Poet

Personnel: Bobby Womack (vocals, guitar); David T. Walker (guitar); Dorothy Ashby (harp); Patrick Moten, Dale Ramsey (keyboards); David Shields, Nathan East (bass); James Gadson (drums); Paulinho Da Costa, Eddie Bongo Brown (percussion); Tondalei, Sally Womack, Vincent Womack, Regina Womack (handclaps); Johnny Parham, Jon Rami, Richard Griffin, Cecil Womack, Fernando Harkless, Curtis Womack, Friendly Womack, The Waters (background vocals).
Recorded at Hit City West and Kendun Studios, Burbank, California.
Though Bobby Womack's star rose high during the first half of the 1970s, the second half found the hits coming few and far between for him. However, THE POET, his first album of the '80s, marked a comeback for Womack. He entered the new era with his raw, soulful vocal style intact, but he began to mix it with synthesizer and other contemporary flavors, polishing up his sound just enough to have an impact on R&B radio, but not so much as to alienate his old fans. Along with songwriting cohort Jim Ford, he penned tunes that perfectly toed the line between idiosyncrasy and commercial appeal, making for one of the high points of his later work.