The Poet II

Studio album by

Released

March 1984

Recorded

1983

Genre

R&B

Length

41:32

Label

Beverly Glen Music

Producer

Bobby Womack, Andrew Loog Oldham, James E. Gadson

Bobby Womack chronology

The Poet
(1981)

The Poet II
(1984)

So Many Rivers
(1985)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

The Poet II is the fourteenth studio album by American musician Bobby Womack. The album was released in 1984, by Beverly Glen Music.^[2] The album features three duets with fellow soul legend Patti LaBelle, including the top three R&B charted ballad, "Love Has Finally Come At Last", and the more modest follow-up, "It Takes a Lot of Strength to Say Goodbye". It also includes the top 75 UK dance hit, "Tell Me Why". The UK music magazine NME named it the best album of 1984.^[3]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Love Has Finally Come at Last"	Bobby Womack, Patrick Moten^[4]	5:36
2.	"It Takes a Lot of Strength to Say Goodbye"	Chris Brubeck	3:52
3.	"Through The Eyes of a Child"	Bobby Womack, Jim Ford	5:21
4.	"Surprise, Surprise"	Bobby Womack, Jim Ford	3:38
5.	"Tryin' To Get Over You"	Bobby Womack, Jim Ford	4:16
6.	"Tell Me Why"	Bobby Womack, Jim Ford	6:16
7.	"Who's Foolin' Who"	Bobby Womack, Jim Ford	4:02
8.	"I Wish I Had Someone to Go Home To"	Cecil Womack, Linda Womack	3:47
9.	"American Dream"	Bobby Womack, Jim Ford	4:40

"American Dream" contains an excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 speech "I Have a Dream"

Personnel

Bobby Womack – vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, arrangements
Patti LaBelle – vocals
Courtney Sappington, David T. Walker, George Benson, Robert Palmer – guitar
David Shields – bass
Michael Wycoff – keyboards
Denzil "Broadway" Miller, Frank "Rusty" Hamilton – synthesizer
James E. Gadson – drums
Fred Johnson – electronic drums
Paulinho da Costa – percussion
Frank "Rusty" Hamilton - harmonica
Fernando Harkless, Fred Wesley, Harry Kim, Sidney Muldrow, Thurman Green, Wilton Felder – horns
Dorothy Ashby – harp
James Gadson, Kathy Bloxson, Regina Womack, The Valentinos, Luther Waters, Julia Waters, Oren Waters, Maxine Waters – background vocals
David Blumberg – string arrangements

Technical

Otis Smith – executive producer
Barney Perkins - mix engineer

References

^ Jason Elias. "The Poet II - Bobby Womack | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
^ "iTunes - Music - The Poet II by Bobby Womack". Itunes.apple.com. 1944-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
^ "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
^ "Bobby Womack Featuring Patti LaBelle - The Poet II (Vinyl, LP, Album)". Discogs. Retrieved 4 January 2019.

v t e Bobby Womack
Discography
Studio albums	Fly Me to the Moon (1969) My Prescription (1970) Communication (1971) Understanding (1972) Facts of Life (1973) Lookin' for a Love Again (1974) I Don't Know What the World Is Coming To (1975) Safety Zone (1975) BW Goes C&W (1976) Home Is Where the Heart Is (1976) Pieces (1978) Roads of Life (1979) The Poet (1981) The Poet II (1984) So Many Rivers (1985) Someday We'll All Be Free (1985) Womagic (1986) The Last Soul Man (1987) Save the Children (1989) Resurrection (1994) Back to My Roots (1999) Traditions (1999) The Bravest Man in the Universe (2012)
Singles	"California Dreamin'" "Fly Me to the Moon" "How I Miss You Baby" "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" "That's the Way I Feel About Cha" "Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)" "Woman's Gotta Have It" "Harry Hippie" "Across 110th Street" "Lookin' for a Love" "Daylight" "If You Think You're Lonely Now" "I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much" "Someday We'll All Be Free" "Living in a Box" "Please Forgive My Heart"