He is a singer-songwriter born Robert Nelson Relf in Los Angeles, California who studied at Fremont High School and in 1954 got together with Ronald Brown, Ted Brown and Sam Jackson, who were also students there, to form the doo wop group The Laurels. The group released the recording “Our Love”.
In 1956 he released the solo single “Little Fool” which gained little attention so he joined up with various groups that included Bob Day and the Satellites, The Hollywood Flames, The Upfronts, who Barry White later performed within 1960, and Valentino and the Lovers. Another one of the groups were the Crescendoes, with who he recorded “I’ll Be Seeing You”, “Finders Keepers” and “Sweet Dreams”.
In 1962 he took the place of Bobby Day in the duo Bob & Earl and the following year he saw success when the duo recorded the hit song “Harlem Shuffle”.
After that he recorded the single “Special Delivery/How Deep Is the Ocean” using the name Bobby Valentino and in 1966 went under the name Bobby Garrett for the singles “I Can’t Get Away”, which became popular in the UK’s Northern Soul movement and “Big Brother/My Little Girl”. Another song he recorded at the beginning of the 1970s using his own name, which was another extremely popular Northern Soul track, was “Blowing My Mind to Pieces” written by Lou Barreto. It was re-recorded in 1974 by a different singer who used his name.
He went on to write and produce the songs “The Chicken” and “African Boo-Ga-Loo” for the singer Jackie Lee before returning to working with Barry White where he helped produce Love Unlimited, White Heat and Gloria Scott. He also co-wrote with Barry White “I Should Have Known” which was the B Side of Love Unlimited’s hit single “Walkin’ in the Rain with the One I Love” and “Bring Back My Yesterday” which Barry White recorded in 1973 for his debut album I’ve Got So Much to Give. It was also recorded in 1973 by Glen Campbell.
He died at his home in Bakersfield, California in 2007 after suffering a long illness. He was 70 years old.
Glen Campbell recordings
Bring Back My Yesterday
Capitol P-3669 (Promo US 45)
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Relf
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/bobby-relf-half-of-the-soul-duo-bob-earl-781056.html
- https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-relf-mn0000071721/credits
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/706990-Bob-Relf
- https://www.northernsouldirect.co.uk/shop/7-vinyl/bob-relf-blowing-my-mind-to-pieces-girl-you-re-my-kind-of-wonderful-45-outta-sight-7-vinyl/
- https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/bob-relf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_White