Honoring all actors who brought us everything from Blacula to Cabin in the Sky to Purple Rain to The Thing With Two Heads -- and everything in between!
Lately, I've been watching old Ed Sullivan reruns on the digital broadcasting channel and there are many Black comedians who were either underrated or seemed to disappear from the planet by the time us Gen X's were old enough to understand. I've also discovered other old programs that show an entire host of funny chocolate folks, like Mr. Watson but here's a couple of videos you might like.
This is a new feature I chose to add because 1) Life's too short to not get in a good laugh at least once a week, and 2) I would like to shine a brief light on those comedians that may not be household names today.
Happy New Year folks, I'm restructuring here and realize I still owe you an old-school countdown. I didn't want my first post to be an obit but this is a true story I can't get out of my head. As you may know, jazz trumpeter and anti-Apartheid activist Hugh Masekela died at the age of 78. At this time, there is no direct cause but, like many musicians who have left us in recent, I'm happy for his contributions. However, I didn't realize some years ago how grateful I should've been to be in his presence or to celebrate what was a historic moment. Back in the early 90s, I was a big super-brat woman/baby who really didn't know if she was coming or going. One day, I woke up and decided that I was going to attend Job Corp in Downtown L.A. because it was free. It was not one of my best moments but on top of free job training, medical care and food (I didn't live there), I could go to events for free. Not long before dropping the program for good (I also worked a full-time job near LAX), I got an invite to see a newly-freed Nelson Mandela at the L.A.Coliseum. Didn't have to work that evening but me and about a half-dozen folks packed into some car and got pretty good seats. Once again, very fortunate to have not experienced the nosebleed section. Looking back, the concert was long. Very long. And back then, on top of drinking and partying, I ingested a lot of caffeine (and this was a couple of decades before energy drinks were a way of life) so I can remember being near tears because I had to coordinate how to get back home without risking my life. But in-between, I had a hoot explaining to my reformed gangbanger buddies why Paul Simon, Sting, and many others with pink toes were there to celebrate the South African hero. However, amusement turned into anxiety when Mr. Masekela went into a set that lasted more than an hour long. Sting and James Taylor's sets were less than 15 minutes and other notables (whom I don't remember) were restricted to maybe one song. Since then I have not seen so much love and unity for mankind displayed on a single stage. Gangsta rap was beginning to cross into the mainstream and the riots were less than two years away. My generation has few leaders, as many seem to care more about commerce instead of a solution to make things better.
The irony is that while gangsta rap is supposed to be about being a badass, I've yet to see any of its representatives take a real stand against a minor injustice...just abuse or battery against a woman. Anyway, I still have a thing about Soul Train reruns and ran across this rare episode with Mr. Masekela and fellow trumpeter Herb Alpert.
Had he lived, Jimi Hendrix would have turned 75 on Monday. They say genius never dies and his skills are incomparable today...no matter what new music trend or artist tries to take a bite. One has to wonder what would've become of him had he survived that fateful night. Touring with the Stones? A collabo with Prince (no doubt they're somewhere jamming). Anyway, the only way to celebrate this unique life is to share his gifts with those who may have missed out. Here's one of my favorites.
Last month, we lost Keith Wilder of Heatwave, who is best known for singing lead on their popular wedding song "Always and Forever". Him and brother Johnny (who died back in 2006), not only shared lead but wrote many hits with bandmate Rod Temperton. While some may associate them with the disco era, other songs had an R&B flavor to them. Check it out.
If you can ever get your hands on this album here, consider yourself one lucky sonofagun.
The reason why I say this is because this the album, alone, that would make her the Queen of Soul. I never bought that "Empress" title and realize that another notable may not be in the best of health as I type. That understood, I will never change my mind on how awesome this album is...the vocals, arrangements, everything. So while there are many tracks to fall in love with (and I'm not a fan, btw), I'm going with the title track though I don't know where this performance took place.
My other choice is also not 100% personal. Though I love Sly and the Family Stone, my knowledge of Larry Graham was limited until he opened for Prince back in 1997. Let's just say I couldn't wait for the main attraction. People ask me to this day if he sang his 1980 hit 'One in a Million' and I say no, it was like a Sly Stone concert with no Sly and a loud guitar.
However, there was this one song I couldn't get out of my head growing up. Never knew who sang it and it was one of the few my mom hated (because she pretty much had a record store...we lived down the street from a VIP Records, btw). So anyway, decades pass and one of the few times Soul Train was in reruns, I discovered some new ish (because hip-hop was dying, rock-rap wasn't far behind and neo-soul was starting to sound alike). Anyway, I have a new respect for this man and hope they do an Unsung episode for his musical contributions.
Ever since file sharing, indie stations, and other mediums for new and undiscovered jams have become the norm, I realized there have got to be damn near 100 covers of "Light My Fire". From the Doors to Stevie Wonder. My favorite is by the late Erma Franklin, sister to Aretha and a soul singer in her own right. This gem was released in 1969 and you Gen-X's may remember this as a sample in the early 90s hit "Untouchables" by Above the Law.
