Stevie’s legendary song “Happy Birthday” was originally part of the long, hard battle to turn Dr. King’s birthday into a national holiday. When Dr. King was assassinated, his approval rating with white people was very low. At that point, he was not beloved by them. It took a lot of careful, steady, thoughtful, diplomatic work by Coretta Scott King to change his image and win over politicians. Stevie Wonder was committed to that struggle and this song is just one of the things he did for Dr. King. In this episode, we talk to King's daughter Bernice as well as the engineers who worked with Stevie on the song. We talk about how they got us to having a King holiday and what that fight meant to Stevie. And why he usually records in the middle of the night.

 

Guests:

Dr. Chrissy Greer, Professor, Fordham University 

Jelani Cobb, Professor, Columbia University 

Lon Neumann, Recording Engineer, Happy Birthday

Gary Adante, Lead Engineer, Happy Birthday

Dr. Bernice King, CEO The King Center 

Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Journalist

 

Credits:

Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday 

Writer: Stevie Wonder

Label: Motown Records

Publisher: Black Bull Music Inc, Jobete Music Co Inc

 

Public Enemy - By the Time I Get to Arizona

Writer: Chuck D, Neftali Santiago, Mandrill, Stuart Robertz, G-Wiz & C-Dawg

Label: Def Jam and Colombia Records

Publisher: Sony Music Entertainment

 

Stevie Wonder sings "Happy Birthday" Martin Luther King, CSPAN

Stevie Wonder on creating Martin Luther King Day 1983, CNN

Public Enemy, Arsenio Hall (1993)

Martin Luther King, Jr. on Income Inequality and Redistribution of Wealth, Insaaf Blog

Harold Washington, CBS Chicago

Republican President Reagan’s Jaw-Dropping Press Conference the Day Martin Luther King Holiday Was Passed, Mediaite

Public Enemy Chuck D Interview, ABC News (1992)

“I’m Coming Out” was meant to be a gay liberation song but the song’s writer and producer Nile Rodgers didn’t tell Diana Ross that. Which led to a whole thing. It’s a crazy story. The origin of the song is fascinating but more interesting is how disco in general was part of the gay rights movement. We chart the rise of disco and look at the way it dovetailed with the struggle for LGBTQ rights and how being gay is so different for Sylvester than for Tyler the Creator. 

 

Guests:

Wesley Morris, Critic, New York Times

Craig Seymour, Music Critic and Activist 

Nile Rodgers, Record Producer and Chic Founder

Bill Coleman, Artist Manager 

DJ Jellybean Benitez, Deejay

Nelson George, Filmmaker and Author 

 

Credits:

Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out 

Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers

Label: Motown Records

Publisher: Chic Music, Inc

 

Chic - Le Freak

Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers

Label: Atlantic Records

Publisher: Chic Music & Cotillion Records

Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

Writer: Sylvester & James Wirrick

Label: Fantasy

Publisher: Bee Keeper Music, Tipsyl Music

 

Barry White - You’re The First, My Last, My Everything

Writer: Peter Sterling Radcliffe, Tony Sepe & Barry White

Label:  20th Century Fox Records

Publisher: SaVette Music Co.

 

Diana Ross - Love Hangover

Writer: Pam Sawyer & Marilyn McLeod

Label: Motown Records

Publisher: Jobete Music Co. INC

 

A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie

Writer: Perry Kibble & Janice Marie Johnson

Label: Capitol Records

Publisher: On Time Music, INC

 

Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby

Writer: Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte

Label: Casablanca, Oasis

Publisher: Saturday Music and Cafe Americana

 

Grace Jones - Pull up to the Bumper

Writer: Sly Dunbar, Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell, Sly & Robbie & Grace Jones

Label: Island

Publisher: EMI Music Publishing Ltd

 

Candi Stanton - Young Hearts Run Free

Writer: Dave Crawford

Label: Warner Bros.

Publisher: Ghati Music Inc

 

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

Writer: Dino Fekaris & Freddie Perren

Label: Polydor Records

Publisher: Perren-Vibes Music Co. 

 

Tyler the Creator - I Ain’t Got Time

Writer: Tyler, The Creator

Label: Columbia Records

Publisher:  Columbia Records & Sony Music Entertainment

 

Tyler, The Creator Used To Be Accused of Homophobia, Now Raps About “Kissing White Boys”, Genius

Tyler The Creator And Funk Flex Have an Honest Conversation Plus, Hot 97

“She Works Hard for the Money,” is Donna Summer’s classic that was born when she saw a waitress sleeping during her shift and thought, damn she works hard for the money. In this episode we talk about the birth of the song with Summer’s husband and we talk about Black women’s economic issues and how Black women can accrue more wealth and what society needs to do for Black women and how sisters can get more venture capital funds so they can start and grow their own businesses. 

Guests:

Bruce Sudano, Donna Summer’s Husband  

Omi Bell, CEO, Black Girl Ventures Foundation

Lauren Maillian, CEO, Digital Undivided 

Nina Banks, Professor Bucknell University

 

Credits:

Donna Summer - MacArthur Park

Writer: Jimmy Webb

Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc.

Publisher: Canopy Music

 

Donna Summer - Hot Stuff

Writer: Keith Forsey, Harold Faltermeyer & Pete Bellotte

Label: Casablanca Records

Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music 

 

Donna Summer - Bad Girls 

Writer: Joe Esposito, Edward Hokenson, Bruce Sudano & Donna Summer

Label: Casablanca Records

Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music 

 

Donna Summer - She Works Hard For the Money 

Writer: Michael Omartian & Donna Summer

Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc.

Publisher: Phonogram International B.V.

 

Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent 

Writer: Gwen Guthrie

Label: Polydor

Publisher: Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc

“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers is one of the ultimate songs about the Black spirit and the immense determination that has gotten us through life in America. I’m talking about a specifically Black determination that has powered our resistance and carried us through life in America. A sense of Black determination that we hear in Redemption Song as well as Sam Cookie’s “A Change Gonna Come,” Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” and Kendrick’s “Alright.” No matter how hard things have been we have always been certain that one day we would overcome.

 Guests:

Roger Steffens, Author, So Much Things to Say

Michael Eric Dyson, Professor, Princeton University

Credits:

Bob Marley and The Wailer's - Redemption Song 

Writer: Bob Marley

Label: Tuff Gong & Island Records

Publisher: Fifty Six Hope Road Music Limited, Primary Wave/Blue Mountain

 

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

Writer: Sam Cooke

Label: RCA Victor

Publisher: Kegs Music Corp. 

Kendrick Lamar - Alright 

Writer: Kawan Prather, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams & Sounwave

Label: Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment & Interscope Records

Publisher: EMI April Music, New World Music, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music Publishing Group, PECF, BMG Firefly, BMG, Warner/Chappell, Top Dawg Entertainment, Sony/ATV Allegro, In Thee Face Music Publishing, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, BMG Gold Songs, Beat Bully Productions, More Water From Nazareth & EMI Pop Music Publishing

Still I Rise, Maya Angelou

Yvonne Orji, The Toure Show

#TrumpRally protesters chant "We gonna be alright", Chicago Reader