‘Elvis was a thief, Jagger's an asshole’
SA Time: Tue May 29 2012 03:40:48 GMT-0500
May 28 2012 at 07:35am

Bobby Womack thinks Elvis Presley "stole" his entire career.

The soul music legend - who was recently thought to have cancer, but when he had a tumour removed it contained no trace of the condition - played on Elvis' track 'Suspicious Minds', but wasn't impressed by the star.

He said: "People say: 'What did you think of Elvis Presley?' I say: 'He wasn't shit. Everything he got he stole.'"

Bobby also wrote one of The Rolling Stones' first ever hits, 'The Last Time', and worked with the band on their 1986 album 'Dirty Work'. While he got on with some members of the band, he "had a problem" with singer Sir Mick Jagger.

Speaking about 'The Last Time', he added: "To be honest with you, I said: 'Let the Rolling Stones get their own fucking record and record that."

Speaking of Mick, he added: "Some people never grow up if you give 'em too much. They gonna be assholes, then they just become a bigger asshole."

Bobby was also working with Marvin Gaye just before he was shot and killed by his own father in 1984.

He said: "The last time I saw him, the day before he died, he said: 'Bobby, what's a n****r got to do to get on the cover of Rolling Stone?' It was all white acts. I said: 'Die'.”

"It's bullshit, it's really bullshit. One of the greatest singers in the world. Marvin never knew he was gonna be as big as he is. Now you hear him on commercials every day." - Bang Showbiz

Bitter old man.  :wtf3

So Bobby wrote "The Last Time". Now that's what I call serious journalism.
Silly me always thought Bobby had written "It's all over now" together with Shirley Womack.

He didn't play on Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" either (although Donna Godchaux of The Grateful Dead DID, trivia fans.....). There's a guy called Bobby Wood playing piano, but no Womack.

Ridiculously exaggerated headline for dramatic effect - here's the original interview for proper context :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/24/bobby-womack-sing-better-before?INTCMP=SRCH

(and the Stones DID treat him pretty disrespectfully when recording Dirty Work, in fairness....)

Gazza wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 6:54am:

(and the Stones DID treat him pretty disrespectfully when recording Dirty Work, in fairness....)

How so?

Thanks for the FULL article Gazza, I can see how journalist's print whatever they want but don't print when it's corrected, I stand with him on Hip Hop, pure shit, I don't think The Stones were not in a very good place when they recorded Dirty Work, resentments galore.

Mel Belli wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 7:50am:

Gazza wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 6:54am: (and the Stones DID treat him pretty disrespectfully when recording Dirty Work, in fairness....) How so?

Womack recounted a story in one of the first ever issues of Q Magazine in the mid 80s (back when it was a high quality read) about how the Stones brought him in to RPM Studios in New York to salvage a session that was basically falling apart. Band relationships were at an absolute low ebb and it was pretty evident half the band hated the sight of each other - Jagger even told him how they were 'fucking useless' and barely capable of playing.

By the end of the session, the Stones were (to cut a long story short) all over him and thanking him for a great job. When he went to leave, he asked if someone could arrange a cab back to his hotel - the band refused to pay for it, and all of a sudden he felt the sense that having used his services for their own benefit, they wanted nothing more to do with him.

Enraged, he walked out of the studio and a couple of blocks later was accosted by a pair of knife-wielding muggers. Rather than doing what most level headed people would do, a) run, b) yell loudly or c) hand over his belongings, he instead offered to take them both on despite being unarmed, saying something like "I'm ready to die now, motherfucker, if you are". The would-be assailants legged it!

Classic Crocodile Dundee moment - only without the big knife!

On the positive front, Bobby's brilliant 1st and 2nd solo albums -- "Fly Me to the Moon" and "My Prescription" are must owns.  

I saw Bobby Womack in 1973, He opened for Santana, He and his band kicked ass that night............also!
that's the way I feel about cha, woman's gotta have it, nobody wants  you when your down and out, fly me to the moon..........harry hippie.
Lost his brother, Harry,  not to long after the hit Harry Hippie, sad story. I'm a big B Womack fan. Sorry to hear about all this bad stuff.......but...........

Gazza wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 6:54am:

He didn't play on Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" either (although Donna Godchaux of The Grateful Dead DID, trivia fans.....). There's a guy called Bobby Wood playing piano, but no Womack.

Back when she was still Donna Jean Thatcher, no less. I always love telling people, when "Suspicious Minds" is the topic at hand, "You know, a future member of the Grateful Dead is on this track." The looks I get are priceless.

