A Music Throwback and a Message

Sorry, if I'm a little MIA, had back-to-back exams and projects to complete.  But I've been lurking on the some of the blogs about what some of these new entertainers REALLY think about Black women.  Now, being from L.A., I think people should date who they please but respect their own as well, whether it be Black, Brown, or whatever.  

Seems the rappers have particularly strong feelings.  While Kendrick Lamar has praise, others go in on women with dark brown skin, natural hair, and features that are far from keen (but if you have an Inflata-Booty you MIGHT be allowed to party with those who don't have half the wealth they floss).

Anywho, I was so into my gym time today that I let my music tracks do their thing and ran across this gem by Meshell Ndegeocello.  A truly underrated sis whose Plantation Lullabies CD (from 94/95?) was truly on point.  Talk about reading sellout brothers for pure filth...

What You May Not Have Known about the Gong Show as a Kid

Those of us who watched the original Gong Show in the evening or after school may remember there was silliness and real talent.  While many, like the Givens Kids, were never heard from again Cheryl Lynn, Paul Reuben/Pee Wee herman, Oingo Boingo and Boxcar Willie are just a few contestants that made it to the big time.  But it seems producer and host, Chuck Barris, who just died from natural causes at 87, had other things on his mind.
😛



Here is Audrey Givens all grown up, followed by a comedy skit.  Courtesy of TV One.

Can Chuck Berry Have His Own Biopic Now?

No disrespect to the Carter's 2008 effort Cadillac Records (which Bey and Jay-Z starred and produced, respectively) but before his recent passing, THE CHUCK BERRY story deserved the spotlight.

The highly-regarded Hail Hail Rock n Roll, was 30 years ago and not entirely dedicated to the guitar legend.  A vehicle that explores the life of a person who is native American and Black, while struggling in an industry that's less than kind to its talent, along with gaining the love and respect from fans, as well as peers, is a story worth telling.

Happy Birthday Sly Stone

Without him, music might not have told us that everyone likes to groove and not all of us are hating on someone because they're different.  Without him, Prince, Lenny, Living Colour, and a whole bunch of other cats may not have a place to express themselves musically.  Here are some rare tracks that I hope you'll enjoy.

Brown Sugar Streaming Review

You've most likely seen the commercials and wondered what's up, as there's not much to be found online. Is is really like Netflix for black folks? Being the blaxploitation movie junkie that I am, I decided to give the free trial a shot.  

Will this rare movie ever make it Bounce TV's new streaming service?

So the sign-up process is pretty cut and dry.  I load this onto my Chromebook mainly because the memory won't have to fight with Adobe CC on my laptop for space.  Plus the device is less than a year old and because it's so finicky about what a person can download, there's room for a streaming service.

At four dollars a month, it's half the price of Hulu (with commercials) but in viewing the inventory, it takes a moment to see if it's worth THAT much.  Brown Sugar has the standards (the Superfly and Shaft trilogies), along with some flicks that are seeing new life like ABAR, the Black Superman and my favorites Willie Dynamite and Hit Man with Bernie Casey.


Upon second glance, I notice a few that aren't familiar but I remember that movies like Black Starlet have alternate titles (Black Gauntlet).  This was the case in one of my favorites that I don't own, Black Sister's Revenge, also titled 'Emma Mae' in the Brown Sugar catalog.  So what is my conclusion?

Basically, if you like to collect (VHS tapes included), this might be a waste of money.  Or, if you have a great relationship (as in you don't mind the interruptions) with YouTube, you can take a chance on movies that may be there one day and gone the following week.  If you're Amazon friendly, I've always had good service with Gateway Cosmetics and other vendors that specialize in Black movie sales.

Brown Sugar streaming is great for the binge watcher with no space for a bunch of discs or watches in the peak hours.

As far as the experience itself goes....it was Saturday and its me with the Chromebook.  I look up a movie from 1968 with Max Julien that I think I saw but not 100% sure.  It takes a moment to load, so I go get snacks (3-5 mins).  Upon return, I recognize the opening theme but sit for the first 5 minutes.  Not even into opening scene, there's buffering.  Okay, things take time and this movie is as old as I am so let's refresh.

Ten minutes in, there's no semblance of a plot and the thing is buffering when I remember that I never saw Charleston Blue.  It's not in Brown Sugar's inventory so off to YouTube I go where I get a clean picture with few interruptions and it costs...ZERO.  Not condoning bootlegging but if someone knows of a standing store in the L.A. where legit blaxploitation movies are sold, hit me up!

Anyway, I do have a suggestion.  Why not add the indie flicks that Bounce used to air before they got 90-early 2000s sitcom fever.  Seriously, I love Half and Half too but remember the show only aired for three seasons and was definitely affected by the writer's strike near the end.  Fine @ss Lamman Rucker made those episodes watchable before its unfortunate demise.

Okay, digressing here.  I'm really digging indie movie like the ones Aspire shows in the afternoon but my favorite from the early days of Bounce are Drop Squad, The Stick Up Kids, and the one where a pre-nose job Kerri Washington was a window dresser/booster.  Sorry (hangs head but snickering).  

So Bounce, what's up?  Can we get something different since you don't quite have 100 movies in your catalog (more like 75 as of Feb 2017)?  About a third of those are shown on network and basic cable from time to time, so maybe faster load times.  I've had a similar experience with Google so I'm not knocking your efforts, just suggesting a little fine tuning for the long run.

The Best of Al Jarreau (RIP)

Mr. Jarreau was a music icon and a 50-year veteran who has won many Grammys.  He was in the middle of touring when he was recently hospitalized for exhaustion, his songs have become a staple in American culture.  Read more at Yahoo.

Black New Wave for Throwback Thurs. (Late)

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.