Williams, Bob - Do I Love You b/w Gypsy Woman

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	Do I Love You (Paul Anka)

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Gypsy Woman (Curtis Mayfield)

Photos

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

Born in 1946 and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Bob Williams emerged from the island’s rich vocal tradition, shaped by American soul, gospel, and early reggae. As a teenager, he befriended fellow singer Jimmy Wisdom, and the two began performing together locally before immigrating to Canada in the late 1960s as part of the wider Caribbean migration that would permanently reshape Toronto’s Black music community.

Settling in Toronto, Williams and Wisdom quickly became in-demand club performers, working across Yonge Street venues and building a reputation as versatile, high-energy vocalists. Recording as Bob & Wisdom, they issued several singles in the early 1970s, anchored by their 1972 Vintage Records release ‘Mighty Creator’ b/w ‘I Believe in Music’, a reggae-inflected soul recording that reflected both their Jamaican roots and their adaptation to North American funk and R&B styles. Their success on the Toronto club circuit led to work with major figures in the scene, including Doug Riley, who recruited them to sing with The Silhouettes, as well as collaborations with Jo-Jo and The Fugitives.

By the late 1970s, the duo had begun to diverge professionally. Wisdom increasingly focused on his barbering career, eventually opening his own shop in 1980, while Williams continued to pursue music independently and expand his role behind the scenes as a producer and studio operator. In 1979, Williams released ‘I’m Alright’ on his Nad-Lyn imprint, self-producing and co-arranging the two-part disco-soul performance with Stamma Haughton. The extended, split-part format reflects late-1970s dance-floor culture and marks Williams’s transition from duo performer to independent solo artist and producer.

Williams continued recording into the early 1980s, further establishing his presence within Toronto’s independent soul-funk network. In 1981 he issued the GP Productions single ‘I Love You (In a Very Special Way)’ b/w ‘Life Must Go On’, extending his solo catalog and maintaining his connection to the city’s evolving Black music scene. That same year, he returned to Nad-Lyn with ‘Do I Love You’ b/w ‘Gypsy Woman’, recorded and mixed at his own studio and featuring computer-programmed production credited directly to Williams.
-Robert Williston

Musicians
Bob Williams: vocals, computer programming

Production
Executive producers: Bob Williams, Conrad Hinds
Produced by Bob Williams for Nad-Lyn Productions
Recorded and mixed at Bob’s Studio
Recorded and mixed at Bob’s Recording Studio

Mixing
Mixed by Daddy Roots Christie, Dave Richards (Side 1)
Mixed by Daddy Roots Christie (Side 2)

Songwriting
‘Do I Love You’ written by Paul Anka
‘Gypsy Woman’ written by Curtis Mayfield

Music Credits
‘Do I Love You’ music by Dave Richards, Bob Williams
‘Gypsy Woman’ music by Tony Blacka, Bob Williams

Comments