A Different Kind of Throwback for Thursday

Last year, I was doing the theme thing for my weekly music video post.  Some of you responded accordingly and it helped me keep on track.  There was mention of black rock artists and I thought this would be something special.

Still a work in progress but I was able to find a few times that we were allowed to express ourselves differently - no 3-piece suits or gowns, choreographed dance moves and babymaking music not allowed.

I bring you Nappy Cherry...

I was in the 7th grade when I first heard about this band.  It was in an issue of Right On magazine with a cover that showed Prince in his Dirty Mind phase and the entire issue gave props to brothers and sisters doing it differently.

Unfortunately, this classic cover is hard to find online more than 35 years later.  Even worse, my collection got jacked from my storage bin and has yet to be recovered since I moved nearly 20 years ago.  But I'll give a recap.

Prince, Nappy Cherry, the Busboys, and I wanna say Fishbone, were featured and not long after, some traditional R&B acts began to incorporate the high-pitch synthesizers, fast drum beats, and quirky lyrics into their albums.  Though some songs left a lot to be desired (like She's Only 17) and even marked the end of some acts like Ozone.

However, being different also worked for Cameo.  Though known to serious oldheads for babymaking music (Sparkle, Why Have I Lost You), they decided to switch gears (and gradually losing members, remember when there used to be like 10 dudes on the album cover?) to something more fun that incorporated the essence of R&B music.  This is my favorite track from that period.

RIP Ron Glass

Corrected 12/16/16

 I know that it seems like people are really dropping off the planet in 2016 but the reality is that as we are given more spaces to share our craft, the more people are going to grace us with their presence.  One thing that I'm grateful for are reruns, as Ron Glass was one of the first the co-star on a major network sitcom in a role that did not rely on stereotypes.  On Barney Miller, he was witty, calm and never overtook a scene with even a hint of bufoonery.

As time passed, Glass managed to carry the same dignified persona in all of his TV and movie characters.  I just hate that he didn't get more mainstream attention after Barney Miller went off the air.  I'd have to say my favorite is when he played Zoe Saldana's father in Death at a Funeral.

Remember the Variety Show? GET tv Channel Digs Up Retro Gold

Growing up I remember those with a lot of singing and comedy bits.  Donny and Marie, Mac Davis, Sonny and Cherry were just a few that I liked but GET tv is taking things further by airing short run variety shows.

Like I kind of remember Captain and Tennille and Diana Ross's shows but I never knew about Clifton Davis and melba Moore, Smokey Robinson and others.  Tonight they're airing the Temptations variety show and I recommend adding this channel to your favorites if you like rare treats such as this.

L.A. Businessman/Philantropist Dies

E.J. Jackson, founder of Jackson Limousine, died Tuesday from a heart attack.  For more than 35 years, Jackson Limousine was a big part of L.A. culture.  Not because it was one of the few long-term businesses owned by a Black person but because of what E.J. gave back to the community.

Many people don't realize that life can get tough out here, even if you have the right connections or a decent job.  Communities change for the better and worse every day, and all some people have to look forward to having an abundant meal over the holidays.

This is not about celebrating a holiday that may glorify theft of an oppressed nation or promote gluttony.  Baby boomers and Gen-X intersections remember when family got together.  Good, bad or indifferent, there would be no moments like this.  While I'm not impoverished, I would donate a finger to bring back those moments.

Although some things can't be duplicated, E.J. thought of those  without the resources to enjoy this time of year.  For more than 20 years, feeding the needy was something WE got used to seeing on the A.M. news. 
However, it was less than a week ago that E.J. was on the KTLA morning news asking the public for a little help in fulfilling his annual mission.  I was touched because we all know that every bit counts but...he was no longer there to lead.

As a proud Angeleno, I will post updates on this because local heroes deserve as much recognition as those on the screen.

Stop It Reelz Channel!

If you're even a somewhat regular reader, you know I took Prince's passing rather hard...so did a lot of people.  There are even some quietly protesting the latest release of new songs (or song) as well as the Paisley Park museum.  Some diehards (or his sister) say he would've wanted it this way but personally, I'm gonna pass 'cause I'm still digesting it.

Anyway, anyone with cable knows that the Reelz channel likes to do tell-alls on the deceased.  They have Elvis, Marilyn, MJ, and now they're on Prince because I guess he's more "important" than Natalie Cole, Scott Weiland, Pfife Dawg, and many others we've lost in the past year.  Like Whitney Houston and others mentioned, the more sensationalized the life, the more shows they manage to create...even if it sounds redundant after a while.

