Soul Tracks

Aretha's 1976 collaboration with Curtis Mayfield, Sparkle, marked somewhat of a triumphant return to the music charts for the preacher's daughter from Detroit. Prior releases, With Everything I Feel In Me and You, marked the start of declining record sales for Aretha. The combination of Aretha, a chick from Detroit, and Curtis, a cat from Chicago, proved to be magic. The 8 track album is sexy, groovy, passionate, sensual and eye-opening, one of ReRe's finest and sexiest releases. Aretha wrapped her voice around the lyrics of Curtis Mayfield and her seasoned instrument rose to familiar heights, bone chilling wails, spectacular leaps and down-right painful cries. Aretha was back! Surprisingly, adult contemporary radio has yet to embrace Sparkle, 'Something You Can Feel' hits the airwaves once in a while. The title track is rarely heard on radio stations, so here it is for your listening pleasure. Peep Aretha serenade Canada back in '78 with 'Sparkle.'

Soul Tracks

I was introduced to Baby Huey and The Babysitters a few days ago after discovering John Legend & The Roots have released a cover of the band's Curtis Mayfield penned 'Hard Times.' I had to dig a little deeper. Surprisingly, the short-lived band was signed to Curtis Mayfield's Curtom Records, thanks largely to Donny Hathaway. The band's 400 pound front-man James Ramey, also known as Baby Huey, died of a heart attack shortly before the release of the band's debut album, The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend, which somehow slipped through the cracks of soul music. (After Ramey's death, The Babysitters briefly employed a young Chaka Khan as their lead singer before disbanding). Following in the footsteps of Sly & The Family Stone, the band's sound was rooted in psychedelic soul. Baby Huey possessed a howling, wailing, voice that was as tender & sentimental as it was rough. The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend featured several Curtis Mayfield compositions, as well as a brilliant cover of Sam Cooke's 'A Change Is Gonna Come.' Baby Huey & The Babysitters turned Cooke's enduring anthem into a psychedelic fueled soul sermon that combined rock, soul & gospel. Nine minutes and thirty one seconds later, Baby Huey & The Babysitters turn you into a believer.

Soul Fixin'

keep on pushin'.
The music of the late Curtis Mayfield cuts deep. Mayfield vocal ability may pale in comparison to other soul brothers of the 60's & 70's but there was always a message in his music. Mayfield's poignant and politically astute messages can make one shout, scream, rebel, and/or cry. More importantly, the music of Curtis Mayfield made so many individuals proud to be Black. Earlier this year, The Black Rock Coalition Orchestra paid tribute to the civil rights songbook of Curtis Mayfield. Performers included Sophia Ramos, Dean Bowman, Maya Azucena, Gordon Chambers, V. Jeffrey Smith of The Family Stand and others. Check out a few highlights from that spectacular January night.

Video Soul

"if your mind could really see
you'd know your color is the same as me
pardon me brother as you stand in your glory
I know you won't mind if I tell the whole story
get yourself together, learn to know your sign
shall we commit genocide before we check out our mind
I know we've all got problems that's why I'm here to say
keep peace with me and I with you
let me love in my own way
now I know we got great respect for the sister and mother
it's even better yet
but there's the joker in the street loving one brother and killing the other
when the time comes and we are really free
there'll be no brothers left you see....."

Soul Tracks

Words can not begin to describe the music of Curtis Mayfield, it immediately grabs and inspires you. In the early 1970's when Mayfield joined forces with Gladys Knight and the Pips he did just that. Curtis wrote songs that spoke to those in the ghetto just trying to hold on and Gladys sang with the conviction of a woman just trying to make it through another day. The beautifully written love ballad 'The Makings of You,' originally recorded by Curtis Mayfield on his Curtis LP, was included on the 1974 Claudine soundtrack album. Gladys Knight was the musical embodiment of Claudine, a single Harlem mother, living on welfare with six children who falls in love with a garbage man. 'The Makings of You' was their song. Even though Gladys had a difficult time describing the makings of her lover, you can feel the song in her heart. Gladys & The Pips let it be known, love does exist in the ghetto.

Soul Fixin'

Never Can Say Goodbye The past weekend proved to be a difficult set of days for Black America. We loss two artistic geniuses, comedian and actor Bernie Mac took his last breath Saturday morning and Isaac Hayes, the father of 12 and the grandfather of 14, went on to glory Sunday morning. I'm sure his soul comrades, Sam Cooke, David Ruffin, Ray Charles, Donny Hathaway, James Brown --to name few, welcomed him with open arms. A homecoming celebration like no other. Even though the Memphis bred soul man created his own brand of soul music Isaac Hayes was more than just a soul singer, he was an enduring symbol of empowerment, he crystallized the strength and beauty of black manhood. Isaac Hayes fully embraced the beauty of his blackness as evident on many of his albums covers. He was black and proud. He may not have said it loud but it was written all over his face. The man known as Black Moses walked to sound of his own organ, he was bold, proud, confident, beautiful, cool, and possessed plenty of sex appeal.

As I sit here and reflect on the life and music of Isaac Hayes, I realize so many soul singers have left us and so few are still around. I dread the day when Aretha, Gladys, Stevie, Al Green, Mavis Staples, Patti LaBelle, Sam Moore, Smokey Robinson and others join God's choir. These are our heroes and sheroes, the voices of a people, they translated our trials and tribulations, joy and pain, and heartache and sorrow into music. Soul music is the soundtrack of our lives, it helped us get through tryin' times and helped us celebrate the good times. Curtis Mayfield once proudly proclaimed "you know to talk about the 60's almost brings tears to my eyes. What we did. What we all did. We changed the world- me,us Smokey, Jerry Butler, The Temptations, Aretha, Otis, Gladys Knight, James Brown. We really did. Barriers broke down for us and for all black musicians afterwards. I mean, to have lived through that and to have been apart of that, is more than anyone can ask." We are deeply indebted to the pioneering artists of soul music, men and women who were agents of social change. Today, we pay homage to Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. Till we meet again...never can say goodbye.

