By the time of the release of
This Love Is Real, it seemed that Chicago soul producer Carl Davis had the hit formula for
Jackie Wilson down pat. He'd recruited Motown's
James Jamerson,
Earl Van Dyke,
Benny Benjamin, and the rest of
the Funk Brothers, and combined their dynamic interplay with a top-notch song from his stable of talented songwriters. It had worked with
Wilson's comeback hit "Higher and Higher and was still working some three years later. The effervescent single "(I Can Feel Those Vibrations) This Love Is Real" charted on Billboard in late 1970, becoming a steppers classic. The pop ballad "Love Is Funny That Way" broke the R&B Top 20.
Wilson's impressive vocal prowess is showcased on "Let This Be a Letter (To My Baby)" and "Love Uprising," both written by
the Chi-Lites'
Eugene Record. The ethereal "Think About the Good Times" features an outstanding instrumental break with a fluid wah-wah guitar, dazzling bass runs, and otherworldly sound effects supplied by engineer
Bruce Swedien. .