Bobby Womack's Bravest Man In The Universe--the soul giant's first album of original material in 18 years--is being released by XL Records in an expanded version with the addition of 4 unheard tracks--the best news that Womack fanatics (hi) could possibly hope for, given the recent headlines about his struggle with Alzheimer's--revelations that mean his first album in 18 years might very well be his last ever. For all those reasons Okayplayer is incredibly honored to premiere the video for the first of these bonus songs "It's Been A Long Night," comprising unseen studio footage of Bobby recording with Damon Albarn, TV On The Radio bassist Jaleel Bunton and the rest of the amazing crew of musicians who assembled to create this record. Kicking off with a jarring, echo-y cry of "computerrrr..." and punctuated by speak-n-spell sounds and appropriately clunky digital rhythms, the track quickly resolves into a powerful steppers jam with a soulful core timeless enough to stand alongside the best of Bobby's catalog--and a 2014 computer funk feel that would place it seamlessly into a set of Solange Knowles, Toro y Moi and Chromeo. Scroll down to watch and find info on the new tracks on the expanded LP (available on iTunes now) below:
- “It's Been A Long Night” was completed in brand-new sessions in New York at the end of last year. The accompanying video is footage from these sessions.
- “Hold The River Down” is a spiritual at heart.
- “Central Avenue” is about Bobby’s time growing up in Cleveland.
- “Please Forgive My Heart” (Funk Version) --an alternate (funk, duh) version of the track, one of Bobby’s finest and most heartfelt moments and one of Okayplayer's Top 12 Songs of 2012.
>>>Purchase Bravest Man In The Universe, Expanded Edition (via iTunes)
