by Robert Wilkinson
June 3 was the birthday of one of the sweetest soul voices writing and singing some of the sweetest soul music ever made. So we celebrate Sunday with a gigantic happy to Mister Curtis Mayfield of the Impressions! However, before we get to the main act, we have some short sets by a grandmother of the blues, a short lived huge talent who gave us two true classics, and a sax man who made the Memphis Sound!
The first set includes several Gemini birthday talents, including Memphis Minnie, Jimmy Jones, Boots Randolph, and Charlie Watts (2 June 1941-24 August 2021). Charlie’s work as drummer for the Rolling Stones is beyond great, and he's generally considered one of the great drummers of all time. You can listen to your heart’s content by going to the 2022 birthday of the awesome Keith Richards.
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Now for one of the godmothers of the blues, considered to be one of the best of the early blues guitarists! Memphis Minnie (born Lizzie Douglas June 3, 1897 – August 6, 1973, was a blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist who recorded 200 songs between the 1920s to the 1950s. Kick back and enjoy these classics!
Here’s the Jefferson Airplane version of "Me and My Chauffeur Blues"
This song later became a classic when Donovan changed the lyrics. Here’s the original! “Can I Do It For You”
Here’s Donovan’s version under a different title. It’s one of my favorite songs he did. Live on Finnish television in 1966, "Hey Gyp (Dig the Slowness)" and here’s the Animals’ version! “Hey Gyp”
We’ll close this short set with a classic she co-wrote, “When the Levee Breaks”
For the encore, the version which was made huge by Led Zeppelin! “When the Levee Breaks”
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Jimmy Jones (June 2, 1930 – August 2, 2012) had two gigantic hits in 1960! This was “good time” music in a gentler, more innocent era. As was the style in the era, he’ll come out, do his two biggest, and we’re on to the next act!
We begin his set with his biggest hit that went to #2! Here he is in 1960 on Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show dancing up a storm to a song he co-wrote with the great Otis Blackwell, the iconic “Handy Man”
He followed that one with another million selling hit that went to #3 in 1960! Written by Clint Ballard Jr. and produced by Otis Blackwell, here’s the studio version of “Good Timin’.”
This year I found this rare live appearance on Dick Clark’s Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show in 1960! For your remembrance, from 63 years ago, Jimmy Jones delivering “Good Timin’.”
We’ll close with two versions of “Handy Man” which were taken into the stratosphere by Del Shannon (#22 in 1964) and James Taylor (#1 Top Single and Adult Contemporary in 1977)!
First, the pounding version by Del on Where the Action Is in 1964, lip synching "Handy Man." This next one is my favorite performance of this song, a great live video which stomps with great solos as Del cranks out "Handy Man." (The drummer pounds on this one, and the sax break is great! Great for dancing!) Here’s another video from 1988 at Little Darlin's in Florida in 1988, with Del shredding on guitar as he delivers "Handy Man."
We now finish with a 1979 performance in Ohio of his version of the Jimmy Jones classic “Handy Man” (Again, the backing band is nothing short of amazing!)
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Boots Randolph (June 3, 1927 – July 3, 2007) was a sax player who was a big part of the “Nashville Sound.” He played on hundreds of hits, including some very well-known tune by Elvis, Jerry Lee, and Chet Atkins.
We’ll begin his set with his biggest hit under his own name! From 1965, a live television performance with Chet Atkins of “Yakety Sax”
From many years later in 1993, this time with Chet and Ray Stevens on piano, we have a great live television performance of “Yakety Sax”
From that album, “I Really Don’t Want to Know”
He followed “Yakety Sax” with another one that hit the charts in 1964, “Hey Mister Sax Man”
Here’s his take on the classic “the Shadow of your Smile” and “the Unchained Melody”
His horn was all over this monster #1 hit for the King backed by the Wrecking Crew! “Return to Sender” (The sax player in the movie is NOT Boots!)
”Mean Woman Blues” has disappeared, so instead, here’s the very smoky noir-ish Earle Hagen monster hit, “Harlem Nocturne.”
Here’s his work with the Killer on “Turn On Your Love Light”
He also did the sax work on this #4 major league Al Hirt hit “Java”
We’ll close this brief set with Boots giving us a live offering of the beautiful “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
For our encore, “Gentle on my Mind”
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Now for the main act! Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was a musical genius who gave us more than a few brilliant pieces of the music of the Civil Rights Movement and later, the Black Pride Movement. Before that, he was “merely” one of the founders of the Impressions, with Jerry Butler.
So today and tonight we celebrate the life and music of Curtis Mayfield, who was at the forefront of the civil rights movement back then. For your remembrance, the music of the civil rights movement!
