William Bell - On A Roll *-*-* 1989

William’s next own album was called On a Roll (Wil 3007) and it was released in 1989. William himself produced it, but Michael Stewart co-produced the three songs he also co-wrote. The set was cut at William’s and Mike’s Sound Shop studios in Norcross, Georgia.

Music on this set causes mixed feelings. Earlier William had tested disco music to more or less successfully, but now he’s invading the funk territory (When you’ve Got the Best, If You Don’t Use It, I’m Ready, Short Circuit) and one can’t help feeling that this is not his field, especially when machines are involved. “Actually, when it came into prominence, I wanted to get on the bandwagon and get the modern sounds. Of course, being from the old school, some of the modern sounds worked, but I realized the heartbeat and the pulse of the business is from the comradeship of the musicians and the studio working up the rhythm. So we cut live with live musicians. Now if I want a certain sound, a certain modernistic sound to a song – and I let the song dictate – then I might add maybe a synthesizer or some electronic sound.”

Besides one fiesta scorcher (I Can Do It), one rock-orientated mid-tempo beater (Holding on to Love) and one high-pitched beat-ballad (On a Roll), we are left with two slow songs that are arguably the best on the set, so logically they were picked up as the singles. Getting out of Your Bed (508; ’89) is a soft and atmospheric ballad and I Need Your Love So Bad (515; ’90) is a swaying, mellow plea.