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July 14, 2004
The Funky Scream
It must be embarassing for men now in their 50s and 60s to hear old recordings of their 70s funk bands. Not because funky music is somehow inherently embarassing, but for the funky scream.
I'm listening to Shotgun II from S-Trains radio blog, and prior to that I had been listening to the WeFunk iTunes stream. The vision I get in listening to some of these songs is that of a big 'natural' black man of the 70s as the symbol of energy and pain.
When you get a chance, listen to 'Strokety Stroke' by the O'Jays. That's just big greasy nasty, and I used to love that song. Then 'Standing in the Shadows of Love' by the Four Tops. Great melody, but they're shouting huskily through all those "didn't I's". Just gritty emotional overload. I'm not even going to go there on James Brown. He was just too unique; sweating and screaming was his job. So I can accept that, even though sometimes when he comes up on iTunes I wish I had instrumentals.
I just see some white producer banging on the studio windows saying, no no can you add a little bit more soul? Scream some more. No, not melodically like Al Green.. just more primal. You know how you do it.
Is that the soul of Soul?
Posted by mbowen at July 14, 2004 02:47 PM
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Comments
On a semi-related note, I just bought that Ricky Fante CD "Rewind"
I got to listen to like 6 songs on the airline radio system on the flight back from DC--while not funk, it was some darn good 60s sounding soul/r&b
Try to download the single "It Ain't Easy" if ya can...
Posted by: Christopher Cross at July 14, 2004 05:42 PM
Yeah boy, T-Steel's father wrote, sung, and played drums for Shotgun. And let me tell ya, he's still a big 'natural' black man of the 70s.
Posted by: S-Train at July 14, 2004 08:32 PM
and what's wrong with big naturale black men? i was just on the itunes store the other day looking for songs of the year i was born - and then i ended up purchasing a rare earth cd. the funny thing is that in the 60s things were more mellow, more acculturated to that lesley gore type of sound. but when the 70s rolled in things got funky, greasy, and i'm not mad at that at all.
it's the pain of the black man i think. the same pain you heard in the blues prior. the same stuff that was in the church once dorsey got to transitioning those hymns.
Posted by: lynne at July 14, 2004 09:17 PM
Obviously, I'm being a snob. I suppose I should reword it to say that I would feel embarrassed, rather like I am of some of the raps I wrote in 1991. But it was the story that his Shotgun wanted to Rock and the producers wanted him to Funk that got me on the tangent.
BTW, when I got my ovation at the Nuyorican, it was bad poetry night, and the stuff I thought was bad, they thought was good. And when I went to the neighborhood producer's talent show wanting to rap, they were certain that I wanted to be R. Kelly. Such is the torture of the artist.
Blessed is he who hath done great work in spite of himself, for he shall survive all naysayers.
Posted by: Cobb at July 14, 2004 09:35 PM