What a voice! Inspiring.
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What a voice! Inspiring.
I'm sure that what I'm about to say is going to rankle a few, but there's nothing new about that. I've sat back & watched & like Millie Jackson, dammit, I have to say this.
Now THIS is what the word "UNSUNG" means to me. Angela Bofill is the very embodiment of the word "unsung" & I'd love to see more artists like her as opposed to the vast majority whom have been profiled thus far.
With all due respect to all whom have appeared on the show before, to my way of thinking it's an insult to suggest that many of the artists profiled so far can remotely be considered to have been "unsung". By definition any artist[[s) whom has had multiple Gold/Platinum hits, has played to crowds of 10-20,000 of mixed ethnicities & have had countless TOP TEN POP HITS, then said artist[[s) ARE NOT UNSUNG.
Artists such as Angela Bofill, Evelyn "Champagne'' & Phyllis Hyman enjoyed a great deal of popularity within the Black community without truly crossing over that Pop divide & never truly garnered the respect that their talents & popularity deserved. The Marvelettes were amongst those who helped bring Motown to a broader audience, only to fall by the wayside. To my way of thinking, The Marvelettes are also unsung & I believe that it's great to see their story being told because THAT should be what this series is all about. These definitions seem to be more in line with Webster's definition of the word "unsung", than the majority of the profiles we've seen thus far.
Miki Howard - Unsung, Mary Wells - unsung, Bobby Womack & Con Funk Shun - definitely unsung. As are a few others, which means that they definitely get it right when they want to. And those are the artists whom are most in need of that spotlight. For example, tonight's profile on Angela Bofill might actually lead to her receiving more attention & might actually put some money into her pockets simply because a lot of people didn't know her story in its entirety. This episode may lead to more people seeking her & her shows out & that's powerful.
I'm happy to see all of the artists profiled, because we've had BET whom instead of giving us things like "Homeboys From Outer Space", could've given us shows like this years ago. With that said, I'm in agreement with Stephanie Mills who seems very opposed to having her wonderful career being altered to a status which suggests that even with all of her success that she's "unsung".
Then, there's Tammi Terrell who definitely deserved to be profiled. We all know her, we all love her & it's safe to say that Tammi's argurably one of the most beloved ladies whom has ever stood on a stage & sang a song. I mean seriously, Tammi Terrell isn't merely loved here in the states, but her name is known & her voice is beloved ALL OVER THE WORLD.
FOR DECADES!!!
Tammi's life may have been many things, much too brief? Certainly. Painfully tragic? Definitely. But "unsung" certainly isn't a descriptive that I've ever attatched to her name, nor her career. Within the brief time that we had her here, she certainly made her mark & it's a mark that has thrilled millions of people the world over for more than 30 years & counting. To label someone whom has left the print that she has in the collective consciousness of the world, simply strains credibility to the breaking point.
Personally, I see it as a slap in the face that the only way that her meteoric story could be told was by somehow twisting the sum total of her career into that of an "unsung" artist, when history tells another story entirely. Her story certainly deserved to be told, but it should've been placed into the proper perspective which it deserved, not told in way which somewhat detracts from her true legacy.
The same could be said for several others, whose trememdous popularity actually serves to take away from much lesser-known, but much loved artists whom because of the inclusion of superstars whom are being depicted as being ''unsung", STILL aren't receiving the attention that their hard work deserved/deserves.
For example, The Whispers have been doing their thing since 1964, have crafted entire LPs which sound as though they could be a "Greatest Hits" package, yet they've continued to be overlooked for artists whom have enjoyed countless crossover hits & still play to mainstream audiences to this day. Or what about The Dells who NEVER & I do mean NEVER got the acclaim or mainstream respect that their talents deserved, strictly because they sang unabashed Soul music? How about a man named Little Willie John who was singing & defining Soul singing nearly a decade before the phrase had even been coined?