This is the pattern I've picked up on (mind you, I haven't seen every topic on every dead celebrity).  The first deals with the general facts.  It's pretty mild and talks about what most people know along with 1-2 surprises.  This was the first that aired shortly (and I mean really short) after his passing in April.  Stock photos were decent but I could tell, as this person was part of my life 36/48 years, they didn't do their homework.

Following Reelz programs deal with their intellectual property, love lives, or how they transitioned out of this planet.  That's fine I guess but the public needs to take some things into consideration besides getting facts straight.  Prince fans are a whole 'nother breed of folks.  I'm not diehard but I remember quite a bit, especially the early years so it wouldn't hurt to dig a little for people that don't know about Wax Poetics or never read Right On! back in the 70s or 80s.

So, this past Saturday Reelz debuted Purple Reign and it was less than stellar.  Though I never cared for wife #1, the mispronunciation of her name offended me, it seemed to breeze through and not say anything different than the first tribute this his life.  The worst was the few stock photos used didn't coincide with the time period...and they weren't the best!

Back to the feelings of the fans.  We did not expect this (4/21).  It's super sad to imagine it was planned but sometimes we don't know how bad our own friends or close family feels deep inside until its too late.  Moreso if this whole thing (pills) was about keeping up appearances.  I kind of felt he would live into advanced age because so many people do now, while dealing with the what comes with it.

Forgive the digression but this is to say that maybe it would be best to switch off to someone who may have been an open book about their addiction during their lifetime.  Another idea are living celebrities with money problems and lawsuits.  I know the Gladys Knight story is very interesting right now.

Musical Tribute to Kashif

Once again, I have no words for the loss of lives in the past 12 months.  From the famous to those looking to make change in their communities #blacklives As you can see, Kashif (who also produced under the pseudonym Michael Jones)made hits for many pop and R&B artists, including a young Whitney Houston.  If you can ever get around to seeing his episode of Unsung, this brother made an incredible transformation from hardship growing up to becoming one of music's most respected producers.  Kashif also authored one of the most honest books about being in the music industry.

 

The Real Story Behind Talk to Me

If you saw this incredible movie starring the underrated Don Cheadle, then you probably wondered if he was real (I know...duh, but I'm from the West Coast.  His show didn't air here).  Anyway, a Petey Greene documentary, narrated by Cheadle, debuted last month.

Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Green is available for download at Amazon and Google Play

What Do You Think About Blaxploitation Remakes?

If Kevin Hart does this remake, I will jump off the Library Tower!

Since the shop has been open, I've heard rumors about TV show remakes (Good Times, Girlfriends) into movies, as well as classics that decided to take a dip in the chocolate pool (Uncle Buck, the Honeymooners).  According to Variety, Megan Good, along with husband Devon Franklin have joined forces with MGM to remake Cooley High.  As of recent, Common has gotten on board to star and produce...wonder which obviously-out-of-high-school character he will play.

While I'm glad to see mine going to work regularly, I could care less.  Or better, why not give more attention to indie flicks?  If you have Aspire, some of the shorts (and some not-so-short) are worthy of a wider release.  I'm only a fan and not a pro but if someone could take time to explain the process, I'd appreciate it.  And I don't mean what works for other folks, either.



Now, for those of you not familiar, Cooley High was not really a blaxploitation movie.  It was more like American Graffiti with a 'hood twist and it was just as cherished by the community as the original Sparkle.  I didn't mind the 2012 remake of the latter...if it had been called something else.

But I digress.  What I want to know is if the Cooley High remake goes into production, how much will creator Eric Monte receive?  If that name sounds familiar, he and Cooley High are listed in the closing credits (see above at 1:15) of the 70s sitcom What's Happening.  The show, which rand from 1976-79 was loosely based on Cooley High, with a slightly lighter tone and the setting moved from Chicago to L.A. 

Monte real-life persona, as a teen from the 'hood wanting to become a Hollywood writer,has been portrayed on screen twice but real life has had its ups and downs.  Although he's managed to land some guest writing spots on the Wayans Bros., Monte lost the rights to his original creation.  You can read a 2014 CNN interview here.

Who knows how many other stories are out there or who can at least drop some knowledge about having a great idea but learning how to deal with the legal stuff and still get PAID!  Once again, I don't know the technicalities of getting a movie made but I think this man deserves real acknowledgement (and a cut of the profits).

