Record Store Day Black Friday 2026 is set to receive a powerful dose of vintage soul with Bobby Womack: The Preacher In Paris: Live At The Elysee Montmartre, a previously unreleased live recording capturing one of soul music’s greatest performers at the height of his powers.
Due November 27, 2026, through Elemental Music in cooperation with L'Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA), the deluxe two-LP set transports listeners to Paris on March 15, 1976, where Womack and his formidable touring band delivered a blistering performance at the historic L'Élysée Montmartre. A CD edition will follow on December 4.
Drawn from the ORTF's original tape reels of the concert, the new 180-gram double album presents Womack in full command as singer, songwriter, composer, producer, and bandleader. The tapes have been remastered and restored by Marc Doutrepont at EQuuS Mastering and Restoration Studio in Brussels, while award-winning archivist Zev Feldman produced the project in collaboration with the Bobby Womack Estate and INA.
The result promises to be more than a historical document. Womack's live performances had a special intensity, combining gospel conviction, soul sophistication, blues feeling, and funk. In Paris, that combination was on full display as he tore through songs from his celebrated catalog, including “Harry Hippie,” “That’s The Way I Feel About ‘Cha,” and “Nobody Wants You When You’re Down and Out.” He also revisited the Valentinos classics “It’s All Over Now” and “Lookin’ For A Love,” songs that connected his early family-group roots with his successful solo career.
Womack was backed by an exceptional ensemble that included Ian McLagan of Small Faces and Faces on keyboards, alongside Charles Fullilove on guitar, Lester Smith on trumpet, Dashiell Humdy on saxophone, Zaimos Rowan on trombone, Vince Melamed on keys, Veyler Hildebrand on bass, and Bill Braun on drums. Together, they gave the performance a muscular, deeply soulful sound that allowed Womack's voice and storytelling to remain at the center.
The title “The Preacher” was more than a nickname. Womack's performances carried the emotional force of a sermon, and his songs often sounded like personal testimony—stories of love, heartbreak, struggle, redemption, and survival. That quality is particularly powerful in this Paris performance, where the ballroom atmosphere becomes something closer to a sanctified church than a conventional concert hall.
The release also represents an important archival collaboration. Elemental Music and INA have previously worked together on numerous projects, with Feldman having collaborated with INA on 14 productions through Elemental Music and Resonance Records. For The Preacher In Paris, the partnership has opened another remarkable window onto a pivotal moment in music history.
The deluxe package features rare photographs from the concert by legendary French photographer Jean-Pierre Leloir, while veteran music journalist Kevin L. Goins contributes the liner notes. The Womack family also offers a heartfelt reflection on the release, celebrating the fans who have kept his music alive and describing the 1976 recording as a glimpse into the genius of “The Poet.”
Womack's story stretches across generations. He began in gospel with his siblings as the Womack Brothers before the family group evolved into the Valentinos and recorded such enduring songs as “Lookin’ For A Love” and “It’s All Over Now,” the latter famously covered by the Rolling Stones. His solo career in the 1970s established him as a major force in soul and pop, and his influence continued through the 1980s and 1990s. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Preacher In Paris offers a rare opportunity to hear that legacy in motion. Rather than simply documenting a celebrated artist, the recording captures Bobby Womack doing what he did best: standing in front of an audience and turning songs into testimony. For collectors, soul fans, and anyone fascinated by the golden era of live R&B, this Record Store Day Black Friday release looks set to be one of the year's most compelling archival discoveries.
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