I mean no disrespect to anyone but honestly, is someone seriously going to try to tell me that a group like Musical Youth who had what, a 3-year career with exactly how many hits [[????) deserved to have their lives chronicled before artists who toiled for decades before they were even a gleam in their parents eyes? Before folks like The Dells, The Dramatics, The Whispers or Ray, Goodman & Brown? Before Blue Magic, The Stylistics or a whole lot of other artists whom I could name whom were/are 30 to 50 years deep in music who had more hits on one LP than these kids had in an entire career?
Really?
As I said, I believe that it's great to tell all of these stories because this is a very important history to me. But seriously, I believe that it's an insult to add the word "unsung" before the names of people like David Ruffin, The O'Jays, The Spinners, Teddy Pendergrass or Sly Stone. Seriously, SLY STONE who was only one of the biggest CROSSOVER artists of the late 60s & early 70s...hell, I'd argue that Jimi Hendrix has a better argument for being unsung because unlike Sly, Jimi, nor his music was remotely as embraced within OUR community as Sly's was. So, Jimi is kinda "unsung" in reverse. But Sly whose travails have been well-chronicled the world over?!?!? Seriously, who's next? Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder & James Brown?
Sorry, but that's simply not how I remember history to have been. Yes, his story definitely deserved to be told, but certainly not under any pretense of him being "unsung" because that's nothing more than playing fast & loose with known history, whichjis exactly what we so often blame others of doing as regards our history, musical or otherwise.
Perhaps many of these folks are merely happy to have their stories told & to get some love on the telly. But if I were an artist who had a long & prestigious career & the only way that MY people could tell my story is to somewhat distort my accomplishments by labelling me "unsung" when my 20 to 30-year career indicates that I have been anything but "unsung", I'd be rather insulted, as certainly, it's quite easy to profile my career & accomplishments on a show whose title better reflects my contributions & accomplishments in the industry.
I'm sorry to have to say this but the truth is that there are Soul/Funk artists whom are still working some pretty prestigious gigs & not in the hood but rather to a pretty monied crowd. And the truth is that they're not playing those gigs because of their Soul or Funk hits, but because of their hits that crossed-over POP. And I don't have to name any names because most of you who follow music know exactly what I'm talking about. But I will ask when was the last time that you saw someone like Lionel sing "Brickhouse" in concert? And you can best believe that Kool isn't playing even one of those big gigs on the strength of "Fruitman", "Rhyme-Tyme People" or "Light Of Worlds".
That's truth. But then again, who cares about historical truth when all that is really expected is that you be thankful no matter how that history is misrepresented merely so that it fits into a nice tidy box?
I like the fact that at least these artist profiles are being done. But it absolutely insults my sensibilities & what I know to be true about our musical history when I'm seeing wildly successful artists such as Sly Stone being reduced to being labelled as "Unsung". A Man who conquered Woodstock & made the Funk even more palatable to an audience whom previously wanted nothing to do with it & took it around the world...
Well...ok!
I simply wish that the "unsung" label would be reserved for artists whom are truly unsung. Because the truth of the matter is that if WE don't give props to those whom we know are truly unsung, than whmo, if anyone will give them their flowers while they can still smell them?
I expect others to ignore our history because most others simply don't know or care about these artists whom while playing at our house parties & block parties, their records rarely charted high on the charts. Or in the case of folks like The Whispers, The Dells & The Dramatics were usually deemed to be "too black" for mainstream sonsumption?
If WE don't give them their due, choosing instead to give love to artists who've already been to the mountain-top 20 times over & have had millions of words written about them, again, who will given them their due?
The premise is well-intentioned, but leads to artists who best fit the description, once again standing on the outside looking in. But this time, we can't toss stones at the "mainstream" because the mainstream isn't doing it this time around.
WE are, which is why very often, we aren't taken seriously as we should be. When you resort to calling superstars as something less than that & stray that far from the very definition of the name that you're using as the fundamental premise for your show, there should be a little concern about that because when you think about it, what you're actually doing is devaluing the accomplishments of these artists. But truth be told, just as long as the stories are being told, very few will even care about the subliminal message that lies therein & that's a sad thing to consider.
