Harry Hippie, Bobby Womack (1972)

[FR] Ayant débuté comme guitariste de studio, Bobby Womack travailla d’abord dans l’ombre des grands chanteurs soul des années 60 parmi lesquels Sam Cooke (qui le premier s’intéressera à lui), Wilson Pickett, Sly Stone… Sa carrière solo, semée de hits, commença réellement en 1967 et ira jusqu’aux années 80.

Bien que reconnu comme auteur-compositeur, il interpréta également avec brio des chansons qu’on lui écrivit et qui sont parmi ses meilleures, comme “Across 110th Street” (bande originale d’un film blaxploitation et qui apparaîtra plus tard au générique du film Jackie Brown de Quentin Tarantino) et “Harry Hippie”, composée par Jim Ford et qui expose la relation semble-t-il difficile que Bobby avait avec son frère et partenaire musical Harry Womack.

“I’d like to help a man when he’s down, but I can’t help ya Harry if you wanna sleep on the ground.“. Une perle de smooth soul avec ses violons et choeurs qui savent se faire discrets, l’accent étant mis sur la voix et l’accompagnement guitare batterie.

[EN] Beginning as a session guitarist, Bobby Womack first worked in the shadow of 60′s greatest soul singers such as Sam Cooke (who first took an interest in him), Wilson Pickett, Sly Stone… His solo career, sowed of hits, spans from the mid-60′s to the 80′s.

Although he was known as a songwriter, he also brightly interprated songs some wrote for him and which are amongst his best work, such as “Across 110th Street” (soundtrack of the eponymous blackploitation movie, and it will later play in the beginning credits of Quentin Tarantino‘s movie Jackie Brown) and “Harry Hippie”, composed by Jim Ford which depicts the apparently difficult relationship Bobby had with his own brother and bandmate Harry Womack.

“I’d like to help a man when he’s down, but I can’t help ya Harry if you wanna sleep on the ground.”. A smooth soul gem with its chords and backing vocals being rather discreets, emphasizing the voice and guitar-drums background.