Ask almost any soul fan of the past half-century or so and they will proclaim the late Willie Hutch to be one of their cult soul heroes.
Across the 60s, 70s and 80s, Willie sang and wrote some of the most highly praised recordings and songs of their time – and, indeed, of all time. His albums and singles as a recording artist for labels such as Motown, Modern, Soul City and RCA have been widely anthologised in the digital era.
Now it’s time for Kent to turn the spotlight on Willie solely as a songwriter, with a collection of almost two dozen hits and classics that he penned for others (and occasionally recorded himself along the way, of course).
Willie’s years with Motown saw him working with some of the label’s top artists, from Marvin Gaye to the Four Tops and, in particular, the Jackson 5, for whom he co-wrote the multi-million-selling, chart-topping ‘I’ll Be There’, among other songs (heard here in a lovely version by the UK’s own Gabrielle). Prior to that, he had been instrumental in getting the career of the 5th Dimension off the ground, writing their first two singles. Post-Motown, he came up with killers for soulful peers such as Ben E King, Gwen McCrae and more.
Jerry Butler, Frankie Valli and Al Wilson are just three further 60s and 70s superstars whose catalogues were enhanced by Willie’s songs. All the aforementioned can be heard here – as can Willie himself, of course – in a sublime collection that is both a long-overdue addition to Ace and Kent’s Songwriter Series and a fitting tribute to a songwriter whose work places Willie Hutch firmly in the upper pantheon of soul’s greatest all-rounders.
Tony Rounce