I don't know about you but I'm ready for funk to come back. I know some of the newer artists can be funky or may take elements of funk and mix it with rap, rock, or smooth R&B. The closest I've heard to a nasty bassline is Thundercat but then again, his music is more of a gumbo thing that mixes in some of everything with a spacey vibe. Well, it was a hard choice but fortunately Mr. George Clinton had the forethought to create two groups (and collect two paychecks) so we can hear from Parliament later.
There's too much good stuff from which to choose right here, so I decided to go with a compilation. If you haven't seen their Unsung episode, I recommend it highly. A portion of their humble beginnings was also featured in the highly-praised 2017 movie Detroit. Here is an interview that aired before the passing of founder Ron Banks.
Secondly, this track by the incomparable David Ruffin is pretty damn funky. Most people (Gen-X and younger) remember Mr. Ruffin from the Temptations biopic but I remember seeing him perform this song on a Soul Train rerun a few years ago. It's pretty memorable.
Yeah, sorry so slow. Decided to go for a second degree and now I'm paying the price. Still haven't decided the future but I thought I'd throw in some ol school jams while thinking this through. As for the second video above, I wanted to get a live performance since few people remember what the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose looked like. Though only the lead singer slightly resembles someone from the lineup, I can tell this performance is from the 1980s. So if you know anything about this group, give me a shout out!
Their music has been sampled by Biggie, Mc Lyte and was once featured in an episode of Scandal. However, Black Heat was one of those rare entities in funk that was mostly overlooked by the history books. On September 16, leader King Raymond Green passed away from causes currently unknown. Courtesy of Soul Tracks.
Though Black Heat would go on to have a strong following in DC's Go-Go music scene, Green would go on to have a successful career in music on his own terms. After the group broke up in the late 1970's, he would study Audio Engineering at Drexel University, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1981.
Green was also a member of The Original Clovers and CEO of his own Powerhouse Productions. His songwriting and audio engineering skills were in great demand with recording legends like Carlos Santana,Harvey Fuqua,and the late Chuck Brown.
The early episodes of Sanford and Son were the best...particularly those dealing with affairs of the heart. When it came Grady's turn, it was just cold-blooded all around. His fiancee (played by Norma Miller) tried to place brother on lock. Not gonna give away the entire plot but it's one of the best laughs anyone with a pulse can have.
Anyway, according to sources Ms. Milller is still around and feeling good at 97 years young. Here's a 2016 article,r where she shares her secrets to a long life.
Yeah, sorry so slow. I still haven't found a copy of the Right On mag featuring 1980s new wavers of color. But, I have a good memory and other resources so here we go. Most people remember The Bus Boys from that Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack, "The Boys are Back in Town". Long before a really funny Mr. Murphy decided to use the Gardena,CA natives (go South Bay!), they made a few other hits that were memorable - just too much for pop radio at the time. To catch up with these guys, check out their website. There's a nice documentary that talks about the black L.A. experience that I will probably share in a future post.
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.
This was my jam back in grade school (West Athens ES Class of '80!). Sadly, we heard little else from Pleasure after the release of this album. According to allmusic.com, they broke up in 1981. However, I liked this song a little better because the backing vocal sounds a lot like someone who was also becoming popular in the late 70s but would go on to be an icon times infinity.
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 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!
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.
This week Foster Sylvers turns 54. Not sure if he's out or what but we hope he's had time to reflect and be a stronger person while away. Anyway, this was my jam in kindergarten and do the Robot with me if you just (like after 1995) learned this track is not J5.
If you saw Unsung 100 last night with ageless Donnie Simpson, you're probably like me and wondering where you were when the tributes were named. Cynthia Robinson, trumpet player for Sly and the Family Stone and later Graham Central Station, lost her battle with cancer at age 71 (or 69, according to Rolling Stone).
This lady was truly underrated, as women and wind instruments are rare, especially in pop or soul music. Check out her contributions at 3:25, as part one of the most underrated music act...period.
If you have TVOne and noticed that the annoucer said two NEW episodes of Unsung but keep seeing the same Chante Moore ad, the other act is Lakeside.
I miss their ability to bring non-offensive party music to the FM dial and the fact that, even with the internet today, no scandals during their many years together. And I just learned they still do live shows today.
Now, I don't know what Unsung will cover but here is one of my favorites from back in the days of Now and Laters, $40 designer jeans and the roller rink.
If you grew up in the 70s, you remember that trip back to 50s nostalgia with Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley. Anyway, you also remember that all 3-4 network channels had a load of variety shows. Well, Sha Na Na brought the best of both worlds.
But there was this one lone brother, Denny (or Dennis) Greene who wore this tight gold lame outfit and always seemed content in the background. As a kid growing up in Inglewood, I really wanted for him to have a solo...but now he gets to perform for the angels. RIP
