(4) Wilson Pickett Midnight Hour Mustang Sally

PART 4

Oh my, soul brother at his utmost! Wilson Pickett's songs, Land Of 1,000 Dances, In The Midnight Hour and Mustang Sally are this blogger's favourites.

So from Little Richard to Elvis Presley, the transition to appreciate soul and funk as the years went by was no big deal. There were changes to the rhythm and blowing instruments were added. And since Roy Orbison and James Brown came in between, the transition was even smoother.

Punctuate these years with The Beatles psychedelic period together with 5th Dimension, The Mamas And Papas and the puzzle becomes one clear picture. Again, the song/singer selections are personal choices.

*Funk originated in the mid 60s when black musicians blended soul, jazz and Rhythm & Blues into music one can dance to, after de-emphasising the melody and harmony. There is a strong rhythmic groove of bass and drums and funk nmelodies are based on extended vamp on a single chord.

*Like much of African-inspired music, funk typically consists of a complex groove with rhythm instruments such as guitar, bass, organ, and drums playing interlocking rhythms. Funk bands sometimes have a horn section of several saxophones, trumpets, and perhaps a trombone.

*Reference: edited from Wikipedia.

(3) James Brown, Cold Sweat Sax And Watusi!

Part 3

In the latter half of the 1960's, the dance and music craze of a relatively 'new beat' stormed Singapore island and in the frenzy our local band boys and girls added the tenor saxaphone, keyboard and even the trombone to its stable of instruments. -Check Silver Strings postings for: March, 26th and April 23rd.

"Ow! Uh! Alright! Uh!/Got to know how to pony/Like Bony Maronie/Mash potato, do the alligator/Put your hand on your hips, yeah/Let your backbone slip/Do the Watusi/Like my little Lucy... Do that Jerk-uh/Watch me work y'all, Hey! Uh!" And Wilson Pickett's song reverberated throughout the nightspots in Singapore. And funky music with its soul sisters and brothers came to town. "Na, na, na, na, na... "

But if we push the minute hand slightly backwards, the Godfather Of Soul himself could be responsible for this phenomenon because James Brown (image) must be credited for funky music popularity with his hit, Cold Sweat (1967). It was recognized as a departure from pop music conventions when it was released and is sometimes cited as the first true funk song. Comment anyone?

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

James Brown, Bob Dylan, Cher, Peggy Sue, American Pie, Purple Rain, Stand By Me?

It's interesting to read snippets of "over a century of the greatest artists, albums, songs, performances and events that rocked the music world."

James Brown (image) playing at The Apollo is under 'Key Performance' in the book, "Working up his soulful screams before opting for a velvety growl, he continually took his audience to the edge and back again, women exploding with screams and hollered responses... (Page: 286)"

The Little Black Book Of MUSIC (General Editor: Sean Egan, 2007) is also worthwhile buying as it's a reference guide, so if the reader is that keen on pop music, the book costs about 17 pounds on Amazon ( about S$40.00++?).

The content consists of music from 1890 up to the present day. That's a long history and a detailed and interesting one too. This blogger is learning a lot from this book and as usual, it's available in our libraries.

With nearly 800 pages, the book is small, square and thick. But worth the amount paid for!

Image: amazon.com.uk

Original article: Andy Lim