What I know about Earth, Wind & Fire

I thought could be told in under a minute,

But I was wrong.

This group has countless accolades, awards,

achievements….

And then there’s the “ME” relationship.

I was introduced to Earth, Wind & Fire in 1975

when I noticed the

“That’s The Way Of The World” album

resting against my old man’s record player.

Pop (my dad) didn’t buy albums,

he usually would buy “45’s”…

or singles—

Some of you may not know what a “45” is,

and because he was a working musician,

pop only purchased music to learn the song.

Pop was studying the entire album.

That told me that there was something special about this group.

Earth, Wind & Fire created “Grown Folks Music,”

and in their “hey day,” that didn’t work for me.

But, it was great for everyone else.

The Rags to Riches story

of Maurice White and his band,

originally named “The Salty Peppers,”

came from humble beginnings.

From Memphis to Chicago to California,

The recruiting of brothers Verdine & Freddie,

The alliance with Collaborator Charles Stepney,

The addition of Al McKay, Larry Dunn

who introduced Philip Bailey.

Because of the practices of Maurice White

one by one, each walked away.

Ending Maurice White

and Earth Wind & Fire’s Hit Parade.

Well, Philip Bailey returned, but not the hits.

Before Maurice White died

He built something great and easy to enjoy,

And to learn more,

Press play.

About 70 years ago, The Blues gave birth to two genres of music: R&B (Soul) and Rock & Roll.

One made for black listeners, one for white listeners. The United States was segregated back then and Jim Crow and his laws were real! But we’ve discussed this already.

The question is, What is Yacht Rock?

This class breaks down Yacht Rock into bite sized pieces, but there are a few rules that you should know. First, Yacht Rock is not a genre, there is no such thing, not for real-for real.

Second, Artist that thrive in this “not genre” all these years later still hate the title “Yacht Rock.”

There’s more, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Yacht Rock, What it is — is some of the best music ever created, by artist who might surprise you!

And if you ready to learn more, press play.

The Kent State Massacre

When I was 8 years old, my biggest fear was Vietnam. I had two uncles that went over there, only one returned. The big kids in my neighborhood wore “black power” and “freedom” buttons and patches on their jackets, they talked about the was in Vietnam and of the stories they heard, and at eight years old, those stories, it didn’t matter if they were real or not, scared me like the Boogeyman.

Many young men had dreams of an education so they could live better than their parents, of pretty girls and success! Being drafted made it almost certain that a young man’s dreams would stay just that, “a dream.” So, young men (and women) chose to make their stand and fight right here at home. Young Americans knew that they had rights and a voice to be heard. But, our government did not want to hear their voices and that is where the trouble began. The massacre at Kent State was an example of “order gone wrong.” The University President feared an uprising, the Mayor of Kent feared for the safety of his city and the Governor of Ohio simply wanted to keep young people in line. So, he allowed maybe, an ambitious General to order his National Guardsmen to “lock and load” their weapons and face a crowd of young, civilians armed with only their voices.

All it took was a noise, maybe the crack from a stick under a guardsmen’s boot to start the shooting.

13 seconds, 67 shots to kill 4 and wound 9.

There was massive backlash, but this story leads only up to the shooting. And if you are ready to hear it.

Press play.

Girl Groups have been with us since the beginning of popular music, and in my 60-plus years, just two have stood above everyone else: The Supremes and Destiny’s Child.

The Supremes are the greatest singing group of all time and the template for all girl groups. Movies, plays and books can be found explaining the rise and no fall Supremes — there are at least a dozen albums without Diana Ross and Florence Ballard.

Destiny’s Child is the greatest girl group since The Supremes but, a trio created after years of drama, and destined to be hit makers. And once they arrived they suddenly called it quits…

Are these groups alike?

To answer that question, press play.

The Chitlin Circuit along with The Great Migration gave especially “black people,” the ability to move away from “Sharecropping,” just another form of slavery, to chase their dreams. The 1920s were roaring, and people forgot that “what goes up must come down.” And after ten years of awesomeness, came ten years of hardship and suffering. And because of Jim Crow, black people suffered hardest. America is the Land of Opportunity!” Still, the wheels of change rolled slowly for black people. From 1870 to 1970 black people were forced to endure, and life as a black entertainer was as dangerous as it was expensive.

The Chitlin Circuit wasn’t just black people singing and dancing for ‘Soul Food,’ the Chitlin Circuit created entrepreneurs during the height of suppression and oppression for blacks in general, while at the same time, offering black entertainers safety, security and opportunity. And I would love to tell you about it.

Tonight in Muzik Detention, we will discuss and maybe debate The Chitlin Circuit, and black life during the years of Jim Crow. Open your ‘muzik’ history books and press play.

The Blues is more than just American music, it is an outlet, an art form, a feeling and spoken words when the right words cannot be found. Robert Johnson wanted to the best delta blues guitarist ever and he sold his soul to make it happen. Ray Charles reshaped ‘the Blues’ and made it ‘the Devil’s music when he took gospel arrangements and made them worldly.

The blues isn’t alway sad, sometimes it’s happy. The blues isn’t always hopeless, it is also hopeful. And people have come from all over the world to learn this American art form. Lastly, as the world changed, so The Blues.

Tonight we will talk about and maybe debate “The Blues.” Open your music history books and press play.

There is an old saying that “Money Only Makes You More,” and a great example of this are the founding members of Guns & Roses.

More drugs and alcohol use, more attitude and inner band squabbling with more fights is what you got as the members of G&R grew richer. Albums: Appetite For Destruction and the Use Your Illusion I & II brought fans from everywhere, but fans often times got more than what they paid for. Getting into more confrontations with leader Axel Rose, which led to more show cancellations, more altercations, more riots and more destruction. 

In 1988, Guns & Roses was labeled as

The Most Dangerous Band in the World after some fans were trampled and crushed to death at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Donington England. This title was never removed.

Axel Rose was a Diva in the worst way, Slash and Drummer Steven Adler had near life ending drug addictions.

Most Dangerous Band was just one way to define Guns & Roses, but not only way. To learn more, press play.

Good or bad, the Mafia has played a significant part in the music business. In this episode we learn about Morris Levy. Mr Morris is said to be The Godfather of the Music Business. 

This episode also explain terminology like “payola,” and we also discuss Fred Bonadona, a local business man and the owner of the restaurant “Poor Freddie’s”, and his fight with “the Civella’s,” Kansas City’s organized crime family and how Mr Bonadonna fought to keep boss Nick Civella and his friends out of The River Quay.