Take It to the Bridge!
Listen to James Brown's "Lost Someone" today or "Live at the Apollo" or the "Live in Paris, 1971." As the poet Al Young has written, the first time he heard "Cold Sweat" on the radio he had to pull over to the side of the road. Listen to "Cold Sweat." Listen to the "Star Time" box set. Pray that J.B. isn't remembered with just the "Livin' in America" video on MTV. Who owes J.B.? Everyone--from Elvis to Michael Jackson to Muhammed Ali. And Hip Hop. He was the greatest American bandleader/composer since Duke Ellington. Damn my luck for never having seen him perform.
About ten years ago, I saw a program of films of J.B. from the sixties and seventies (when he was at his peak). Some incredible stuff. J.B. doing "Please, Please"/ cape routine in the TAMI show--upstaging the headlining Rolling Stones, making Mick Jagger look as tame and adolescent by comparison; lip synching "Say it Loud" on Playboy After Dark of all things; arguing with a white journalist about the Black Power movement on the Mike Douglas show--J.B. getting pissed and pacing in front of the panel, lecturing the journo that he had no idea what he was talking about; J.B. performing live on TV the night MLK was assassinated, telling the cops to let the kids dance on the stage if they wanted to. It would be great to see these films again. You can't even get the TAMI show on DVD (last time I checked anyway)...
J.B. changed music as seriously as Stravinsky. He was engaged in his times. Hopefully his demon side--bad husband, the PCP-fueled car chase that led to his imprisonment--won't be flogged on TV too much. But you know it probably will.
Here was a man!
About ten years ago, I saw a program of films of J.B. from the sixties and seventies (when he was at his peak). Some incredible stuff. J.B. doing "Please, Please"/ cape routine in the TAMI show--upstaging the headlining Rolling Stones, making Mick Jagger look as tame and adolescent by comparison; lip synching "Say it Loud" on Playboy After Dark of all things; arguing with a white journalist about the Black Power movement on the Mike Douglas show--J.B. getting pissed and pacing in front of the panel, lecturing the journo that he had no idea what he was talking about; J.B. performing live on TV the night MLK was assassinated, telling the cops to let the kids dance on the stage if they wanted to. It would be great to see these films again. You can't even get the TAMI show on DVD (last time I checked anyway)...
J.B. changed music as seriously as Stravinsky. He was engaged in his times. Hopefully his demon side--bad husband, the PCP-fueled car chase that led to his imprisonment--won't be flogged on TV too much. But you know it probably will.
Here was a man!
posted by ken at 5:42 PM
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