I guess it just comes down to the fact that I think too much!
Keep thinking Juice, as George Clinton said, it's not illegal yet!! I was so inspired by Angela's story. I remember seeing her in concert in NYC when she had her first recording out.
On TV1's website, they asked the people to request the artist they would like to see on Unsung. So as always, it's up to "we the people" to write in our requests on who we want to see on Unsung. That being said, I am going to write TV1 and request The Whispers and other artists I would like to see on Unsung. Thanks for your insight.
Hi NYsister & thank you for those words.
The problem that I have with the methodology of the selections is that it tends to ensure that a whole lot of artists/groups who could use some attention whose stories have never been told will continue to be buried, which kinda undermines what the descriptive "unsung" truly means.
It seems to me as though too many people voting are confusing the term "unsung" & the idea of shining a spotlight on artists who've never really had their stories told with that of "I want to see my favorite artist. Which renders this not much different from the kids who have the American Idol phones on speed dial so that they can vote for their favorite & not necessarily the most deserving.
As I said, all of these artists definitely deserve to have their stories told. If I can see a story about some kids in a Garage Band who released all of one record, then certainly our icons whom have given us one hell of a legacy deserve to have their turn to shine even moreso.
My problem is that by relegating true superstars to ''unsung'' status, it seems to detract from their true accomplishments & doesn't leave very much room for profiles on artists whom we rarely, if ever hear about. What if everyone decided that they wanted to vote Ray Charles, James Brown & Michael Jackson for an episode. Does that mean that the shows should be done merely because they're who people voted for, or should there be a more stringent set of criteria so that the show will truly represent what its title infers?
If not, then the show needs another title. I simply can't get past the english language, nor the knowledge of what the word unsung actually means. Unfortunately, folks are so intent in seeing their favorites that they simply refuse to consider the true meaning of the word. The danger then becomes the show becoming periously close to being nothing more than a popularity contest, which seems to be the exact opposite of what unsung means.
And for my part, votes not withstanding, if you've given a show a name that has a very specific meaning, then the choices for that show should reflect that. Making selections based upon votes should be no excuse & having 5 or 10 Top 10 hits SHOULD NOT be part of the equation. There should be a methodology involved in the selection process & specific guidelines which will ensure that the show remains true to what it's claiming to be, thus shining a spotlight on the Angela Bofill's, the Phyllis Hyman's & The Marvelettes of the world.
If not, then simply call it something else..."Inside The Music", "On Top Of The Music", "Almost Inside Of The Music", "My Favorite Music"...whatever. But with so many outside having already diluted & short-changing our music & our artists, it's up to us to lend some integrity to artists whom we hold dear, ESPECIALLY those whom while having climed it, never quite made it to the other side of its peak.
One of the more ridiculous responses that I've read that's been written to people whom have voiced similar opinions as mine is that, "We should be glad to get anything at all."
Really?
In that case I'm sure glad that folks who think like that wasn't out there fighting for Civil Rights, because as I remember it, the idea that we should be thankful for whatever someone decided to give us seemed to be at the very heart of most of our most ferocious struggles.
And it's that attitude that many carry over what they consider to be "not THAT important" or a "triviality". But that very attitude is exactly what has turned many of our neighborhoods into war zones & our radios & tv's filled with the kind of crap that we saw the other night & damn near every music awards show over the past decade, where "artists' get on stage & ''thank'' Jesus for blessing them, then proceed to perform songs where at least 3 seconds of every verse is bleeped out.
And why?
Because when this crap started, it wasn't a "big" thing, folks were just ''expressing'' themselves. And this alleged "lack" of importance always seems to lead to an escalating of disrespect & worse & WE always seem to be the ones who pay the biggest price for it. Damn, what a price we've paid & are still paying for it.
So unlike many others, I don't view this as being "insignificant'', as I view our history, musically & otherwise to be of paramount importance.
