The Poet (1981)

The Poet is the thirteenth studio album by American musician Bobby Womack. The album was released in November 1981, by Beverly Glen Music. The album reached the top of the Billboard Top Black Albums chart due to the success of the single "If You Think You're Lonely Now", which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart.

In a 2024 overview of Womack's output, Sebastian Zabel of Rolling Stone Germany wrote of The Poet that "Womack's classic songwriting and his warm, passionate voice work perfectly here with the contemporary, but also subtly personalised production...The album is one of the few outstanding soul albums of the eighties."

Personnel

• Bobby Womack - guitar, lead vocals
• Nathan East, David Shields - bass
• Dorothy Ashby - harp, percussion
• David T. Walker - guitar
• Eddie "Bongo" Brown, Paulinho da Costa - percussion
• James Gadson - drums
• Patrick Moten, Dale Ramsey - keyboards
• Regina Womack, Sally Womack, Vincent Womack, Tondalei - handclaps

Cecil Womack, Curtis Womack, Friendly Womack, Jr., The Waters, Richard Griffin, Fernando Harkless, John Parham, Jon Rami - backing vocals

• Technical
• Otis Smith - executive producer
• Avi Kipper, Barney Perkins, Robert Battaglia - engineer
• Ginny Livingston - art direction
• Norman Seeff - photography