Willie Hutch - more appreciation

[keith_h]

I don't think Willie Hutch gets the appreciation he is due. His stint at Motown came quite late in his career, after he had been very large on the LA scene as a writer, then artist at ABC and RCA. His 'Sunshine Lady' on Motown is quite exquisite.

[gordy_hunk]

I agree with you Keith.

His second album - Fully Exposed - was absolutely wonderful, filled with brilliant music, tracks and performances.

I'd love to see this album issued on CD - and I'm sure it would sell rather well.

[uptight]

Even though Motown wasn't trying to promote Willie Hutch very much, he seemed to have it pretty good at Motown in the 70s. I don't know what his stage presence was like. And he wasn't as photogenic as Marvin or Smokey. Outside of being a great writer and producer, Motown may have signed him as an artist so that they could control his career. As would happen so often, record companies had their favorite artists they want to promote, and other great artists on that company's roster suffered in ways they couldn't even see at the time.

His signing may have been Motown's response to Curtis Mayfield. I would like to hear more of Hutch's work.

[CliveR]

Just a reminder that Willie's fine RCA album 'Soul Portrait' is available on Shout! 52 - from all dealers including www.shoutrecords.co.uk

Clive R

[splanky]

I've never heard Willie's Soul Portrait album, I'll check it out but I doubt it's gonna replace my
love for his later material and adoration for this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vbKSLhO_Yw

[keith_h]

Hey Splanky
I have never heard that one before, it's fantastic, I love it, thanks for sharing. What label is it on, and when was that recorded?
I also like 'Keep on jammin' from the 80s

[splanky]

keith, that track was from the soundtrack for the movie The Mack on Motown, 1973. It has always been special to me
for a number of reasons. I liked this too, used to play it for my own mother though it might sound a little dated and corny to you, 's okay...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW1iok5BxLQ

Willie was obviously quite influenced by Marvin Gaye's soundtrack to Trouble Man of the previous year...

[Kamasu_Jr]

keith, that track was from the soundtrack for the movie The Mack on Motown, 1973. It has always been special to me
for a number of reasons. I liked this too, used to play it for my own mother though it might sound a little dated and corny to you, 's okay...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW1iok5BxLQ

Willie was obviously quite influenced by Marvin Gaye's soundtrack to Trouble Man of the previous year...

What I'd like to know is how Wwillie Hutch came to score The Mack? I think he had been signed to Motown as a writer [[I'll Be There) and I think his album Fully Exposed came before The Mack.

Willie was managed at one time by JW Alexander, Sam Cooke's former manager and music partner, which I assume is how the association with RCA came about. I became aware of Hutch through his songwriting for the Fifth Dimension. He penned California, My Way for the group's first album.

His Love Power single is a personal favorite and shows what Sam Cooke might have sounded like on Motown in the Seventies.

[paladin]

I agree Willie was a super talented dude. His lush orchestrations with his compositions made the old sound new.[[ see Stormy Weather ) His decison to use Max Julien and William Mosleys voices in Mack soundtrack was pure genuis, " C'mon John nobody's gonna tell me how to run my business" .

Mr Hutch has long been a staple at Steppers Party's with such classics as Anything is Possible [[If You Believe in Love"), The Way We Were and Paradise. I have a great deal of his work including the aforementioned albums as well as Color Her Sunshine. One of my favorite Willie Hutch tunes:

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

This song is simple yet poignant, "you got me drinking and thinking, yeah, I confess that I was wrong", this record is sung with such emotion and passion, it dam near brings tears to your eyes as he professes his love for this woman, yeah thats right, he was a true Mack.

Thanks for starting this thread, he certainly deserves it.

[paladin]

Uh I meant Roger Mosely, why I wrote William is beyond me, maybe a fraudian slip........not only do I have an old friend by that name but it's my last name as well.......

Kdubya

[blkfrost]

Great to know that others appreciate Willie Hutch's work. It would be wonderful if more of his Motown albums were released on CD. I have "Foxy Brown" and "The Mack" on CD. Some of my favorite albums are "Fully Exposed", "Mark of the Beast" and "Concert in Blues". His versions of "Stormy Weather" and "The Way We Were" are sublime.

[paladin]

@Blkfrost:

[tomato tom]

Playing his Concert In Blues L.P. as I type. This guy has made so much great, great music. Baby, lets do the thing, from this album is so infectious.LOVE IT. May Jay Lasker choke on his big fat Cuban [[illegal) ceegaar, for his "yourll never work in this town again" attitude, both at R.C.A. & Motown, when he was in charge. Wasnt he, because of his bad business deals, one of the reasons Berry had to sell Motown?.