Consider this...would anyone in the mainstream dare to profile folks like The Who, Herman's Hermits or even The Monkees & vote for them as being "unsung"? And for that matter, would their fans even suggest such a thing? Hell, Buffalo Springfield lasted about a year & a half & not one of their fans would ever deem them to be unsung.
If their fans wouldn't do that to them, then we shouldn't do it to ours. If we're going to pay respect to unsung artists, then let's pay respect to artists whom are truly unsung. There's enough space & love for the superstars, the stars & the truly unsung. Regardless, if we don't think enough of our own musical heritage, then how in the world can we possibly complain & moan about those who do likewise.
For as much as I might want to see any specific artist profiled, there's no way in the world that I'd downplay or give short shrift to the careers of folks like Sam Cooke, an Otis Redding, Dionne Warwick simply because I want to see a story about them.
To label people like this "unsung" is to do a disservice both to them, as well as a lot of other artists whom have toiled in the shadows for a lot of years, with nary a mention, much less attention from the mainstream & even some of us. Artists like Lattimore & several others come immediately to mind.
If no one else is wiling to give these artists their due, then exactly who, if anyone will?
It used to be that we were the keepers of the flame. These days, not so much & in this case folks seem to be confusing popularity & favorites over people who are the embodiment of what the essence of the show is supposed to mean.
But last night, they definitely made a choice which reflects the true meaning of what I thought that "Unsung" was designed to represent...artists whom we love who while being popular, simply weren't necessarily hosuehold names the world over.
And just may have contributed to doing something special for a woman whom obviously could use a break & some positive vibes.
Hell, that show could possibly change her life & to me, that's no small thing.
Some vg points Juice. Though didnt Mary Wells have many hits and play before thousands?
I guess my thinking on the term Unsung is a bit different. I don't think of them profiling just acts like Angela Bofill who was/is immensely talented but not a chart topper. I also think of them reminding us of artists that had some hits and disappeared, who may be forgotten because there isn't someone at a high level pitching them for tours or comeback specials and such. Tammi Terrell totally fit this bill. She is known because of her duets with Marvin but how many people knew anything about her besides those songs? I knew of her but didn't know half the details presented in her Unsung special. Sly and the Family Stone also fit it for me. I've been saying for 10 years that someone needs to organize a resurgence for Sly and his music but nothing seems to happen. Why? No one at a higher level at his record company or management is interested. People know the songs but not the stories behind Sly. I was very pleased to get that information. My only problem with the show is that so much seems to get left out due to the time constraints.
And, may I say, I didn't really know much about Angela Bofill but after seeing her Unsung, I want to go out and find her recordings. I can't believe I let the ball drop on her music after the Angie album!
Great Show. I have always been aware of her. Liked a song or two. There were many songs I knew, but didn't know they were hers. Great artist. The show could have been 2 hours long.
Me too thom, I was simply stunned by the beauty of her voice.
I was a Bofill fan back in '79 and have all of her LP's up until she was dropped from Arista. I wholeheartedly agree with Juice that Angie is truly deserving of the title, Unsung just as her was label mate, Phylis Hyman. I could never understand why both ladies weren't global superstars given their sound and talent. Love Angie's songs; they're beautifully crafted, endlessly singable and always remind me, fondly, of my college days.
I didn't know much at all about her personal life. I had no idea she was married, had a daughter and that I Try [[which I used to play non-stop) was about drummer, Buddy Williams who plays on the tune!
I think the title Unsung comes from the fact the artists they profile were not featured on VH1’s Behind the Music back when that show was a hit. That’s why the artists are “unsung”. That’s all, nothing more.
Beautiful and inspiring show. I had to pull out my Angela cds after viewing. Definitely an angel.
