Lucky Fellow: The Charming Soul of Leroy Hutson

Maybe there were too many geniuses around. Perhaps his record company didn’t have the marketing muscle to push him. Or maybe he just wasn’t fly enough.

Whatever the case, Leroy Hutson never became anything close to a household name. He was always a few steps behind his peers – Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, his roommate at Howard University – crafting superlative music in the shadows. Curtis Mayfield, the pop-soul giant, was so taken by his talent as a singer, songwriter and arranger that he chose him as his replacement in the Impressions. Curtis later signed the New Jersey artist to a long-term deal with his label, Curtom Records, where Leroy recorded his best work between 1972 and 1979.

Back then, soul shone with daring, category-dissolving albums by Marvin, Isaac Hayes, Barry White, Millie Jackson and others. Leroy contributed thoughtful records to the mix. He excelled at romantic numbers. Singing with the wide-eyed charm of a school boy and the  unwavering devotion of a grown man, Leroy held his heart out in cupped hands while wearing a Colgate smile.

He released seven albums on Curtom. Each carried a gem or two, but all the things that made Leroy great came together majestically on 1975’s Hutson. The field was relatively clear of soul titans. Stevie was busy working on Songs in the Key of Life. Marvin had put out his lust masterpiece, Let’s Get It On, two years before and was chilling for the most part. Donny was beset with mental issues and wasn’t working. And Isaac’s hot streak had started to cool. So the summer of 1975 should’ve been the artist’s breakout moment. Never happened.

Hutson sports a pimp-licious cover with Leroy in a fur, holding on a cane and a foxy lady by his side. Inside, the music dazzles with refined arrangements braiding strains of jazz, funk and pop. The music washes over you.

“All Because of You” opens the record with a bouncy groove, a soaring chorus and syncopated strings, a nice touch found on Barry White productions. His boyish-mannish charm gleams on “I Bless the Day,” followed by the sonic sunshine of “It’s Different.” The midtempo number, extolling newfound love, features impressive synthesizer lines that fold into the acoustic arrangement, reminiscent of Stevie’s experimentations on Music of My Mind.

“Cool Out” is an instrumental interlude with swinging horns and a smoky backbeat and a prime example of Leroy's sharp skills as an arranger. It sounds like mood music from a blaxploitation flick. Had he the opportunity, Leroy probably would have scored a great soundtrack, like his mentor Curtis.

“Lucky Fellow,” one of Leroy’s most sampled numbers, has that “boom bap” rhythm later found in hip-hop. A cooing female voice answers Leroy’s silken tenor, which he multi-tracks, adding dimension to a sterling production that swings, struts and glides. It is, hands down, my favorite Leroy Hutson jam.

“Can’t Stay Away” is a pained ballad where Leroy grieves a love he took for granted. “So Much Love,” a song as bright and promising as a spring morning, closes the classic album that not nearly enough people heard. Hutson peaked at No. 46 on Billboard's R&B chart and didn’t crossover.

About 20 years after the album disappeared, Leroy became a hero to the rare groove crowd over in England. His albums were reissued, available only as imports. Leroy still performs these days, mostly overseas, where he has long been revered. Rolling Stone magazine called him one of the “best-kept secrets of Seventies Soul.”

It’s a secret worth passing on.

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