February 2, 2015

Rembering the Raucous, Exuberant Valentinos


The Valentinos
Lookin’ for a Love: The Complete SAR Records Recordings
ABKCO

The five Womack brothers started out in gospel, but made the shift to more earthly pursuits when they became the Valentinos. Raucous and exuberant, the quintet scored an early smash with the doo-wop tinged “Lookin’ for a Love,” though they’re best remembered today for the rollicking original version of “It’s All Over Now,” which the Rolling Stones covered for one of their early hits. Following the Valentinos’ demise, Bobby Womack carved out a remarkable, long-running career as a session guitarist, singer and songwriter, with hit singles that included “Harry Hippie,” “Across 110th Street” and a ’70s remake of “Lookin’ for a Love.

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