Curtis Mayfield
Curtis, originally a member of The Impressions,
was more than a singer. He wrote his own original
songs when this was not customary for soul performers.
His themes also were original; he was among
the first songwriters to discuss the struggles
faced by the African American community and
the need for African Americans to feel pride
in themselves. Mayfield also was a very talented
guitarist.
Mayfield was into gospel music before he entered
the pop arena. Gospel and do-wop music influenced
most of his work in the 1960s. Even then, his
music featured both implicit and explicit references
to black pride and focused on the growing confidence
apparent within the African American community.
Mayfield started his solo career in 1970. His
first few singles had a tougher, funkier sound
than his previous work. In singles like (Don’t
Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re
All Gonna Go, he talked about life in the ghetto
in a very realistic way:
Smoke the pill and the dope,
Educated fools from uneducated schools.
Pimping people is the rule.
Polluted water in the pool.
And everybody’s saying don’t worry,
They say don’t worry.
They say don’t worry,
They say don’t worry.
But they don’t know, there can be no show,
And if there’s hell below we’re all gonna go.
Tell me what we gonna do if everything I say is try?
This ain’t no way it ought to be, if only all the mass could see.
But they keep talking ‘bout don’t worry,
They say don’t worry . . .
(©1971 Rhino)
As a solo artist, Mayfield’s first major
commercial success came with the release of
Superfly. This album described the dark side
of life in the ghetto, including drug deals,
shootings, and death. Despite the dark themes
of the songs, Mayfield’s vocals, melodies,
and funk/pop arrangements created a strong,
yet graceful sound.
Reference: http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/mayfield_curtis/bio.jhtml
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