Willie Hutch Foxy Brown (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Willie Hutch is a multi-talented performer who never achieved fame or stardom. Despite some good moments, the sales here failed to meet or exceed the numbers of his previous soundtrack, The Mack. "Chase" borrows heavily from "Shaft," maybe too much. Hutch is full of fire on "The Theme of Foxy Brown," his distinctive tenor wringing the most from each note. "Give Me Some of That Good Old Love" had a foot-tapping groove, tough backing vocals from Maxine Willard, Julia Tillman, and Carol Willis, and all the elements of a hit record. Unfortunately, Motown only released "Foxy Brown" as a single, and nothing else. The vamping "Out There" and "Foxy Lady" are nasty and contagious. "You Sure Know How to Love Your Man" copies a bit of "Love Machine"'s bassline; it's Willie and the girls' most spirited performance, with Hutch showing that Wilson Pickett isn't the only person who can intersperse soulful screams between lyrics. The melodic "Ain't That (Mellow Mellow)" sounds like another single, but Motown wasn't hearing it; they were too busy concentrating on his Love Power LP, which also flopped. ~ Andrew Hamilton

• Genre: Soundtracks
• Format: Vinyl