Willie Hutch

Soul Portrait

Be With
23.95 €
icon/play-white
Backorder
Tax included, Shipping not included
A monumental force firmly rooted in the soul canon, Willie Hutch is most notable for recording two of the best Blaxploitation soundtracks, The Mack and Foxy Brown. Yet his legacy is much greater. Outside of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, Hutch was arguably Motown's top male solo artist of the 70s. Prior to his association with Gordy et al, Hutch crafted his opening statements for RCA, two vital LPs that Be With Records is honoured to present today. His debut, Soul Portrait (1969), is an incredible slice of gritty, Southern-fried soul. Think Stax with a touch of Detroit sparkle. As a whole, the album demonstrates the self-contained act Hutch was, he wrote every tune on the album while also arranging and conducting for it. It features 11 timeless grooves, with a blend of beat ballads and undeniable dancers. The album's centrepiece is undoubtedly the iconic, brooding minor-key masterpiece "A Love That's Worth Having". The album's most recognisable track, it's a towering ballad drenched in stylish, sliding horns and elevated by its stunning backing vocalists. It was famously sampled by Madlib to augment his soundtrack for Stones Throw's Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton as well as 9th Wonder for the Murs classic "Dreamchaser". Whilst one can understand these iconic beatmakers for leaning on the work of a master, you really need to own the track in its full, unedited glory. Horn-heavy opener "Ain't Gonna Stop" is a funk-fuelled monster, Hutch's fatback vocal aided by a vicious drum 'n' conga rhythm whilst the bumping uptown soul of "You Can't Miss Something That You Never Had" anticipates the Motown-vibe that Hutch went on to create. Supple guitar licks propel the loping, head-nod breaks of "Good To The Last Drop" whilst "That's What I Call Lovin' You" features gospel piano and plaintive, tender vocal turn. Rounding out Side A, the blazing horns of "You Gotta Try" hints at the Blaxploitation that was to come. Ushering in the flipside, the thundering proto-70s-Motown rhythm of "Let Me Give You The Love You Need" segues neatly into the bouncing Northern Soul favourite "Lucky To Be Loved By You" whilst Hutch's gutbucket guitar stylings are all over the smouldering "Keep On Doin' What You Do". "Your Love Keeps Liftin' Me Higher" is not a rendition of the Jackie Wilson classic, rather, it's a powerhouse original that indicates where Hutch would take his sound on The Mack. Closing the album, the anthemic "Do What You Wanna Do" name-checks contemporary dance fads before instructing the listener to just get up and dance. Brilliantly supported by a heavy roster of studio cats who combined to create a winning combination of horns, strings, and gorgeous female background vocalists, Soul Portrait is as complete a soul album as the decade's very best. Tricky to find for a number of years, this lovingly produced reissue is certainly welcome. Paired with the soaring follow-up, Season For Love, these recordings shine a new light on the early work of a soul legend. Officially licensed and remastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, it has been pressed on audiophile 180g vinyl for the first time and features the original artwork and liner notes. Tracklisting: 1. Ain't Gonna Stop2. You Can't Miss Something That You Never Had 3. A Love That's Worth Having 4. Good To The Last Drop 5. That's What I Call Lovin' You 6. You Gotta Try 7. Let Me Give You The Love You Need 8. Lucky To Be Loved By You 9. Keep On Doin' What You Do 10. Your Love Keeps Liftin' Me Higher 11. Do What You Wanna Do