From 1958, featuring the voice of “the Ice Man” Jerry butler, the bone chilling initial entry of the Impressions on the charts, “For Your Precious Love”
After Jerry split, Curtis took the Impressions back on to the charts in 1961 with his Top 20 tune, “Gypsy Woman”
Also from the 1990 television concert in Germany, Curtis giving us a live performance of "Gypsy Woman."
From 1963, the original Impressions studio version of “It’s All Right”
One of the first Civil Rights anthems! Here's the original 1964 studio version of "Keep On Pushin'"
Moving from raving up to gettin' down in a smooth soul groove, from 1965 on the Hollywood A Go Go tv show, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions letting us know that “It’s All Right”
From 1965, the original studio version of “People Get Ready”
From 1967, Curtis live with the Impressions on tv giving us a great performance of his tune “We’re A Winner”
Here’s the great Curtis Mayfield live on The Old Grey Whistle Test performing “We Gotta Have Peace”
I found it again! Here’s a great 1969 live television performance on The Joey Bishop Show of “Choice of Colors,” and here’s the studio version of “Choice of Colors”
Live at Hofstra in 1972, here’s 15 minutes of Curtis live in black and white performing “Superfly,” “Freddie’s Dead” and “Pusherman”
From 1973, Curtis live on The Midnight Special groovin’ and half rapping offering up "Superfly"
From German tv in 1990, here's a great live performance by Curtis, “taking us to church” with “People Get Ready”
A last blast from the 1990 German tv performance, here's a very lively "Move On Up."
From his final album in 1997, the music video for “New World Order”
Here’s a couple of great live reprises of one of our earlier tunes, sung by the original! First, from The Soul TV show in 1971, the Iceman commeth! Here’s the legendary Jerry Butler in a live performance of his composition “For Your Precious Love.” and then from 2007, “For Your Precious Love”
We have two more live, delivered up by the Iceman! First, Jerry live giving us his huge hit written by Curtis Mayfield, “He Will Break Your Heart,” and second, another hit co-written with Gamble and Huff, a bit of wisdom for the coming times, “Only the Strong Survive”
And now, some other great versions of Curtis’ timeless classic “People Get Ready.” First, a very psychedelic version courtesy of the Vanilla Fudge! This live video features 3 of the original 4 members, and rocks!
“People Get Ready”Back to gospel! From 2008, The Blind Boys of Alabama with Susan Tedeschi offering up “People Get Ready”
Here’s the great Al Green live on television giving us “People Get Ready”
I found the Staples Singers’ studio album version! “People Get Ready”
Last year I had a great clip of the great Chambers Brothers live on television in 1965 giving us the smooth soul sound of “People Get Ready,” but it’s nowhere to be found this year. Instead, I found a classic live promotional video of the Chambers Brothers made in 1968 taking us to church with “People Get Ready.” And because I love this group, here’s another great offering! From 1989 at the Cow Palace in SF, a very live performance of “People Get Ready”
Here’s the original music video done by Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart of “People Get Ready” which we'll follow with our finale, live at the El Rey Theater in LA, the sweet sounds of Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck giving us “People Get Ready.”
We’ll begin to close this dance with 11 minutes of Curtis live performing “We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue” and “Give Me Your Love”
His full hour and 4 set at Montreux has reappeared! For your enjoyment, Curtis Mayfield Live at Montreux 1987
Here are three from that show, and once you start playing any of them, you’ll see plenty more single tunes on the sidebar.
Curtis Mayfield Live at Montreux 1987 – “Move On Up”
Curtis Mayfield Live at Montreux 1987 – “Back to the World”
Curtis Mayfield Live at Montreux 1987 – “Freddie’s Dead”
We’ll close with a great 1990 56 minute set from Germany! Curtis Mayfield Live at Baden-Baden - 1990
For our first encore, here’s 56 minutes of Curtis Mayfield Live at Ronnie Scott’s
For our second encore, 16 tunes on a cd titled The Very Best of Curtis Mayfield featuring some of the best of his post-Impressions tunes.
For our final encore, 24 tunes said to be Curtis Mayfield’s Greatest Hits (While there’s some overlap with the previous clip, I’m sure you won’t mind a few repeats!)
Thanks for the tunes, the soul, the strength, and the haunting melodies, Soul Brother! When your songs came on the radio in the 60s, EVERYBODY paid attention.
For your renewed consideration, the lyrics to
People Get Ready
By Curtis Mayfield
People get ready, there's a train comin'
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
You don't need no ticket you just thank the lord
People get ready, there's a train to Jordan
Picking up passengers coast to coast
Faith is the key, open the doors and board them
There's hope for all among those loved the most
There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner whom would hurt all mankind
Just to save his own
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
For there is no hiding place against the kingdoms throne
People get ready there's a train comin'
You don't need no baggage, just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
You don't need no ticket, just thank the lord
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, EMI Music Publishing
Article © Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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