Soul Serenade: Bobby Womack, “It’s Party Time”

There’s a house party way ‘cross town

People coming from miles around

After working hard all week long

They got to get a thing going on

And suddenly we find ourselves at the end of another year. Time passes slowly when you’re young but it seems to accelerate as you get older. 2017, a difficult year if there ever was one, has sped by like a bullet. The good news is that with each new year there’s the hope of renewal, another chance to put the past behind us and start again. I don’t know who set things up this way but it’s kind of cool when you think about it. That’s what New Year’s resolutions are all about. So whether you want to lose a few pounds, read more books, or set a goal of being nicer to people, here’s your chance. It’s a time of celebration because once again we have the chance to see out the old and welcome in the new.

Bobby Womack has been covered at length in this column over the years so I’ll just say that in 1978 he released an album called Pieces and the leadoff track from that album, “It’s Party Time,” is perfect for your New Year’s celebration. The song was written by Don Davis (who also produced the album) and Willie Schofield, and the album’s backing musicians included Barry Beckett, Roger Hawkins, David Hood, and Jimmy Johnson of the legendary Muscle Shoals Swampers. Also of note is the presence of Candi Staton and former Temptation great David Ruffin helping out with vocals on a couple of tracks. While the album nods in the direction of the then prevalent disco sound, Womack retains his credibility as an old-school soul master.

Speaking of parties, a key component of any successful party is the music. Over the years I have been maintaining a Spotify playlist informed by this column. Each week I add the column’s featured song to the playlist. At this point, there are 361 songs on the list, nearly 20 hours of great soul music. So if you’re having a party this year, simply bring up the playlist, hit the play button, and enjoy yourself knowing that the music is taken care of. Here’s the link:

I want to close the column, and the year, by thanking you for taking the time to read my musings each week and wishing you all the best in 2018. Happy New Year!