Leon Ware - Musical Massage (1976)

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Leon Ware was one of the most prolific soul songwriters of the 1970's. There were collaborations with Ike & Tina Turner, Quincy Jones, and the incomparable Minnie Riperton. He was a Motown man, though, thanks to the work he penned for the Miracles and Jackson 5 among others, and by 1975 he was ready to record Musical Massage for the company when Marvin Gaye heard a cassette of his material and begged Ware to give him some of the tracks to expand his romantic classic, I Want You.

Ware was already serving as producer on Gaye's album and three of his demo tracks with co-producer T-Boy Ross were already set for inclusion. Before long, Ware had songwriting credits on every single song, but, far more importantly, his arrangements solidified the suite-like theme for the album, which deserves as much mention as Gaye's seductive vocal presence.

It is impossible to listen to the reissue of Musical Massage and not hear the strains of I Want You. The album followed Gaye's and did not receive the support it probably needed to distinguish itself from not just I Want You, but also the similarly timed releases by Jones and Riperton which benefited from Ware's masterful touch.

Despite the fact that Gaye's voice may carry further, old school lovermen-in-training would do well to lay back and let Ware's Musical Massage teach them how to do a body right.

1. Learning How To Love You
2. Instant Love - (with Minnie Riperton)
3. Body Heat
4. Share Your Love
5. Holiday
6. Phantom Lover
7. Journey Into You
8. Musical Massage
9. French Waltz
10. Turn Out The Light
bonus tracks
11. I Wanna Be Where You Are
12. Comfort (A.K.A. Come Live With Me, Angel) - (with Minnie Riperton)
13. Long Time No See
14. Don't You Wanna Come - (demo)
15. You Are The Way You Are - (demo)

Leon Ware - Vocals, Producer
Minnie Riperton - Guest Vocals
Ray Parker, Jr. - Guitar
David T. Walker - Guitar
Chuck Rainey - Bass
John Barnes - Keyboards
Sonny Burke - Keyboards
Jerry Peters - Keyboards
Merry Clayton - Vocals (bckgr)
Felicia Griner - Vocals (bckgr)
Jessie Smith - Vocals (bckgr)
Eddie "Bongo" Brown - Conga
Gary Coleman - Percussion
Bobbye Hall - Percussion
James Gadson - Drums

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