Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Bobby Womack was a man of many talents. He toured with Sam Cooke and played session guitar for many artists over the years. One of the greatest funk and R&B singers this side of James Brown, Womack should have been more of a household name. While Womack may not be remembered as often as he should, he scored a large number of modest hits on the lower half of the Top 100 across three decades. His biggest hit was "Lookin' For A Love," which landed at #10 in 1974. Other than that, he only had three Top 40 entries: "That's The Way I Feel About Cha" (#27), "Nobody Wants You When You're Down And Out" (#29), and "Harry Hippie" (#31). His final chart appearance was in 1984 when "Love Has Finally Come At Last," done with Patti LaBelle, stalled at #88. "What Is This" goes far back into Womack's humble beginnings, a terrific track from his 1969 album, "Fly Me To The Moon." Womack passed away in 2014 at the age of 70.
The Valentinos were a vocal R&B group composed of the Womack brothers who had a brush with fame in the early 60s. "Lookin' For A Love" only went to #72 in 1962, but deserved so much better. The group could not top that minor hit, barely cracking the Top 100 with follow-up singles "I'll Make It Alright" (#97) and "It's All Over Now" (#94). Bobby Womack would move on to a solo career that revived "Lookin' For A Love" in 1974, this time taking it to #10.
