Robert Nelson Relf (January 10, 1937 – November 20, 2007) was an American R&B and soul musician. Best known as half of the soul music duo

Bob & Earl Bob & Earl were an American music singing duo in the 1960s, best known for writing and recording the original version of " Harlem Shuffle". Career The original duo were Bobby Byrd and Earl Nelson. They had both been members of The Hollywood Fl ...

whose song,

Harlem Shuffle "Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. In 1986, it was covered by the British rock band The Rolling Stones on their album '' Dirty Work''. Bob & Earl The original single, arranged by Ge ...

was released in the US in 1963 and in the UK in 1964. It was re-released 1969 reaching No 7 in the UK charts. Relf's recording of the song "Blowing My Mind to Pieces" was written by Lou Barreto as well as being produced by Lou Barreto and Rod Bumgardner. The song became popular on the Northern soul scene in the UK in the 1970s.

Musical career

Relf attended Fremont High School, Los Angeles, and in 1954 joined fellow pupils Sam Jackson, Ted Brown and Ronald Brown in forming a

doo wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

group, The Laurels. They recorded on the Combo and the Cash Record labels. Their "Our Love" an operatic ballad on the Cash label was described by the music writer Jim Dawson as one of Relf's best recordings – "a strange, lugubrious performance that sounds like nothing else". Relf's solo recording of "Little Fool" followed in 1956 without success. He spent short stints with the Crescendoes, the Upfronts, Valentino and the Lovers (Donna Records)

The Hollywood Flames The Hollywood Flames were an American R&B vocal group in the 1950s, best known for their No. 11 hit "Buzz-Buzz-Buzz" in 1957. Early years They formed as The Flames in 1949, in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, at a talent show where memb ...

and

Bobby Day Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record " Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René und ...

and the Satellites. With the Crescendos, he recorded "Finders Keepers", "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Sweet Dreams" for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

in 1956, alongside

Prentice Moreland Prentice Moreland (March 4, 1925 – September 1988) was an American R&B and doo wop singer of the 1950s and early 1960s. Early life Moreland was born on March 4, 1925, in East St. Louis, Illinois. At some points in his life, he claime ...

Young Jessie Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie (December 28, 1936 – April 27, 2020) was an American R&B, rock and roll and jazz singer and songwriter. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with The Flai ...

The Flairs The Flairs (or Flares) were an American doo-wop group known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members included Richard Berry (writer of ...

, and Bobby Byrd of The Hollywood Flames.

Bob and Earl

Bobby Day formed the original Bob & Earl duo in 1957 with

Earl Nelson Earl Nelson, ''of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey'', is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 November 1805 for the Rev. William Nelson, 2nd Baron Nelson, one month after the death of his young ...

. When Day left to go solo in 1962, Relf took his place. They recorded Harlem Shuffle in 1963 a song part-arranged by the keyboards player,

Barry White Barry Eugene Carter (September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003), better known by his stage name Barry White, was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came ...

Bobby Valentino

As 'Bobby Valentino he recorded ''Special Delivery'' b/w ''How Deep Is The Ocean'' for the West Coast label Lita label

Bobby Garrett

Using the pseudonym 'Bobby Garrett' he recorded two singles on the Mirwood label in 1966. "I Can't Get Away" became a Northern soul favourite in the UK and was used to advertise

Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...

on national TV in the US. Also popular was "My Little Girl" which originally appeared as the flip side of the soulful ballad "Big Brother".

Northern soul

Relf's song and most popular solo track, "Blowing My Mind To Pieces", was recorded at

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

' RPM studios in Los Angeles. The uplifting song was written by Lou Barreto and produced by Lou Barreto and Rod Bumgardner. The song was also a hit on the Northern Soul scene in the early 1970s. It was re-released in the UK in 1974 using Relf's name but was by a completely different singer.

Later career

Relf wrote and produced songs for Jackie Lee including "The Chicken" and "African Boo-Ga-Loo". In the early 1970s Relf resumed working with Barry White helping to produce discs by

Love Unlimited Love Unlimited was a female vocal trio that provided backing vocals for American singer-songwriter Barry White on his albums and concert tours. They also found success with their own recordings. Career Formed in 1969, the group included Barry ...

, Gloria Scott and

White Heat ''White Heat'' is a 1949 American film noir directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly and Steve Cochran. Written by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts, ''White Heat'' is based on a story by Vi ...

. A Relf composition, "Bring Back My Yesterday", was recorded by White in 1973 on the album ''

I've Got So Much to Give "I've Got So Much to Give" is an R&B contemporary romantic ballad composed and recorded by popular soul artist Barry White and released in 1973. It was originally conceived by White as a single but then featured on the album of the same name ( ...

''. He also co-wrote, with White, the

B side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

, "I Should Have Known", from Love Unlimited's hit single, "Walkin' In The Rain with the One I Love".

Death

Having been ill for several years, Relf died at his home in

Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

in 2007. He was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles on November 27, 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Relf, Bob 1937 births 2007 deaths African-American male songwriters Northern soul musicians Songwriters from California American soul singers Record producers from California Singers from California Mirwood Records artists Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles 20th-century African-American male singers People from Bakersfield, California