About This Item
Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. 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. 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 centerpiece is undoubtedly the iconic, brooding minor-key masterpiece InchA Love That's Worth HavingInch. The album's most recognizable track, it's a towering ballad drenched in stylish, sliding horns and elevated by it's 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 InchDreamchaserInch. Whilst one can understand these iconic beatmakers for leaning on the work of a master, you really need to own the track in it's full, unedited glory. Horn-heavy opener InchAin't Gonna StopInch is a funk-fuelled monster, Hutch's fatback vocal aided by a vicious drum 'n' conga rhythm whilst the bumping uptown soul of InchYou Can't Miss Something That You Never HadInch anticipates the Motown-vibe that Hutch went on to create. Supple guitar licks propel the loping, head-nod breaks of InchGood To The Last DropInch whilst InchThat's What I Call Lovin' YouInch features gospel piano and plaintive, tender vocal turn. Rounding out Side A, the blazing horns of InchYou Got
