''Musical Massage'' is an album by

Leon Ware Leon Ware (February 16, 1940 – February 23, 2017) was an American songwriter, producer, composer, and singer. Besides a solo career as a performer, Ware was best known for producing hits for other artists including Michael Jackson, Quincy ...

released in 1976. This was his second solo album and his only release for Motown's Gordy Records subsidy.

Background

By 1975, Ware was signed to

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

as a solo artist. He started working on demos for his next album as well as to win a record deal for T-Boy Ross. One of the demo recordings, " I Want You", was heard by

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

, who decided the song would be a good fit for

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

. Gaye heard the other demos Ware had worked on and decided to record much of it for what would be his next album, '' I Want You''. Buoyed by the number-one

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...

, that album peaked at number-one on the Soul charts and reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold over a million copies. Having given away the material for his album, Ware had no choice but to compose an entirely new set of songs. The result would be Ware's second album, ''Musical Massage''. Produced primarily by Ware with

Hal Davis Harold Edward Davis (February 8, 1933 – November 18, 1998) was an American songwriter and record producer. Davis was a producer and writer for Motown Records for nearly thirty years, and was a key figure in the latter part of the Mot ...

producing three tracks (Instant Love, Body Heat & Share Your Love). Musical Massage picks up right where Gaye's "I Want You" leaves off utilizing some of the same musicians.

Legacy and influence

Following the release of ''I Want You'', Ware released ''Musical Massage'' in September 1976. The album failed to chart and was not properly promoted by Motown. Despite this, ''Musical Massage'' has become a

cult hit A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

among soul music fans who were intrigued by ''I Want You'' and songs from that album's producer. Critical recognition of Ware's album later improved, being cited by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

as "the perfect mix of soul, light funk, jazz, and what was about to become the rhythmic foundation for disco." "Musical Massage" was released on CD for the first time by UK label

Expansion Records Expansion Records is a British record label founded by Northern Soul DJ Richard Searling and Soul Bowl owner John Anderson. In 1989, DJ Author & Journalist Ralph Tee joined the label, both he and Searling run Expansion Records. Label hist ...

in 2001 and then by Motown in 2003 in the US.

Track listing

Bonus tracks: The 'I Want You' Sessions

Personnel

* Leon Ware – lead and background vocals *

Jerry Peters Jerry Peters is an American songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, conductor and arranger. He is best known for writing the hit songs "Love Or Let Me Be Lonely" and "Going In Circles" by The Friends of Distinction. Career Peters w ...

, John Barnes, Sonny Burke – keyboard *

Chuck Rainey Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,00 ...

– bass * David T. Walker,

Ray Parker Jr. Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 film '' Ghostbusters''. Previously, Parker achieved a US top-10 h ...

– guitar *

James Gadson James Gadson ( James Edward Gadson; born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and ...

– drums * Bobbye Hall, Gary Coleman – percussion *

Eddie "Bongo" Brown Eddie "Bongo" Brown (September 13, 1932 – December 28, 1984) was an American musician born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. Brown played congas, bongos, the gourd and claves for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brot ...

– bongo * Felicia Griner, Jessie Smith, Merry Clayton,

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use o ...

Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guit ...

– background vocals *

Azizi Johari Azizi Johari is the pseudonym of an African American model and actress who featured as ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month in June 1975. Career Azizi Johari was born in New York on 24 August, 1948. After some years of wandering, due t ...

– cover artwork model

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1976 albums Leon Ware albums Albums produced by Hal Davis Albums produced by Leon Ware Gordy Records albums