Earshot Boombox

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Monday, October 1, 2012

Bobby Womack - Love Is Gonna Lift You Up (Julio Bashmore Remix)

One of the greatest things that happened to music over the last year was the release of Bobby Womack's new album, The Bravest Man In The Universe, this past summer. While the album may not have been a chart topper and may have gone widely unnoticed by everyone except die hard Bobby Womack fans and music collectors, it made a statement about longevity in the music industry.

Bobby Womack's musical career has lasted 50 years. In those 50 years he wrote and recorded "It's All Over Now" which went on to be covered by The Rolling Stones and became their first UK #1 hit. He was the guitarist for Sam Cooke. He played on Aretha Franklin's Lady Soul album. He worked with Sly And The Family Stone. He was close friends and even wrote "Trust Me" for Janis Joplin.

In the 70s it seemed like Womack could do no wrong releasing several hit albums that gave us stand  out tracks like "Across 110th Street", "Harry Hippie", "Lookin' For A Love" and others.

He didn't slow down in the 80s either, releasing hits like, "If You Think You're Lonely Now" and "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much".

1998 he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

He was recently heard on The Gorillaz Plastic Beach album with Mos Def on "Stylo". Which would lead to Damon Albarn teaming up with Richard Russell to produced The Bravest Man In The Universe for XL Records. The album is a great piece of Soul with Womack's voice sounding older but as strong as ever.

With a career like that one thing that has always bothered me is that there aren't a lot of moments where you can pull off playing Bobby Womack as a DJ in the club. You can work Across 110th Street in sometimes but that's about it. The Bravest Man In The Universe has inspired some remixers to correct the situation for us DJs.

One of my favorites is a House rework of "Love Is Gonna Lift You Up" by Julio Bashmore. He turns the song into a building, uplifting, dance number that would sound good early in a set, setting the mood for what's to come.


But you can't go wrong with the originals. Pick up this album if you don't have it already.

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