Womack Legends

Rip It Up, Issue 144, 1 July 1989, Page 20

Womack Legends

Mr. Cecil Picks His Own Way

The name Womack has been legendaryinthe music businessforthree decades. The Womack brothers were a 60s gospel group the Valentinos, who movedinto the popfield, and their song ‘lt's All Over Now’ became widely known by the hit version recorded by the English beat group, the Rolling Stones.

There’s a common assumptionin electronic pop media (whereignoranceis bliss and highly rewarded), that persons described as rock & roll “legends” are either dead or meanttobe. The “living legends” are heralded like sideshow freaks— “step thisway...” As “legends”, the Womacks disappeared from view. Only Bobby

Womack maintained any visibility. He wrote late 60s soul hits for Wilson Pickett on the Atlantic label, recorded numerous albumsin the 70s and regained popularity with The Poetalbumin 1981. By 1983 Cecil (pronounced See-sil) Womack and his wife Linda Womack had together gained industry respect for their songwriting, and released the album Love Wars, introducing their brand of introspective and meandering funk — amix that proved a massive cult success among devoted fans of the soul genre. Butthey appearedto be reluctant performers, despite making itto London to play sold-out gigs with anunder-rehearsed local band. They recorded another album for their Elektra label Radio M.U.S.C. Man(l9Bs),then moved to the Manhattan label for Starbright (1986) (which was released in : England and NZ but notin the USA).

Then the Womacks moved to Island Records, the home of such eccentrics as U2 and Tom Waits, and whoops — this reclusive duo had a worldwide hit with Teardrops'. Suddenly they were onajumbo heading downunder with granny and the kids. The Master Plan What happened? The way Cecil tells it, things were planned. “We started this project four years

ago with our first album Love Wars. We planned to travel fo the remotest parts of the earth— we're scheduled for India, Russia and Africa this year.” He is amused by my suggestion that, as he and Linda have four young children, itis a time in his life when it's complex fo fravel. “No. We have always travelled and | did when | was a child with my brothers.” Asdramatisedinthe recentfilm

Mississippi Burning, the 60s were probably a more difficult decade for travelling— particularly for black gospel singers. Constantly on-the-road from one town to the next, Cecil and his family got by: “You had alot of segregation. We didn't pay attention to that side — when we lefthome, we knew where we were going. It was like two differentworlds. The clash really came when people stopped staying intheir part of town.” Wasthe church a strong part of the black community? “| don'tthink the church was very effective. ltwas a meeting place, people wentto have a good time. They didn't go to discuss politics or any of that.” Your gospel music must have been animportant part of their having a goodtime? “Musicis very important. Musicis a worldtoitself. When we go into the studio we lock out the outside world. When you come outand look atthe headlines, it's another world.” How did the decade of the USA civil rights struggle shape your consciousness? - “ltshows you thatin a period of fime, things can change a vast amount. People’s awareness of people today is totally different to what it was 20 years ago —they were uneducated then. People have adifferent attitude and that's changing every day.” Nowadays, are you far away from your roots in gospel music? “| don'tthink we're far away at all. If's what we're saying in our lyrics which is the mostimportant part.” Their positive message is “importantfor people,” says Cecil. Then he shows his market awareness: “We have a feel forwhat the demand is— | think people like to hear lyrics and songs that are saying something. Now, more than ever.”

