Soul man extraordinaire
Johnny Bristol led something of a duel career. During Motown's Detroit-era he was a multi-talented fixture, primarily writing with partner
Harvey Fuqua. Their more notable collaborations can be heard on Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Your Precious Love" as well as
Junior Walker's take of "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You),"
Stevie Wonder's "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday,"
Edwin Starr's "Twenty-Five Miles" and
David Ruffin's "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)." He is likewise the male voice crooning alongside
Diana Ross on her final hit with
the Supremes, "Someday We'll Be Together" and the co-lead on
Junior Walker's "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)." After Motown relocated from its native Detroit to Los Angeles in the early 1970s,
Bristol began producing a variety of acts ranging from R&B staple
Jerry Butler to former
Electric Flag and
Band of Gypsies drummer
Buddy Miles and Bay Area vocalist
Boz Scaggs. He subsequently had a solo deal with MGM, yielding a pair of criminally underrated efforts. The 21-cut
MGM Collection (2004) gathers both
Hang On in There Baby (1974) and
Feeling the Magic (1975), plus the rare redux of "Hang On in There Baby" from 1980 with Destiny frontman Alton McClain that is otherwise unavailable on compact disc.
Bristol's soft and sexy demeanor rivals that of
Isaac Hayes or
Barry White. The latter is immediately conjured up on the original reading of "Hang On in There Baby," as the light and airy melody, lush score and even prominent interjections from Motown's own
Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin (guitar) are unmistakably similar to the
White-directed
Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love's Theme" -- a crossover single in December of 1973.
Bristol didn't do badly either, taking his platter to an impressive number two on the R&B and eight on the Pop survey. He also pulls out an
Ike-like introductory dedication commencing the sensual "Reachin' Out for Your Love." "You & I" carves out a fat funk, while the eerily brooding "I Got Your Number" is just this side of creepy as the voyeuristic lyrics proclaim "I got your number/Know your gonna be there when I call/I got your number, baby/Say you ain't got no choice at all." This flies in the face of the pro-feminist "Woman, Woman" which bookends
Bristol's debut LP.
Feeling the Magic is another mixture of up-tempo and heartfelt ballads. It didn't fare as well on the charts as
Hang On in There Baby, but in many ways is a stronger collection. "Feeling the Magic" adopts a hearty, unceasing Philly soul vibe that drives
Bristol's sultry lead -- which he recorded to make it sound as if he is doing a duet with himself. "Lusty Lady" is a scathingly candid story backed by an equally nasty, yet interminably catchy beat.
Bristol's slow jams "I'm Just a Loser," "All Goodbyes Are Gone" and the languid "Go On and Dream," simply put are among the best the artist had to offer. That might account for his admitted frustration with MGM when they didn't push and achieve a better response for the album. As fate had it, after contributing his memories to the set's liner notes,
Bristol passed away on March 21, 2004, before having the chance to see the package come to fruition. May he rest in peace knowing that his legacy has been deservedly restored. ~ Lindsay Planer