Hey Juicefree, personally, I think David Ruffin was in a need of an UNSUNG - yeah, we know him as Temptations - the years, the roster, after all these decades, everyone still mostly identifies them with. But what after? Motown only was willing to promote him as the group, not so much under himself. He had a great handful of hits, notably the ones Van McCoy done for him, but top ten-wise, he's only got and remembered for two, "My Whole World Ended [[The Moment You Left Me)" and "Walk Away From Love". And he's got his drugs, personal demons, women, mistresses, children, although by end of program, got many perhaps saying " What A Jerk!"
I kinda same questioning who is "Unsung" for quite some POP-R&B, crossovery superstars, many who has been ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME recognized, perhaps even some R&B stars just as universally known as well, such as Teddy Pendergrass and Freddie Jackson. Myself, who I'm still waiting, hoping to be UNSUNG, someday, Patrice Rushen. C'mon, she has it all; multi-talented, pianist, music writer and producer, worked with a virtual who's who of the music biz, and some of THE definitive Old School Jams throughout the late seventies to the late eighties. Yet, sadly today, perhaps only those who digs into it knows her; chances are, if given a listen of the first ten seconds of "Forget Me Nots" 9 out of 10 may probably instantly call out "Men In Black".
Angela Bofill, another quality episode, on a most quality singer, person. Always loved her jazzy-cuban voice, and her version of "This Time I'll Be Sweeter" the best; out of all versions, hers sounded the most sentimental, like she genuinely means it, on "Come back to me, and I'll guarantee".
Yet, strangely, kinda felt that her "Too Tough" was that momentary, out-of-character moment for her. Yeah, it's got a boppin' beat, and may have got herself out as an R&B performer, but kinda was just another R&B song, just as Deniece Williams' "Let's Hear It For the Boy" was kinda just another Pop song for her, for someone of her vocal range and talent.
Smark,
I guess that's true but it seems to me that by mixing stars whom have received reams of articles written about them, whose names are recognized by mainstream artists kinda takes away from the impact of the idea of shining a light on people whom are truly unsung.
Ngroove,
I understand your point about David. Even though I believe that his is a compelling story, I also believe that it should've been presented another way. Even though there are elements of his life which were unknown to many people, that fact doesn't necessarily make him unsung.
99.5% of the time, whenever you see a picture of The Temptations, it's one of the "Classic Five". The story of The Temptations have been told countless times in mainstream articles as well. Just about every mainstream [[i.e. Pop) has grown up with the image of the cool guy wearing those glasses singing "My Girl" & other songs from better days gone by. With that as fact, there is no way in the world that David Ruffin could ever be considered to be unsung.
The Angela Bofill episode helps to illustrate my point perfectly.
By definition, Angela is indeed "unsung" & my problem with this whole "vote my favorite" methodology is based upon that. For every superstar that's has been or will be profiled in the future, how many more Angela Bofill's will fall between the cracks? There are a lot more stories out there & some of the people out there could really use some validation after being overlooked for decades & most, undeservedly so.
If the idea is to leave it up to the fans to make their choices, then simply change the name of the show to something other than "Unsung". This idea of twisting words & meanings into whatever we want them to mean simply isn't a good look. It's kinda like folks using million dollar words completely out of context, even if it proves to be the complete opposite of the message that they're trying to convey.
When we're presenting history, then it's important that that history be presented accurately & with integrity. Often time we complain about others who don't treat our history with the accuracy & respect that it deserves, so the idea that "Well at least they're telling out stories" holds no sway with me.
If WE can't tell our OWN history correctly, placing it into the proper perspective, then whom will?
If someone other than us were to do that, a whole lot of would likely complain, thinking that those folks were out of their mind for suggesting that some of our best-known artists weren't getting their props for being anything but "unsung".
But as I think about several of the responses which I've read over the last few years, most likely I'm wrong.
Folks would likely be very happy to receive crumbs, no matter the context in which they're presented to them/us. After all, from what I've read countless times, folks are just happy to see the stories, so we should be very happy about that, truth & historical significance be damned.
I expect people whom have been taking out stars for granted for years, elevating even the lowliest of garage bands to "star" status while waxing poetic about their alleged "greatness". But I really hate it when an "inside" job presents us in such a manner.
