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| Blacula Soundtrack (1972). It bites. |
About a year ago I found myself in a fairly average record store in the suburbs, and as I approached the young lady at the front counter I found myself uttering the following words:
"Hi, do you have a copy of the Blacula Soundtrack by Gene Page?".
Just before she answered she shot me that look - you know the one: that mixture of disgust & bewilderment that seemed to suggest "Is this guy for real??!"
Taking cue from her bemused state, I quickly added: "It's the soundtrack to that early 70's movie about the black Dracula.."
"No. We don't." she said abruptly, her tone insinuating that I had crossed some line of decency and/or political correctness courtesy of my left-field request.
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| Blackenstein (1973). One bad brutha. |
Blacula - the motion picture - was just one of many American films released in the early 70's that made up a new controversial genre of film known as "Blaxploitation". In a nutshell, these films were typically low budget dramas full of crime, sex, violence (and horror) produced specifically for the young, urban, African-American market. The genre drew criticism from many for being simply a perpetration of white stereotypes about black people, while others praised the films as being examples of black empowerment. More often than not these films were set in urban ghettos and featured a rotating cast of hit-men, pimps, corrupt cops and random "honkys" all intent on keeping the hero on his or her toes.
Although the plot lines were spread thin (ie: black protagonist and his trials against the oppressive "whitey"), the film producers in this genre had an ace up their sleeve that was used to attract a ticket-buying public: the Soundtrack.
Between the years 1971 to 1975 (ie: the golden era of Blaxploitation) many of the biggest acts in soul music lent their names to some of the funkiest, groove-laden soundtracks you are ever likely to hear. Names like James Brown, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye & Quincy Jones created some of the era's finest music and, in the process, left behind a perfect time capsule of that controversial epoch for future generations of wah-wah guitar aficionados to nod their Afro to.
But where to start?? Well, below are 5 albums that best capture the essence of the period - in all their funky, jive-talking glory...
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| Isaac Hayes, Shaft (1971). You're damn right. |
Before he was known to the world as the voice of Chef in South Park, Isaac Hayes was a soul legend who won an Oscar for Best Original Song for the superb "Theme From Shaft" - one of the most instantly recognizable pieces of 20th century popular music. Isaac's silky smooth vocals kick in on this opening track at around 2:42, introducing us to John Shaft through a series of memorable questions (ie: "Who is the man who would risk his neck for his brother-man?" "Shaft!" "Can you dig it?") - all backed by a relentless and extremely cool muted wah-wah guitar.
This double-album soundtrack of mostly instrumental cuts serves as the perfect backdrop behind images of detective John Shaft patrolling the mean streets of Harlem. Some super-phat bass lines and superb horn arrangements are just some of the highlights here - but the centrepiece is the near 20-minute funk tour de force, "Do Your Thing" - a great vocal performance from Hayes followed by an amazing funk jam that transports you to other areas of the cosmos. Yes, Isaac - I can dig it...
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| Roy Ayers, Coffy (1973). Coffy is the colour.. |
If you're a Tarantino fan, you'll remember Jackie Brown, right? Well this is her, AKA Pam Grier, in 1973's Coffy - a film about a female vigilante wreaking havoc on drug dealers & various underworld figures - something she's apparently very good at. Although the film was never destined to make any "greatest films of all time" lists, it does boast this corker of a soundtrack from jazz/funk artist Roy Ayers.
This record has a more jazzy feel than many others in the genre, and Ayers' awesome vibraphone playing gives it a touch of class that only a master musician can deliver.
Some of the vocal passages haven't aged well, but the quality of the musicianship on this record is to be respected.
This is a great one to listen to on the headphones late at night - smooth & soothing, with a little bit of harpsichord thrown in for good measure.
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| James Brown, Black Caesar (1973). Who's "The Boss"? |
The soundtrack to this 70's remake of the 1931 gangster film Little Caesar was James Brown's first attempt at a movie soundtrack, and judging by the results we should all be thankful he decided to have a crack at it...
Gritty and pulsing with the sound of the street, this album is the hidden gem in the impressive discography of "The Godfather of Soul". Standout track "The Boss" has been sampled by numerous rap artists, including Ice-T and Nas, and "Mama Feelgood" features a sensational lead vocal from soul singer Lyn Collins.
Brown's killer band The J.B's are in fine form on this record, and there's heaps of interesting, funky guitar chops peppered throughout, until James winds things down nicely with the bluesy "Like It Is, Like It Was" - the perfect ending to a near-perfect album.
And they had the nerve to call Bruce Springsteen "The Boss"....
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| Marvin Gaye, Trouble Man (1972). Great music, bad film. |
After the initial success of his 1971 masterpiece What's Going On, Marvin went to Hollywood with the idea of recording a movie soundtrack - and Trouble Man was the worthy result.
More bluesy and atmospheric than most other soundtracks in the genre, this one is mostly instrumental with the odd vocal phrasing from the man himself scattered throughout. The title track "Trouble Man" is simply a classic: Gaye plays the drums and piano on this cut, and also turns in the kind of falsetto vocal performance that only justifies his reputation as "The Prince of Soul". Just great.
While the movie was a stinker, the soundtrack is all class. Marvin went on to release some other great albums in the 70's - notably Let's Get It On (1973) and Here, My Dear (1978) - and was riding the success of his "comeback" album Midnight Love in the early 80's when his life was tragically cut short: he was shot dead by his own father on April Fool's Day in 1984 - one day before his 45th birthday. A sad end to a true soul legend.
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| Curtis Mayfield, Super Fly (1972). Super Funky. |
The standard by which all others should be judged...
Not just a great soundtrack album: this is a superb artistic statement that has stood the test of time.
Curtis Mayfield, multi-instrumentalist and one of the pioneers of socially-aware, politically charged music, left soul group The Impressions in 1970 for a solo career which hit its peak with this 1972 masterpiece - a soundtrack album that made more money than the film!
Tracks like "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead" and "Superfly" are funk/soul classics which have stood the test of time and influenced many other artists over the years - from Prince to most of the hip-hop generation.
The album has aged incredibly well too. It is not just an artifact of its era, but an artistic milestone in the development of African-American music and culture - so much so that it was even voted the "69th greatest album of all time" by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003.
If you only check out from album from this hastily assembled Top 5 - make sure it's this one. An essential addition to any music lover's collection.
Postscript:
Well, about 2 weeks after that awkward social interaction created by my unyielding search for the Blacula soundtrack, I finally tracked a CD copy of the album down in a local record store.
Curiosity had got the better of me and I had high expectations, however it didn't take long to realize that this record wasn't in the same league as a Shaft or Super Fly. Yes, it's funky and it has all the trademarks of the genre - but the thrill of the chase for this elusive gem had far outweighed the actual experience of listening to the music.
I don't know what to make of this, but it has caused me to postpone my hunt for the Blackenstein soundtrack indefinitely. Some things can never live up to one's expectations....