The Congregation ltwould be easy to dismiss some of Womack and Womack's recordings asidiosyncratic ramblings but at their - Auckland concerts, though they sing to each other, Cecil is centre stage and very aware of shaping the event. Linda moves back to play percussion at every opportunity. Cecil directs his under-rehearsed band through sometimes ham-fisted and sometimes sublime, gospel rave-ups of the once polite material fromtheir Conscience album. ‘M.P.B. (Missin’ Persons Bureau)'is transformed into a 20 minute funk-out and on the second night refrains of Bill Withers' ‘Ain't No Sunshine’ and Philly soul classic ‘Don't Leave Me This Way' slip into the set. Early reports from Australia where their concerts were poorly received suggested some of the English musicians didn'tknow howto play. In fact, the Auckland gigs gelled — maybe the guys hadn't known what they were playing. The gospel (or James Brown) style of changing songs or grooves as the spiritmoves is the ultimate cool performance but demands a rapport between band and leader that Cecil appears unwilling to cultivate. The drummersoldiered on like John Bonham playing gospel; only the bass player could see the humourin the highs and the lows of this high-volume spiritual meander. The intimacy of the Powerstation saved the gig. Though the audience might have preferred brightly lit, slick reproductions of the Womacks' hits, they got more: the pissed congregation witnessed Cecil worry aline andimprovise in the dimly lit club. His rhythm guitar was cool. He attributes his style fo being self-taught, his inspiration not big names butunknown gospel group guitarists. “I play reverse. Albert King plays like that but it's strung right-handed. Otherthan that| pick my own way.” Extra-Terrestrial Soul Looking at the cover of Womack and Womack's Starbrightalbum one could ask the question —is the shaved-head dude and the silver

lady from another planet2 Where has Cecil Womack been all these yearssince Sam Cooke's death in 1964 and the break-up of the

Valentinos? e Cecil Womack married Motown's early 60s star Mary Wellsin 1967, several years after her brief ‘

-encounter with fame. They separatedin 1970 and were divorcedin 1977,theyearhe married Linda Cooke, the daughter of Sam Cooke (who owned the SAR label, to which the Valentinos were signed). «~ Inthelate 70s, Cecil had considerable success as a songwriter and producer with the label Philadephia International. “Imade more money there than | have in my whole life. I had my own office with my own studio and | could record any act| wanted to and any outside projects. We were livingina very nice place in New Jersey. ltwas cool. “Performing did not interestme — | only became inferested in doing something different after Teddy Pendergrass’s accident and the

O'Jays' separation from the record company. They were the two largest acts on Philadelphia Int. A couple of other artists started having problems so we started looking in new

directions.” : Patti Labelle was one of the later signings Cecil produced, there but she left the ailing company priorto her massive success courtesy of the Beverly Hills Cop movie soundirack and Live-Aid.

After leaving the Philly scene, Cecil and Linda wrote songs for numerous singers, including Chaka Khan and Randy Crawford. : Before the “other worldly” — Womack duo arrived in New

Zealand the word had got around thatthey miss interview times and are late for their shows. A tour manager has to check firstly that the Womack family getinto their stretch limousine and secondly thatthey don't get out again after the tour manager’s vehicle has pulled away from the curb.

We were on stand-by foran interview on the day of their second concert. We got a call to say they'd agreed to an interview “as soon as possible” but minutes later when we arrived at the hotel they’d gone out tolunch. The Womacks were cornered laterin the day— we gotto the Hyatt infime. Cecil got changed sowe could take photos and was amiable and relaxed. Mid-way through our conversing his three young children and proceeded to hoist the youngest child, Cecilia (¢) onto the catering counter so she could dislodge the out-of-reachfruitbowl, in the interviewer’s view, but behind Daddy’s back. When | was moved to exclaim “watch out!” as Cecil was in mid sentence, the fruit bowl magically regained balance, averting the impending crisis. “You're getting excited aahh?” Cecil laughed dryly: “You're getting a faste of the road.” Soulto Soul Sam Cooke has been described as the “The Man Who Invented Soul” (an album title). A valid statement, Cecil? ~ “Ithink what they mean is thathe was the first gospel singer that crossed over into pop music. Before then there was nobody, not even Ray Charles was recognised. After Sam, people started looking at black gospel singers and got interested.” Do you think Cooke was an important leader? “Firstand foremost he was an . artist. But he was involved in other things too— he had a record company and a movie company. He wasway ahead of his time.” Hasthe revival of interestin 60s soul music help gain exposure for your music? “I|don‘tthink it hurts. Our music did not come from the 60s — ourideas are fresh. Ithinkit's hard for some people fo relate to but we're going oninto the 90s, not back to the 605.”

MURRAY CAMMICK