Soul Tracks

1970 marked the beginning of the illustrious solo career of Curtis Mayfield. He started things off with the social and political themed Curtis. With song titles such as 'Miss Black America,' 'Power To The People,' 'Ghetto Child,' and 'We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue,' Curtis is a reflection of life in 1970's black America, from poverty to the Civil Rights Movements, and feelings of black consciousness and black pride. Mayfield's somber recording of 'The Other Side of Town' is included on his self titled debut. 'The Other Side Of Town' gives an all acess pass to the bleak realities of ghetto life. Press play and discover life on the other side of town.

Video Soul

Ronald Isley sings the Curtis Mayfield classic "The Makings of You" for Aretha Franklin.

Unfortunately, Ronald Isley is currently serving time in prison. His projected release date is 4/13/2010. Feel free to drop him a line:

RONALD ISLEY 31215-112
FCI TERRE HAUTE
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 33TERRE HAUTE, IN 47808

Payin' Homage

F*ck Fly...Curtis Mayfield was SUPERFLY
Words can not begin to describe the music of Curtis Mayfield, it immediately grabs and inspires you. Hailing from Chi-Town, Mayfield was a singer, composer, producer, arranger extraordinaire. Starting off with The Impressions, Curtis went on to have a successful solo career and produced for the likes of Aretha, Gladys & The Pips, and fellow Chi-Town natives The Staple Singers. Sit back and enjoy this musical tribute to Mr. Mayfield.

Happy Birthday Gladys Knight

I can remember being 12 or 13 and hearing 'Midnight Train To Georgia', from that point on I fell in love with the soul music of the 60's and 70's and a love affair with Ms. Knight began. I pushed repeat on the stereo and listened to 'Midnight Train To Georgia' over and over again. At times, I pretended to be on stage with Gladys performing as one of the Pips. It would be years later, when I heard Gladys Knight & The Pips sing the Curtis Mayfield penned 'To Be Invisible.' I've heard the version recorded by Curtis, but there is something special about Gladys Knight's reading of the song. The song was off the Claudine album, the soundtrack to the 1974 movie of the same name. The film tells the story of a black Harlem woman, living on welfare, struggling to raise six children who falls in love with a garbage man. Gladys, a world away from poverty, was able to sing with the conviction of a woman just trying to make it through another day. 'To Be Invisible' spoke of a person who felt it was better to be invisible in a world that was so mean. "A world that seems not for me..so privately, I'll be invisible..that way I won't have to explain a thing, if you know what I mean.. I won't even have to be here on the scene..." I'm glad Gladys didn't grow up feeling inferior. It would be understandable if she did. Gladys was able to find her way in a world that was so mean and for over 50 years she has blessed us with her music. We all got up and danced when she sang 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' and we contemplated saying goodbye when we heard 'Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye.)' 'I Don't Wanna Do Wrong' and 'Make Me The Woman That You Go Home To' made us wonder if Gladys was going through the problems she was singing about but she let us know everything was alright when she sang ' The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me.'

Happy 64th Birthday, Gladys Knight!

Young, Gifted, Black and Dead!!!

The headline in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle read "Rochester streets devour another teen." 16 year old Daniel Davis was gunned down in Rochester, NY on May 12. Davis was killed blocks away from where two African American teens, Brent Coley and D'Marri Shaw, were killed in February. Davis was described by family and friends as a "good kid" who was beginning to head down the wrong path. Police have very little information about the circumstances surrounding his death. No arrest have been made.

Brent Coley and D'Marri, both 15, were found, on the night of February 19, dying blocks apart after they were shot inside a house where drugs were being sold. Rochester Police Chief David Moore said the deaths were results of the teens' "high-risk lifestyle." Family of the victims described the boys as typical teens who were victims of a senseless crimes. Brent Coley is remembered as an energetic kid who loved playing football and hanging out with his friends. Da'Marri loved music, basketball and spending time with his seven siblings. In the words of Pastor Marlowe Washington, who spoke at Coley's funeral, "I cannot get immune to this...I'm sick and tired...of being sick and tired. I'm just sick of being sick."

"....If your mind could really see

You'd know your color is the same as me

Pardon me brother as you stand in your glory

I know you won't mind if I tell the whole story

Get yourself together, learn to know your sign

Shall we commit genocide before we check out our mind

I know we've all got problems that's why I'm here to say

Keep peace with me and I with you

Let me love in my own way

Now I know we got great respect for the sister and mother

It's even better yet

But there's the joker in the street loving one brother and killing the other

When the time comes and we are really free

There'll be no brothers left you see....."

"We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue" -Curtis Mayfield

Classic Album Revisited

If Marvin's "Let Get It On" was the song of the night, "Let's Do It Again", a #1 R&B and pop hit, was definitely the song to be played the morning after. Let's Do It Again was a detour from the Staples previous inspirational gospel infused recordings. As Stax was nearing bankruptcy the Staple Singers signed with Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label. The sacred Staple Singers fully embraced the sensual secular music of Curtis Mayfield on this 1975 soundtrack to the highly successful film starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. Mavis was at her vocal best, she fully embraced the lyrics with a hip sound that was a combination of funk, soul, sass, lust, and sexual seduction on tracks such as "Funky Love", "New Orleans" and "A Whole Lot Of Love." Let's Do It Again has proven to be one of the best albums the Staple Singers ever cut and listening to it makes you feel so damn good!!