Also, Elvis's Vegas-era drummer, Ronnie Tutt, played extensively with the Jerry Garcia Band in the mid-'70's, as well as Nicky Hopkins, who played piano with the JGB roundabout 1975. There's a version of Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" out there with both players on it that's just to die for... easily the best version of that song I've ever heard!

So The writer just Lied........so it's basically, I Can't believe any of it. Oh well.
So Elvis wasn't a thief and Jagger is not a asshole or a least Bobby didn't say they were, or......... I'm confused.

Child of the Moon wrote on May 30^th, 2012 at 11:54pm:

Gazza wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 6:54am: He didn't play on Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" either (although Donna Godchaux of The Grateful Dead DID, trivia fans.....). There's a guy called Bobby Wood playing piano, but no Womack. Back when she was still Donna Jean Thatcher, no less. I always love telling people, when "Suspicious Minds" is the topic at hand, "You know, a future member of the Grateful Dead is on this track." The looks I get are priceless. Also, Elvis's Vegas-era drummer, Ronnie Tutt, played extensively with the Jerry Garcia Band in the mid-'70's, as well as Nicky Hopkins, who played piano with the JGB roundabout 1975. There's a version of Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" out there with both players on it that's just to die for... easily the best version of that song I've ever heard!

You know your Grateful Dead. Legion of Mary, Reconstruction and then JGB were on fire 75-77. In some ways, they were better than The Grateful Dead, Jerry had some repertoire of music. He can play reggae, country, funk, R&B and rock n roll all in the same show....he truly was a musical genius. He had "The Feel."

Well Bobby has to be cherished for "Across 110th Street", that's one of the best songs ever with Gimme Shelter! Hasn't been up much since then though unfortunately...

The job he does on "Invitation" is pretty cool too, maybe Don Covay was around too on that one. It seems to me he spent more than just one night in the studio so when was that cab story, the last night I suppose? Seems a bit odd too that the Stones would have refused to pay for it, many of the old blues guys have often said that the "Stones did them right". Anyway I'm pretty sure he can be heard on "Harlem Shuffle", always thought it was Keith on the backing vocals, for that "huh huh", but now I think it's Bobby.

MICK is not an asshole. Mick can be an ass at times, but there is a big difference. An asshole acts in a way that he doesnt even know he is being an asshole, which is exactly what makes him an asshole. Being an ass means sort of being a bitch in a manly way, the end result is you get what you want just the way you want it, That can be called being an ass, but it not being an asshole. Does anyone follow this logic?? In this case Bobby is the asshole! LOL

Gazza wrote on May 29^th, 2012 at 6:54am:

He didn't play on Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" either (although Donna Godchaux of The Grateful Dead DID, trivia fans.....). There's a guy called Bobby Wood playing piano, but no Womack. Ridiculously exaggerated headline for dramatic effect - here's the original interview for proper context : http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/may/24/bobby-womack-sing-better-before?INTCMP=SRCH (and the Stones DID treat him pretty disrespectfully when recording Dirty Work, in fairness....)

Gazzapedia strikes again! I did not know Donna Jean Godchaux was on Suspicious Minds!

Q. I never heard of Bobby Wood either. Is that Ronnie's other brother who died (or is still alive)? Ronnie had 2 brothers, right?

Q: Also, exactly how did the Stones diss Womack? Beat him out of money or didnt give him credit? (educated guesses)

Bingo wrote on May 31^st, 2012 at 11:37am:

Child of the Moon wrote on May 30th, 2012 at 11:54pm: Gazza wrote on May 29th, 2012 at 6:54am: He didn't play on Elvis's "Suspicious Minds" either (although Donna Godchaux of The Grateful Dead DID, trivia fans.....). There's a guy called Bobby Wood playing piano, but no Womack. Back when she was still Donna Jean Thatcher, no less. I always love telling people, when "Suspicious Minds" is the topic at hand, "You know, a future member of the Grateful Dead is on this track." The looks I get are priceless. Also, Elvis's Vegas-era drummer, Ronnie Tutt, played extensively with the Jerry Garcia Band in the mid-'70's, as well as Nicky Hopkins, who played piano with the JGB roundabout 1975. There's a version of Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" out there with both players on it that's just to die for... easily the best version of that song I've ever heard! You know your Grateful Dead. Legion of Mary, Reconstruction and then JGB were on fire 75-77. In some ways, they were better than The Grateful Dead, Jerry had some repertoire of music. He can play reggae, country, funk, R&B and rock n roll all in the same show....he truly was a musical genius. He had "The Feel."

Damn straight! Jerry was absolutely an American treasure. And you're right - that solo Jerry period from '75 to '77 was pure gold. Jerry really did have The Feel.