Share Article

Details

Genre

Funk/Soul / Soul / Funk

Release Date

23.11.2016

Cat No

BEWITH018LP

Tracklist

Track 1
icon/play-white
Track 2
icon/play-white
Track 3
icon/play-white
Track 4
icon/play-white
Track 5
icon/play-white
Track 6
icon/play-white
Track 7
icon/play-white
Track 8
icon/play-white
Track 9
icon/play-white
Track 10
icon/play-white
Track 11
icon/play-white
Soul
LP
Willie Hutch
23.95 €
Season For Love (Repress) Be With
Add To Cart
Funk/Soul
LP
Willie Hutch
23.95 €
Season For Love (Repress) Be With
Soul
7"
Willie Hutch
9.95 €
Easy Does It / Kelly Green Expansion
Backorder
7"
Willie Hutch
9.95 €
Easy Does It / Kelly Green Expansion
Disco
icon/play-white
12"
Willie Hutch
13.95 €
In And Out/ Brothers Gonna Work It Out Motown
Backorder
Disco
12"
icon/play-white
Willie Hutch
13.95 €
In And Out/ Brothers Gonna Work It Out Motown
Soul
CD
Willie Hutch
17.50 €
Soul Portrait / Season For Love (Incl. Bonustracks) Expansion
Backorder
Funk/Soul
CD
Willie Hutch
17.50 €
Soul Portrait / Season For Love (Incl. Bonustracks) Expansion
Funk
LP
Willie Hutch
12.95 €
The Mack Soundtrack Motown
Backorder
Funk/Soul
LP
Willie Hutch
12.95 €
The Mack Soundtrack Motown
tba
LP
Geoff Bastow
29.95 €
Music To Varnish Owls By Be With
Preorder
LP
Geoff Bastow
29.95 €
Music To Varnish Owls By Be With
tba
LP
Parsley Sound
29.95 €
Parsley Sounds Be With
Preorder
LP
Parsley Sound
29.95 €
Parsley Sounds Be With
Balearic
icon/play-white
LP + Book
Various
64.95 €
Be With 10 Years : Joyride + Labour Of Love Be With
Add To Cart
Disco
LP + Book
icon/play-white
Various
64.95 €
Be With 10 Years : Joyride + Labour Of Love Be With
Soul
icon/play-white
LP
Steve Leach with The Crystal Grass Orchestra
29.95 €
Ocean Potion Be With
Add To Cart
Funk/Soul
LP
icon/play-white
Steve Leach with The Crystal Grass Orchestra
29.95 €
Ocean Potion Be With
Boogie
icon/play-white
12"
Surface
24.95 €
Falling In Love / Happy (Love Mix) Be With
Add To Cart
Disco
12"
icon/play-white
Surface
24.95 €
Falling In Love / Happy (Love Mix) Be With
Soul
icon/play-white
7"
Edric Connor
18.95 €
Manchester United Calypso Be With
Add To Cart
Funk/Soul
7"
icon/play-white
Edric Connor
18.95 €
Manchester United Calypso Be With
Boogie
icon/play-white
7"
Grand Slam
17.95 €
Goin' Out The Outer Edge
Backorder
Disco
7"
icon/play-white
Grand Slam
17.95 €
Goin' Out The Outer Edge
Jungle
icon/play-white
12“
Unknown Artist
14.95 €
Then & Now EP [red marbled Vibez '93
Backorder
Bass Music
12“
icon/play-white
Unknown Artist
14.95 €
Then & Now EP [red marbled Vibez '93
Acid House
icon/play-white
12"
DJ Pierre
18.95 €
Acid Love / Acid Love Dub (2024 RP Edition) Get Physical
Backorder
House
12"
icon/play-white
DJ Pierre
18.95 €
Acid Love / Acid Love Dub (2024 RP Edition) Get Physical
Electronica
icon/play-white
4-LP
Aphex Twin
59.95 €
Selected Ambient Works Vol. II (Expanded Edition) Warp
Add To Cart
Electronica
4-LP
icon/play-white
Aphex Twin
59.95 €
Selected Ambient Works Vol. II (Expanded Edition) Warp
Classical
icon/play-white
2-LP
Hania Rani
34.95 €
Nostalgia Gondwana
Backorder
Rock / Pop / Indie
2-LP
icon/play-white
Hania Rani
34.95 €
Nostalgia Gondwana
Drum & Bass
icon/play-white
12“
Gyrofield
14.95 €
These Heavens XL
Backorder
Bass Music
12“
icon/play-white
Gyrofield
14.95 €
These Heavens XL