By DELL (12.14.39.66) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 02:41 pm:

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHATS UP WITH WILLIE HUTCH, AND JUST WHERE HIS NAME FITS IN MOTOWN HISTORY, I HEARD HE PRODUCED A FEW ALBUMS FOR MICHAEL JACKSON & SMOKEY ROBINSON

By Common (209.2.55.170) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 02:52 pm:

Hello Dell,

I do recall that Willie had written & produced "The Mack" & "Coffy" soundtracks. He also did wrote & sang a tune off "The Last Dragon" soundtrack w/ The Tempts on backing vocals. I think he also did some work with the Jackson 5. I'm a little foggy now but I'm sure KevGo would know much more details.

Peace!

By MotownForever (152.163.252.68) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 03:48 pm:

Willie worked with several acts at Motown, including Smokey, Marvin, the Sisters Love, The Miracles (post-Smokey), the Jackson 5, Frankie Valli, and Sammy Davis, Jr. I know I'm forgetting some others...

By Eli (205.188.209.109) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 04:38 pm:

Brother's gonna work it out is one of my fave Willie Hutch records.

By Kdubya (206.126.224.7) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 05:12 pm:

Willie Hutch is one of my favorite players out of Old School Motown. His album Concert In Blue is a personal favorite as is The Mack. His rendition of Stormy Weather and Baby Come Home are classic. He is a Chicago Steppers favorite with the cut "The Way We Were" and "I can Sho Nuff Give You Love" Yes I'd like to know what he's up to as well. He worked with The Tempts, Smokey and Marvin Gaye just to name a few. He is by far one of the most talented yet underated writers, producers and performing artists of all time. Somebody please tell us whats up !!!!!!!!!!!

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 05:32 pm:

Willie Hutch wrote songs for the Fifth Dimension during the 1960s prior to their brief tenure with Motown a decade later.

He wrote "California My Way" (later recorded by the Main Ingredient) & "Learn How To Fly" for their debut album UP UP & AWAY as well as some Motown-sounding tracks that were recorded prior to their shift toward MOR/pop/soul.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By jack (67.34.172.181) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 05:37 pm:

I talk to Willie often ,He is well and working all the time .Jack

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 05:38 pm:

To answer the initial question:
Willie released a CD last year called "Sexalicious" that features Maxine Waters on the background vocals. I haven't heard the CD but from the looks of it (the cover features a drawing of a woman laying inside a spoon with nothing on but whipped cream & a cherry) & the song titles ("Super Lover", "Sexy Dancer", "Keep It Real"), looks like Willie has returned to the scene with music steamy enough to make Mr. Biggs jealous.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 05:40 pm:

By the way...
Besides "The Mack" and "Foxy Brown", Willie also co-wrote "I'll Be There" for the Jackson 5.
Geez, how could I forget that?
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Greg C. (207.103.134.86) on Wednesday, May 28, 2003 - 10:49 pm:

Willie Hutch also had two very good albums on Norman Whitfield's "Whitfield Records" label in the late 70's. They were "In Tune" (1978) and "Midnight Dancer." (1979)

Favorite Willie Hutch tunes, "Love Power", "And All Hell Broke Loose", "In & Out","Slick", and "Easy Does It"

By kdubya (206.126.224.7) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 08:12 am:

KevGo and Jack, thanks for the info I'll look for the CD and I'm very glad to hear that he is doing well.

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 08:18 am:

He recently appeared at the Fleetwood Soul Weekender in the UK.
He did a (good) show of his 70's onwards tracks and another (not so good) show of his 60's songs.

In the 60's he did some solo cuts plus was lead singer for a LA based group (whos name escapes me at present).

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 11:14 am:

Willie was in a group called the Ambassadors when he was still living in Texas during his teen years.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Uptight (24.55.6.144) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 11:21 am:

There's a couple of best of-type CDs available, containing his Motown singles from the 70s.

By bosstrainer (217.35.162.131) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 01:57 pm:

Willie Hutch has always been one of my favourite artists and as John Smith said he recently visited the UK.

I thought you might like to read a copy of the notes I wrote for the programme which summarise his career:-

"This man�s talents span over 40 years in the music business during which time he has sang, composed and produced some classic soul music.

Willie is one of the unsung heroes of soul and inspires comparison to Marvin Gaye, Ronald Isley, and Curtis Mayfield though he has never had their recognition.

He is best known on the Northern scene for his classic 60�s songs Love Runs Out and The Duck for Dunhill and more recently as part of the Phonetics with Just A Boy�s Dream. During this time, he also wrote and produced songs for the 5th Dimension, The Ballads, Marvellos, Al Wilson, Patrice Holloway, The Fidels, Major IV, Jay Lewis, Calvin Arnold and others. At this stage, his solo career was limited to several 45�s for the Soul City, Modern and Maverick labels.

In the late 60�s, he joined RCA and showcased his talents on 2 classic albums Soul Portrait (1969) and Seasons For Love (1970). His RCA legacy included another 3 rare soul favourites Lucky To Be Loved, Love Games and Let�s Try It Over.

In 1970, Motown producer Hal Davis asked Willie to help finish off a song he desperately needed completed for the Jackson 5, I'll Be There. Willie delivered the song in a day and it became one of the Jackson�s biggest early hits. Motown gave him a contract, which led to his most prolific period of song writing and producing for The Jackson�s. Marvin Gaye, GC Cameron, Smokey Robinson, Sisters Love etc.

