In an age where the Singer/Songwriter era was blooming, he shoulda been one of the front runners as far as Soul/Pop music was concerned b/c his style of writing and melodic craftsmanship was so unique.

Unfortunately at the time, there were too many of them especially with so many S/S's in the Soul music genre. I'd say bad timing and his label honestly. He'd already proven he had a track record writing for J5, MJ, Quincy, Minnie and Melissa Manchester.


Good luck for him as a S/S.
Bad timing for him as an artist.

Let's be real, 'I Want You' could've and should've made Leon a star at Motown, but Berry had the vision (and the money LOL) and put Marv to work and it was a marriage. Even Marvin said to Leon "It's as if I wrote these songs." Berry even wanted ALL of the songs on Musical Massage. Leon said "Hell no!" and Berry showed him the door.

As much an unheralded classic as 'Musical Massage' is now, back then it was basically a footnote in the Motown stable of legendary albums.

His voice wasn't really pleasing to the ears of R&B/Soul music listeners (I don't mean this in a bad way). At times, he had that suggestive tone in his vocals, but I'd imagine back then chix weren't really feeling him. It's unfair....VERY unfair. What he couldn't convey vocally, he did it with his melodic arrangements and chord inversions.

The T.K. and Elektra labels were trying to market dude as the next Barry White or some sex symbol shit...because his music was so sensual, but it was obvious that his talent was producing and writing and not being a face, so he bounced from label to label from 76-82.


It's a great thing that he's so revered now more than he ever was b/c he is a legend.








"I keep pretending/with memories never ending." © Michael Jackson



R.I.P.