep4_Bjo

I know Willie's material is being constantly sampled. I was taken aback to hear a familiar Wille Hutch sampled loop behind a Three 6 Mafia 'song'. If you can drown out the rappers, you'll recognise the background track. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrgQV8e-Hf0

[blkfrost]

Now that we are seeing some of the other Motown artists being released on CD, hopefully we will get the 70's albums from Jr. Walker like "Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find", "Whopper Bopper Show Stopper", "Hot Shot", "Sax Appeal", "Moody Junior", "Rainbow Funk", "Smooth", etc.

[theboyfromxtown]

Now that we are seeing some of the other Motown artists being released on CD, hopefully we will get the 70's albums from Jr. Walker like "Peace & Understanding Is Hard To Find", "Whopper Bopper Show Stopper", "Hot Shot", "Sax Appeal", "Moody Junior", "Rainbow Funk", "Smooth", etc.

blkfrost

This is the email address that might help you for your hopes...write and tell Universal.

classic.motown@umusic.com

[blkfrost]

Thank you. I will do just that. I was just listening to "Why Can't We Be Lovers" by Jr. Walker and was blow away by this song. Brought back so many memories of my university years.

[theboyfromxtown]

Thank you. I will do just that. I was just listening to "Why Can't We Be Lovers" by Jr. Walker and was blow away by this song. Brought back so many memories of my university years.

Stop it....you're making me feel older than I really am! I had left uni and started work by the time I bought that album.

LOL

[Kamasu_Jr]

Hutch is well known or highly regarded in the us among soul music scholars. His score for the mack is regarded as a classic. Plus, he carried weight as a songwriter.

[paladin]

Hutch is well known or highly regarded in the us among soul music scholars. His score for the mack is regarded as a classic. Plus, he carried weight as a songwriter.

He was not only a great performer, he was also a superb guitarist, composer and arranger. Some of his best work was done producing Smokey Robinson, The Miracles first solo album without Smokey - Renaissance, Michael Jackson, and don't forget the little known tracks he produced for Marvin Gaye. These are available on the Let's Get It On Deluxe album.....Try It, You'll Like It, and Gonna Give You Respect [[also done by GC Cameron).

Kam, Your statement is valid but its also part of the reason Willie Hutch wasn't fully appreciated by the masses, outside of The Mack, he was barely recognized by the record buying public. Critical acclaim was always there for Mr. Hutch but not to the extent of say a Smokey Robinson or Marvin Gaye. For instance you hardly ever read about a Temptations history without the mention of Smokey. Nor the Originals without the mention of Marvin Gaye.

Mikew-UK post is a great assessment of Mr. Hutch's talent. In my personal opinion Willie was a different type of Motown artist. In fact he had a southern almost Stax-Atlantic type of voice and musical sound, which was great but he wasn't your typical "Motown Sound Artist". He could tailor and channel the Motown sound as he did for Marvin and Smokey, but he never did it for himself, which was very refreshing in and of itself and led him to explore and exhibit very authentic and original themes in his music ,which made it extremely difficult to categorize him. He was Motown's version of Isaac Hayes but he never got the credit.

One of my favorite albums by Mr. Hutch was Concert In Blues, and one of my all time favorites is his arrangement and delivery of "The Way We Were" which in my view was one of his very best recordings. He took a tried and true standard and made it his own. Part jazz, part blues, part R&B, truly a gifted artist. I would have loved to hear him and Betty Lavette.

[MIKEW-UK]

Paladin,
I agree, Concert In Blues is such a great album and saw such little commercial success. Again, Willie was just too raw voiced and guitar / rhythym oriented and just didn't fit the Motown mould as far as the traditional Motown fans were concerned. Those wah wah guitars, horns and cooking rhythms were too free form for popular taste...even veering towards a rock feel. Prime example is I Wish You Love, Willie totally transforms a 'boring' old standard and what a guitar break at 2.19 on this link...play this full blast in the car and listen to that guitar break swirl around your roof lining!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKPRIpYRazE

[paladin]

His horn/ guitar/ string and rhythm arrangements were way ahead of anyone else. His guitar vamps are legendary and you're absolutely on point about his take on I Wish You Love, excellent choice to illustrate your commentary. Willie could have you crying the forlorn blues one minute and rocking you out of your socks the next. Stormy Weather is another classic example of him making something old sound new and vibrant. I have often mentioned Willie on this forum and I have always included this wonderful track when I think of my wife and what it would mean to me if I ever lost her.........Baby Come Home........the emotion that Willie exudes on this song is simple yet highly effective in conveying his sense of loss, a true to life begging song.......... he extolls.......You've got me drinking and thinking, I confess that I was wrong, Hey baby, baby, sweet baby.....genuis........

[tomato tom]

Ah Willie..SUCH a talented Soul. Dont forget his work with the great SISTERS LOVE. Mr Fix It Man was a HUGE club hit in the U.K. I remember Blues & Soul Magazine saying it would have charted big time had E.M.I. pressed enough copies. Nobody could buy a copy.By the time they could, the momentum was lost. Radio 1 stopped playing it. Willie did some FAAAB tracks on the girls....Oh, if anyone has the Concert In Blues Album, check out Baby Lets Do The Thang. Now,THATS Willie the way i LIKE it.....Paulo xxxx

[blkfrost]

Just received all three Willie Hutch albums and what a joy to have these on CD. Such great music. Loving "Woman You Touched Me" from Mark Of The Beast.

[roger]

This is/was my favourite .. "Sunshine Lady" ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7nQB...eature=related

I remember hearing it as an import when it was his current U.S. single around 1973/4 and deciding I'd wait to get it when it came out as a U.K. 45.

Needless to say Tamla-Motown in Britain decided to pass on it, so it wasn't till about 10 years later that I finally got a copy when I saw a U.S. copy of his "Fully Exposed" L.P. in a second hand [[used) record shop.

When I got the L.P. home it was just as good as I remembered.

Roger

[tomato tom]

Love SUNSHINE LADY....

[paladin]

I am so happy that you guys are finally digging Mr. Hutch, welcome to the club, theres room for everybody......

[mysterysinger]

The Willie Hutch cds are £8.99 to pre-order at HMV.

[Motown_M_1056]

The Willie Hutch cds are £8.99 to pre-order at HMV.

Dusty Groove America has been selling them for a week now.

[booty]

Just had a mailing from HMV that my 3 are on their way.

Can't wait!

[Kamasu_Jr]

Just had a mailing from HMV that my 3 are on their way.

Can't wait!

I just listened to the Ode to My Lady disc by Willie Hutch. The folks at Soul Brother/Expansion did a solid job with this album.
The remastering work on the disc is excellent. Although it's a straight reissue, no bonus tracks, this is how Motown reissues should be done.

Favorite tracks:
Since I Found You [[Everything's Alright)...the truth!
Love Power
I'm Gonna Hold On

[Kamasu_Jr]

I added the Willie Hutch disc to my station's programming and told our Saturday morning DJ which songs would fit our Blues at Sunrise/ Saturday program. I was at home this morning monitoring and was pleased when he played Love Power, but annoyed when he cut it short to play I Can Do Bad By Myself, something we play all of the damn time.
I called the studio and asked what was he doing. He laughed and said: "I didn't think you was up and listening. I wa'not feelin' it, mane."
I told him he was gonna feel my write-up on his a--on Monday
I can't believe he cut a soul classic short to play some song we play all the time.