His first solo project for Motown was the soundtrack for the 1973 film The Mack, which included the anthem Brother's Gonna Work It Out. This was the first in a series of classic solo releases for Motown, including the albums Fully Exposed (1973), Foxy Brown, (1975), The Mark of the Beast (1975), Ode To My Lady (1975), Concert in Blues (1976), Colour Her Sunshine (1976), and Having A House Party (1977).

He briefly relocated to the Whitfield label for 2 albums In Tune (1979) and Midnight Dancer (1980). He returned to Motown where releasing 2 solo albums In and Out (1983) and Making A Game Of Love (1985) in addition to a soundtrack album for the 1985 movie The Last Dragon.

He recorded 2 CD�s in the nineties, 1994's From the Heart and 1996's The Mack Is Back, before returning last year with his latest CD Sexalicious.

We will be treated on the Saturday night to first ever performance of his 60�s songs. But before that we will hear a 70�s set on the Friday night. He will perform those classic Motown songs such as I�m Gonna Give You Respect recorded by both GC Cameron and Marvin Gaye and by coincidence his version from the 70�s has just been discovered in the vaults. There will be an additional treat on the Sunday afternoon of a playback of his latest set Sexalicious.

Willie once sang �Ain�t Nothing Like Togetherness� (Fully Exposed 1973) and we can all endorse that sentiment!!"

Thanks Colin

By Sly fan (64.169.107.94) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 03:33 pm:

Mr. Willie Hutch is one of the most underrated cats ever...His music and style was ahead of its time and it remains timeless...

I have some of the releases on the Soul City label (good luck in finding them) and they are pretty sharp..

Willie had his own unique style he brought to Motown...I have the Marvin Gaye Deluxe Box set of "Lets Get It On" and Willie wrote and produced a few unreleased songs (that would've been hits!!)that are really great..

Willie has a nephew by the name of "Hutch" who is lead rapper in a group called Above The Law (produced by Dr. Dre once upon a time).

Another set of unsung heroes are The Mizell Brothers....(They introduced took Donald Byrd to an entirely new generation!!) Their music is timeless..

By Sly fan (64.169.107.94) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 03:33 pm:

correction: introduced Donald Byrd.

By Sly fan (64.169.107.94) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 03:34 pm:

PS: They are Motown Lgends as well..

By Sly fan (64.169.107.94) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 03:38 pm:

correction:Legends as well.

forgive me..I am still drunk from last night's party.....(just kidding)..

Peace and Love.

By bosstrainer (217.39.150.130) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 05:18 pm:

Just listening to the Internet radio show Soul 24-7 and they have just played the Motown track Hello Detroit by Sammy Davis Jnr from 1984(?)which was produced by Willie Hutch - it's better than you would think and was a nice coincidence following our discussion about Willie!!!

Checkout a great station on:-

www.soul24-7.com


Colin

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 05:29 pm:

Sly Fan:
The Mizells were indeed talented brothers. I loved the work they did for Donald's "Black Byrd" album & the tune "Where Are We Going" (which Marvin Gaye recorded but never released until HW mixed it and placed it on The Very Best Of Marvin Gaye double CD last year).
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By bosstrainer (217.39.150.130) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 05:51 pm:

My favourite work by the Mizell's is their 1977 production for Capitol on Rance Allen Say My Friend which includes one of his best tracks Reason To Survive which is such a favourite in the UK.

Rance is a mega talent and was the highlight of the recent Soul Comes Home concert in Memphis - one of the events associated with the Stax Museum opening. He tore the place down with That Will Be Good Enough For Me - the audience went wild - it was fimed for PBS to be shown nationally later in the year - don't miss it!!

Colin

By Don (68.75.178.86) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 09:42 pm:

I remember a song from one of Willie Hutch's Motown LP's called "The Upside Downside of Love" which he was backed by a Chicago vocalgroup called The Vows in which they sanged bkgrd vox's. Although they didn't get the reconition they really and truly deserved. The lineup was Joseph "Fuzzy" Bucker, Larry Montgomery, Laurence Bibbs, Burrel Bryson and i think with a guy named Bill (billy) ______?. They we're managed by a Mrs.Ruth Moore(b.k.a.)"Moe".

By 1Wicked (24.126.64.120) on Saturday, June 14, 2003 - 10:56 pm:

Sly Fan and KevGo: Mention of the Mizell brothers inspires the usual "Whatever happened to____ ?" question. They were hot writers/producers...and never had a bad outing (to my knowledge)....but just seemed to disappear. I loved their work with Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, and many others. Anybody with an update on the Mizells ?

By JSmith (212.39.231.20) on Monday, June 16, 2003 - 02:39 am:

mention of a Chicago group above prompts me to mention that the acts to follow Willie as the live attractions at the next Fleetwood Weekender (in October) are scheduled to be Ruby Andrews and ex-Artistic Marvin Smith (of the Windy city).

This will be Marvin's 1st UK visit and I guess he will be overwhelmed by the reception he will receive from soul fans here.

By Inquiring Mind..and Fan (24.126.64.120) on Thursday, June 19, 2003 - 10:32 pm:

KevGo...just hoping you may be able to answer the question Re: The Mizells...

By R&B (138.238.41.118) on Friday, June 20, 2003 - 12:43 pm:

GOOD TO HEAR THAT WILLIE IS STILL DOIN IT,HE'S A LEGEND TOO!