If Webster's is good enough for describing mainstream stars, then Webster's definitions should be just as good for us. I believe that we're just as good as anyone else, so as not to have to resort to twisting historical fact simply because some folks don't understand the meaning of a 6 letter word.
Earlier, I spoke about stars whom have had crossover hits not being "unsung", but in some cases, that's not true & I believe that some of those stars are DEFINITELY "unsung".
There are countless songs which are well-known outside of our community, have appeared in movies, but the names of the people who've supplied us with all of that great music are pretty much unknown to the mainstream, nor have their stories ever been told.
One of the greatest examples of this can be found right here in our own forum, in the person of one Russell Thompkins Jr.
Now we've loved his voice since roughly Christmas of 1970, when "You're A Big Girl Now" first came through our radios. Let's forget about the R&B charts & the 13 Top 10 hits that his lead vocals with The Stylistics have given us & think about 5 which also were Top 10 Pop, along with those 5 Gold records.
Now despite the popularity of The Stylistics, how much has ever been said about the man whose voice appears on each & every of those hits which is still played by both Soul & Pop music lovers?
I've read articles & have seen profiles about the lead singers of CSN&Y. I've read about The Monkees, Buffalo Springfield, I've read about The Byrds. Hell, I've read extensive profiles written about Garage Bands & Pop/Rock groups who lasted maybe for 2 years. But the vast majority of Soul/R&B/Funk groups & their lead singers....hardly ever if at all & I believe that THAT is something which could definitely be addressed by a show which named itself "Unsung".
So how about omething on The Stylistics & the lead voice of EVERY hit, Mr. Russell Thompkins Jr?
Or what about the predecessors of The Stylistics, The Delfonics & William "Poogie" Hart? Then we can also talk about The Moments, with duel leads Billy Brown & Harry Ray & next, perhaps we can introduce the stories of Blue Magic & Mr. Ted Mills.
We have so many stories out there to be told, stories which will likely be quite intersting to people who don't know the stories of the 4 or 5 guys or girls, whom while everyone hums their songs, have done so with often times very little acclaim as INDIVIDUALS. There are more than a few situations where perhaps the whole truth is best left unspoken, but I guess that's what the editorial process is for.
Let's just put it this way...before I see another profile about an artist or groups whom has been written about 1,000 times, I'd rather see the FIRST profile of folks whom we haven't already heard or read about.
Angela Bofill, Con Funk Shun, Bobby Womack & Millie Jackson are definitely artists I'd expect to see appear on a show named "Unsung".
Others...not so much.
I'm still hoping to see a profile on Russell Thompkins Jr. & The Stylistics & a lot of groups whose stories simply haven't gotten the same kind of attention that equal & even lesser mainstream groups have been afforded.
Again, if not US, then whom will do so?
I just feel that we need to show some love for folks who usually only receive their flowers onstage at a concert & I'd like to see them receive some well-deserved flowers on a wider scale while they're still here to be able to enjoy the fragrance.
If not us.....
I'll check out Angie's episode because I love her but I have to agree with Juice, as interesting as I've found a lot of the
shows, I too would like to see more truly unsung.
Black Ivory-Unsung...that would be a treat for me. Juice, did you know the New York Public Library does not have a
single Black Ivory recording in it's entire collection? Now that's Insane...
Splanky,
How've you been man?
I really hope that I'm not making it seem as though I don't want to see the stories of EVERYONE who've been profiled, because I do & am pleased to see that we have a show which is actually doing so. But my feelings about this is similar to my thought about the way that folks are elected into the R&R Hall Of Fame.
I believe that there's a thing called timing, as I also believe that there's a thing called ones turn.
For example, given their longevity & body of work, would I want to see a profile on someone like 112 done before one's done of groups like The Dells, The Whispers, The Stylistics, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Blue Magic or a Black Ivory? And when you take career substance, obstacles & the like, whose profiles would seemingly deserve to be done first, folks who've had a 3 or 4 year career who are still relatively young, or artists whom have been entertaining us for 20 years or more?