Way back Wednesday - Gotta Get My Hands On (Money)

Your ?'s for an Ol Skool Fool

Hey, I hope you're not on vacation again! I like the tribute to you know who but I miss the reviews.  Do you still watch old black flicks?  You used to give Indies a little love but that was a long time ago.  So what's up?

Going back to school when your old friends are becoming grandparents is rough but I would encourage anyone to do it😼.  Truthfully, my pattern lately is to watch a whole bunch in a short period and then switch to 1990+.  As far as indie flicks go, the only one I can recommend is The Man in 3b.  Besides the magic that is Lamman Rucker, its a good story with better acting.

Tried some others in the past few months. 1983 with Hill Harper and Sharon Leal was a little intense.  I like Aunjanue (or ingenue) Ellis and rented the Volunteer on her name only.  The only reason why I understood it was that I have family dealing with mental illness (another Hill Harper movie, btw).  I saw Divas with Rachel True and while the story was interesting, not even Vanessa bell Calloway could save it.

On the flip, I'm still watching the Mod Squad DVD collection and going further back with the black flicks.  Check out a young Eartha Kitt below

Sir Mack Rice Music Tribute

The composer of classic 60s hits like "Mustang Sally", "Respect Yourself" and "Cheaper to Keep Her" has passed on at 82.  IMHO people who are behind the scenes deserve just as much dap as those who were more prolific.

Now, while we all know these ol school grooves, I decided to add a special treat.  Sir Mack Rice took a different direction in music, landing on his own funk island that smelled so bad it was GOOD.  I'd never heard these before today (even though one may have been on the soundtrack for some blaxploitation movie, IDK).  Anyway, I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.  Rest in paradise brother!

Happy B-Day Music Tribute

Early Prince recording with local band 94 East.  This is similar to upbeat tempo electronic beats found in a lot of 1980s R&B tunes.  Not sure if his boy Andre Cymone or other pre-Revolution musicians are on this but it's still lovely nearly 40 years later.

If you saw the Saturday night blaxploitation block on Bounce, you're better than me because I fell asleep a little more than halfway.  Now, if you understood Mean Mothers, then you deserve a treat because the beginning (with Aunt Esther's husband as a pimp/dealer) had nothing to do with the rest of the movie.  Can't say if it was so bad it was good because the budget was less than what's in my bank account.

Goodnight Great One

Way Back Weds - Ta Mara and the Seen

 If you weren't into mid-1980s R&B/Dance music, no the header is not a typo.  I slipped in the past week or two so I decided to dig way back into the Minneapolis scene.  Discovered by long-time Time guitarist Jesse Johnson, this group was one of the first to have a blue-eyed soul female lead.  Kind of like Fergie but with way more range.

According to Allmusic.com, their two albums are out of print but if you can score (I'm not ready to part with my Minneapolis vinyl just yet) a CD, Ta Mara was a welcome change from some of the vocally-limited females known to come out of that region during that particular time - and there was no mention of smashing, alone or otherwise, in the lyrics.

Speaking of erotic lyrics, not sure if Prince ever had a direct connection to this band since they were signed to A&M (back in the day P, The Time, Vanity 6 and other belonged to WB).  Anyway, I hope this talented lady from Morocco will make a comeback someday....even though it's been more than 30 years since her debut.

Bernie Casey...Underrated (Seriously)

I’ve been thinking about Bernie Casey for some time and the unfortunate event on 4/21/16 has pushed me further to give props to our treasures while they’re still here.

Last year, I did a poll that asked the public who they felt the most underrated Blaxploitation actor was at the time.  The winner was the late Vonetta McGee but my personal choice was Bernie Casey for the following reasons.

His range of on-screen characters from the guilt-ridden officer on Cornbread, Earl and Me to the hard-loving but callous (he fed Pam Grier to a lion for pimping out his teenage sister...a real lion with fangs and shit) hustler from Hit Man and long before Dr. Huxtable, he portrayed a loving SINGLE father from the 'burbs on the short-lived network drama Harris & Company.  Let’s not forget the scary flicks like Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde or Gargoyles.

Like Prince, this Gemini has definitely about diversity in his career.  His image was also one of quiet mystery.  Like Jim Brown, he’s a former football player but his acting was a little more cerebral.  Casey has his own rugged good looks that surpassed the pretty-boy stance of Fred Williamson.  Yet, he seemed to be more about a fun and realness that Sidney Poitier and thespians before him lacked in their on-screen presence.  And though the super-smoothness of Billy Dee Williams still holds strong today, Casey is still in a class of his own.,,which for me, seems a little closer to earth.

