Song:I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You
Album:The Best Of Leon Haywood
R&B singer, songwriter and producer Leon Haywood had success on the R&B charts beginning in the late 60s. But he crossed over to pop with the top 20 hit I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You in 1975. He was born Feb. 11, 1942 in Houston. He learned to play piano as a child and performed locally as a teen. Then he moved to Los Angeles to work with Big Jay McNeely and Sam Cooke. He recorded a couple of singles for Fantasy and then two more for Imperial. The single She's With Her Other Love was a top 15 R&B hit in 1966. While releasing his own music, Haywood got into session work especially with the Booker T & The MGs spinoff group The Packers led by Stax owner Estelle Axton's son Packy Axton. Things finally picked up for Haywood when he signed with 20th Century Records. He scored a top 15 R&B hit in 1974 with Keep It In The Family. Then I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You reached #7 on the R&B Singles chart and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. If you have heard this song, you probably remember the moaning on the record obviously influenced by Donna Summer's Love To Love You Baby. Haywood wrote and produced the record with Love Unlimited Orchestra arranger Gene Page. All the musicians on the album are veteran session musicians. Haywood plays piano along with Joe Sample of the Crusaders and Larry Nash, David T. Walker, Dean Parks, Ray Parker Jr and Roland Bautista on guitar, Gary Coleman on vibes, Wilton Felder of The Crusaders on bass and Vince Charles on drums. The song has been liberally sampled by hip hop guys, most notably Ain't Nothin' But A "G" Thang by Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg in 1992. You can get the full version of this record on this comp. Beware of edited versions. Haywood had some other hits but then 20th Century closed. Haywood's albums on Columbia, MCA and Casablanca weren't successful. So he turned to producing and scored the 1981 Carl Carlton hit She's a Bad Mama Jama. After that, he recorded occasionally for his own Evejim label and he produced Jimmy McCracklin among others. Leon Haywood died on Apr. 5, 2016 at age 74. Here's a video for I Want'a Do Something Freaky To You by Leon Haywood.
No comments:
Post a Comment