Is the premise about honoring what's popular since 1985, our musical history as a whole, or should the true pioneers who kicked open doors be addressed first?
I believe that the latter is true & while perhaps they have an interesting or compelling story which deserves to be told, I simply have a difficult time dealing with the idea that I'm seeing folks with all of a 3 year career being profiled before some of the most prolific & unsung artists, whom have been doing the damn thing on stages for more than 3 decades.
It kinda gives me the same feeling I got when I saw a relative newcomer named Adam Ant onstage stumbling through "Where Did Our Love Go" before being rescued by the appearance of Diana Ross, or the constant habit of including any new artist on an awards show purely for rating's sake.
We're losing artists at such a rapid rate, more than I care to think about. With that sad situation being the case, I simply would like to see those who deserve to have their stories told before they leave us, at which point we'll read & hear a bunch of pretty words about them...
Words that they'll never hear.
I have met so many of our artists & most are doing alright. Without naming names, there are quite a few whom the music industry have kicked around like Pele kicked soccer balls. Some are demoralized & many simply feel forgotten. Some are looking for some kind of validation of their careers, as well as themselves & they feel that they also have a story to tell. And a profile done on them that shows that people haven't forgotten them & appreciate them would really give them a boost.
Splanky,
For some libraries, the cost of obtaining a Black Ivory Lp might've been cost-prohibitive.
Fortunately, I had their LPs & in the 90s found a few extras at bargain prices at flea markets [[which seemingly have dried up here in Brooklyn), because back then, those LPs were selling for about $50 in oldie record shops.
Love Angie Bofill. I saw her in concert back in the 80's and it has stuck with me ever since. She is true talent.
Juice, sorry about the delay...I'm fine...Quote:
Originally Posted by juicefree20
I'm not talking about a vintage vinyl copy, though they may have had one about 10 years ago when they sold off a lot of vinyl to the public at 2 bucks
a pop, average. I'm saying that with the availability of reissues and compilations on Amazon, cd universe, Collectables, etc it really strikes me as
odd that Black Ivory is not even represented by a single release, say You & I,
anywhere in the catalog. A New York group in New York's musical history, when
many more obsure artists such as Frankie and the Spindles, Bertha Tilman,
even The Joytones are for their biggest sellers. I am closely associated with
various employees of the library and know quite a bit about their practices and
protocols. I gets heads up on new materials and make extensive use of their
services but there are some stands they take that boggle the mind....
Juice, something else to think about regarding who is represented on the show.... When they throw in a David Ruffin or a Sly Stone, they are probably bringing in a larger audience since there is more awareness of them and people have a "whatever happened to?" mentality about them. That larger audience watches, enjoys the show and, perhaps, is more inclined to then watch the episodes on the truly unsung. It could be using the known to introduce the unknown.
To Juice:
Keep being the deep thinker that you are my brother, because it tends to wake up those things that many of us let slip by the wayside. I know for me, it made me look at this series from a whole new vantage point, and what you have stated is just the plain truth, anyhow.
This is my favorite series and I wish it was available on DVD. I think TV-1 is missing a huge opportunity by not releasing seasons 1 & 2. Anyway, I was going to post the same thing that thommg did. By throwing in more popular artists, it builds a viewing fan base for the show that only benefits the more obscure [[to pop music afficianados) artists. I like the show because I was listening to acts that were popular [[Heatwave, Con Funk Shun, O'Jays, etc. ) as well as Stacey Lattisaw, Angela Bofill, and Phyllis Hyman. If it needs to spread the love to gather the ratings and last a few seasons longer, I'm cool with that. Give it time, it's only been a few seasons. At some point, they will be profiling more of the artists we'd like to know more about, but I'm cool with the series as a whole.
What an inspiration. She gave me an attitude adjustment. God Bless her!