THE VALENTINOS - WHAT ABOUT ME

The easy shuffling groove and gorgeous vocals almost mask the NASTY vengeful undercurrents of the lyrics of this song. They're downright cathartic, and I think we've all been there.

Hailing from Cleveland, OH, The Valentinos were made up of the Womack brothers (Bobby, Curtis, Harry, Friendly Jr, and Cecil). Curtis and Bobby were discovered as young teenagers in 1956 by Sam Cooke while the brothers were singing gospel music. Four years later, Cooke had the group travel to California where he signed them to his SAR record label. The group initially wanted to record only gospel material, but their gospel debut flopped. Thanks to an arrangement with Cooke, the group agreed to branch out into the world of secular music, although their powerhouse singing never lost its roots in the church.

During the sixties, the group released a string of excellent singles, but never achieved the massive success they deserved as a group; however, the Womack brothers' composition "It's All Over Now" became a massive hit for the Rolling Stones.

The group grieved the turmoil of Cooke's death, and the drama of Bobby Womack's marriage to Cooke's widow,which practically ruined their career.

from 1966...

THE VALENTINOS - WHAT ABOUT ME