Though most of his work is during the Blaxploitation period, he has managed to make appearances on TV and a few movies until about 2006.  It would be nice if Quentin Tarantino could give Casey one of Sam Jackson’s parts in his next flick or a strong supporting role so that he could be exposed to a new audience.

Below is a clip from his early 80s miniseries, Sophisticated Gents, where he and a few other familiar faces, like Robert Hooks and Thalmus Rasulala, from the Blaxploitation area show a more multifaceted side of themselves.  Finally, here’s a funny but offbeat article I read about Bernie Casey a few years ago.  Courtesy of Acid Logic.

Did Purple Rain Bump Miles Ahead?

For years, I've been looking forward to the Miles Davis biopic starring Don Cheadle (who also directed).  He is one of my favorites and I think it's about time that the public become educated on the music industry as well as the trumpeter, who succumbed to cancer in 1995.  The timing seemed perfect until....we lost another genius on 4/21/16.

A day I'll never forget as long as I live but in getting back to regular life (and trying to ignore the speculative reports), I want to see Miles Ahead more than ever.  It came to only a few L.A. theaters in early April, and if a person (like myself) lives south of the 10 Freeway, wait until 4/22 for wider release ...or deal with Hollyweird traffic.

So last weekend, I'm looking through the AMC website, where there are about 4 theaters within a 10-minute drive and all I see are the usual standards (an A-lister, sci-fi or really violent flick, and at least one cartoon) and Purple Rain.

I'm one of those people who saw the movie several times during its original release back in 1984.  Despite having the DVD, I sometimes catch the heavily-edited musical on VH1 while doing chores. Although 1986's Under the Cherry Moon (P was a hoodrat gigolo looking for a quick comeup with a blue-blood type chick but meets an early demise instead) was more original and I liked the score better, I get it.  Let's celebrate life but why can't two brothers be on screen at the same damn time?

Cheadle's been in the game forever and these days, I can't wait for him to take a load off of Samuel L.Jackson.  Even if you've never heard of Petey Greene, Talk to Me is more than Taraji in pre-Cookie Lyons mode.  Performances were beyond excellent and I hope that I live to see more flicks like this instead of domestic/slave movies that the masses like to shove down our throat.

This is not a slap for those who do this in real life.  I realize that my degree, skills or contacts offer me no permanent guarantees in life.  So in winding down, I don't want to wait to see Miles Ahead or see it at a Redbox next month.

Wayback Weds - Tribute to Prince

In case you didn't know, Prince didn't care for YouTube or many other streaming video sites (I have an opinion about Tidal but I'll keep it to myself).  So finding his (or the protege) videos were never guaranteed.  In fact, I once used 15 seconds of 17 Days for a promotion and got a cease and desist letter from his attorney less than a week later.  Of course, I honored it with no question.

So Madhouse was my favorite side project of his and hopefully I can snag the 24 album while I'm on this planet.  I have 8 and 16 in its original release and even a few 12 inch singles I'm now taking with me (I have no children, nieces or nephews ...nor younger cousins that appreciate this...it's better than letting the cat inherit, right?).

Now, there are many videos to discover and if you're diehard like me, you may spend a pretty penny on some rare cuts (like when he was releasing 3-4 CDs a year...sorry I couldn't keep up I had bills).  From now until the end of June, everything will be Prince or the proteges for this series of posts.

Way Back Wednesdays - Piece of My Heart x2

Feeling kind of quirky today so I felt a surprise was in order.  Sometimes I like when we cover records originally done by a non-Black artist.  Proves we can sing anything.  So here's the classic (Take a) Piece of Heart, which was originally done by Janis Joplin, covered by Erma Franklin (Aretha's sis, for those who don't know and she also did an awesome remake of Light My Fire) and Etta James.  Enjoy.

RIP Ken "White Shadow" Howard

It's been a strange day and I'm still shocked. Went in for a smog check and tune up and left with a DOA Volvo. Back to topic...Only 71 years young and such an illustrious career.  White Shadow was probably the first drama to deal with mostly Black youth and issues like V.D. (remember that term?)

Anyway, I never understand why, 35 years after its last airing, that repeats of the White Shadow were never shown in repeats.  Most of the topics are still relevant today and the retro factors even more interesting.  Maybe Bounce TV will get an idea...

Miles Davis Biopic Trailer

Been caught up in getting my ride straight and an A on winter finals.  Anyway, Don Cheadle is freaking fire in this.  If I were Will Smith right now, I'd be considering early retirement from acting because this right here....is the true essence of Miles Davis.

Do check the trailer and all you will see is the truth.