When I started what was to be my final job in '06 there was a black guy in the work force who was the resident "Rap" expert. You many not believe this but even as big as "Biggie" and Sixpac, I mean Tupac were I had never heard od them. Daily Mr Rap would inform me of all those Rap Stars and detail their life styles. Seems like they make all that money, and fame, then self create their own "hoods" to keep in touch with their alleged "roots" From everything I learned from Mr, Rap in the 5 years I worked with him my all or nothing at all lifestyle proved that I'd been for myself correct, that lifestyle is not for me. So when I hear of stuff like "Lil Wayne and the rest it truly is no surprise. Jesus Christ what started out as a hit for Blondie got totally out of control.
...ya know, a lot people are unaware of that fact...I remember playing "Rapture" as a DJ...and you're right, as far as I know it was actually the first rap song. ...begins at the 1:53 mark;
I thought the tune was different, liked Blondie so cool. When that song was out I used to listen on the radion of my "B" driving into Fort Myer, the Police had De Doo, Doo, Doo, De Dah, Dah, Dah out about the same time. Yep tell a rapper that a honky chick did the first Rap Tune and catch the Reaction. I one told a black dude that the Beatles did You Really Got A Hold On Me better than Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Thought the guy was going to have a stroke.
...as far as British roadsters, I had Triumphs...loved my TR6's...great cars...the Spitfire was little more than a go cart....British Leyland made an "MGC" which essentially was the same car as the MGB but with the torquey TR6 straight 6 in it. ...The Police was a great 3 man band...always liked Stuart Copeland's drumming...he was obviously influenced some by reggae music. ...another 3 man band whose drummer I liked was Don Brewer of Grand Funk...always liked his vocals better than Mark Farner's too.
Some one was telling me that Farner really hit the skids, Grand Funk did do some good stuff. There was a lot of good stuff out there twxt '70 and '76.
...yeah, I was amazed when I heard that Zappa was going to produce GFRR's final album. It didn't do much because the band was fighting and determined to split up while over-dubbing.
I've been talking about this for years. Especially whenever I hear that this Dr Drad & guys like Snoopy dog & this puffy guy were the FOUNDERS of rap. NEWSFLASH! its been around longer then most of these guys have been alive. Hell when did Johnny Cash do "A boy named Sue"? The late 60s? And one of my favorites from over 50 years ago.
They were rapping in the cotton fields before a Republican President set them free......all your music from the 50s and 60s descended from the one true musical race.
Well lets bungle in the jungle, I've heard different versions of rap "origins" to include the ancient Celtic Chants, ditto speaking in tongues. No matter how one cuts the Rap Pie for me I will not consume. Found Grand Funks "Some Kind of Wonderful" on you tube gave it a run, great song and one I'd forgotten about.
My two favorite Rock Bands of the 70's were The Moody Blues and Electric Light Orchestra, both turned out consistent high quality music that I still enjoy today.
Bark! Bark! Bark! I saw Chuck Negron on one of those old intervention shows. some of those junkie habits and monetary expenditures are totally unbelievable. If 10 per cent of those shows are real I'd be amazed, showing out of work people residing in nice digs, getting money and stealing to support the habit. Christ even if the stuff were legal they'd be too effed up to hold a job to make the money to support the habit. In the Negron Episode however his son and grandson were both lost in the ozone with Commander Cody not in sight. I also remember reading John Phillips auto bio and if that guy did drugs in the manner and frequency that he described he either had an amazing constitution or should have been dead prior to when he went.
Steppenwolf, good stuff from that band as well. Tunes like Magic Carpet Ride, Who Needs Ya, and Sookie Sookie, were great for dancing as well as listening. Failing to check egos at the studio doors did them in as well.
I was damn near stunned to hear that very unique Jethro Tull Passion Play Cliche, on FM radio, just 2 nights ago. Satellite/Sirius has blown FM out the doors. Same with I-Net Radio, which has been big in the LA region since the mid 90s. Those stations get into some damn fine stuff. Live guests and tunes, old classic that are considered "Cult Classics".....or Music Musicians Listen to. One can hear a Band Featured over an hour or 3, as well as tunes, only die hards would know of, cuz they were never "Top 40" Billboard.*** L.A., Radio is not that great most of the time. Too afraid to take risks, depart from the mainstream, to play the "real" Classics, we all listened to, but weren't necessarily even in the Billboard Top 40. Not saying top 40 is bad or good, just the fact, alot of what was listened to in the 60s, 70s-80s was rarely even Billboard material. I haven't even heard "Were An American Band" on FM radio in years, let alone any of GF's other works, but you stand a good chance to hear any GF LP on the many Satellite or I-Net Stations out there. I can't envision Zappa in that mix, or 3/4s of the Music alot of my buddies, and myself listened to in those era's. Never saw Hendrix grab a Number #1 hit; and No One but few have even heard of "The International Submarine Band" to know who the hell they were, let alone own a rare find of their one and only record. ***Great Music and "Billboard" sales rankings, doesn't always equate to great or even good music. (What's good music to the masses isn't always good to the Individual).......... ex: Ry Cooder, Leo Kottke, Chicken Foot, The Magic Band, Clash in their day.... I've heard Clash being played from approx 98 to current, yet rarely if ever heard them on the radio in the mid 70s; yet listened earnestly to them when their LP's first hit the stores.
