Robert Nelson Relf (January 10, 1937 – November 20, 2007) was an American R&B and soul musician. Best known as half of the soul music duo

Bob & Earl Bob & Earl were an American music singing duo in the 1960s, best known for writing and recording the original version of "Harlem Shuffle". Career The original duo were Bobby Day (born Robert James Byrd) and Earl Nelson. They had both been mem ...

whose song,

Harlem Shuffle "Harlem Shuffle" is an R&B song written and originally recorded by the duo Bob & Earl in 1963. The song describes a dance called the “Harlem Shuffle”, and mentions several other contemporary dances of the early 1960s, including the Monke ...

was released in the US in 1963 and in the UK in 1964. It was re-released 1969 reaching No 7 in the UK charts. Relf's recording of the song "Blowing My Mind to Pieces" was written by Lou Barreto as well as being produced by Lou Barreto and Rod Bumgardner. The song became popular on the

Northern soul Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged in Northern England and the Midlands in the early 1970s. It developed from the British Mod (subculture), mod scene, based on a particular style of African American music, Black American ...

scene in the UK in the 1970s.

Musical career

Relf attended Fremont High School, Los Angeles, and in 1954 joined fellow pupils Sam Jackson, Ted Brown and Ronald Brown in forming a

doo wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...

group, The Laurels. They recorded on the Combo and the Cash Record labels. Their "Our Love" an operatic ballad on the Cash label was described by the music writer Jim Dawson as one of Relf's best recordings – "a strange, lugubrious performance that sounds like nothing else". Relf's solo recording of "Little Fool" followed in 1956 without success. He spent short stints with the Crescendoes, the Upfronts, Valentino and the Lovers (Donna Records)

The Hollywood Flames The Hollywood Flames were an United States, American Rhythm and blues, R&B human voice, vocal group in the 1950s, best known for their No. 11 hit record, hit "Buzz-Buzz-Buzz" in 1957. Early years They formed as The Flames in 1949, in the Watts ...

and

Bobby Day Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record " Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René un ...

and the Satellites. With the Crescendos, he recorded "Finders Keepers", "I'll Be Seeing You" and "Sweet Dreams" for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

in 1956, alongside Prentice Moreland,

Young Jessie Obediah Donnell "Obie" Jessie (December 28, 1936 – April 27, 2020) was an American R&B, rock and roll and jazz singer and songwriter. He recorded as Young Jessie in the 1950s and 1960s, and was known for his solo career, work with The Flair ...

The Flairs The Flairs (or Flares) were an United States, American doo-wop musical ensemble, group known for their 1961 hit "Foot Stompin', Pt. 1." Based in Los Angeles, they went through several lineup changes during their existence. Their notable members i ...

, and Bobby Byrd of The Hollywood Flames.

Bob and Earl

Bobby Day formed the original Bob & Earl duo in 1957 with

Earl Nelson Earl Nelson, ''of Trafalgar and of Merton in the County of Surrey'', is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 November 1805 for the Rev. William Nelson, 2nd Baron Nelson, one month after the death of his youn ...

. When Day left to go solo in 1962, Relf took his place. They recorded Harlem Shuffle in 1963 a song part-arranged by the keyboards player,

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

Bobby Valentino

As 'Bobby Valentino he recorded ''Special Delivery'' b/w ''How Deep Is The Ocean'' for the West Coast label Lita label

Bobby Garrett

Using the pseudonym 'Bobby Garrett' he recorded two singles on the Mirwood label in 1966. "I Can't Get Away" became a Northern soul favourite in the UK and was used to advertise

Kentucky Fried Chicken KFC Corporation, doing business as KFC (an abbreviation of Kentucky Fried Chicken), is an American fast food restaurant chain specializing in fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, it is the world's s ...

on national TV in the US. Also popular was "My Little Girl" which originally appeared as the flip side of the soulful ballad "Big Brother".

Northern soul

Relf's song and most popular solo track, "Blowing My Mind To Pieces", was recorded at

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...

' RPM studios in Los Angeles. The uplifting song was written by Lou Barreto and produced by Lou Barreto and Rod Bumgardner. The song was also a hit on the Northern Soul scene in the early 1970s. It was re-released in the UK in 1974 using Relf's name but was by a completely different singer.

Later career

Relf wrote and produced songs for Jackie Lee including "The Chicken" and "African Boo-Ga-Loo". In the early 1970s Relf resumed working with Barry White helping to produce discs by

Love Unlimited Love Unlimited was a female vocal trio that provided backing vocals for American singer-songwriter Barry White on his albums and concert tours. They also found success with their own recordings. Career Formed in 1969, the group included Barr ...

, Gloria Scott and White Heat. A Relf composition, "Bring Back My Yesterday", was recorded by White in 1973 on the album '' I've Got So Much to Give''. He also co-wrote, with White, the

B side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...

, "I Should Have Known", from Love Unlimited's hit single, "Walkin' In The Rain with the One I Love".

Death

Having been ill for several years, Relf died at his home in

Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...

in 2007. He was buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Los Angeles on November 27, 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Relf, Bob 1937 births 2007 deaths African-American male songwriters Northern soul musicians Songwriters from California American soul singers Record producers from California Singers from California Mirwood Records artists Burials at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers People from Bakersfield, California 20th-century American songwriters