Happy Birthday Curtis Mayfield!

The Impressions “Gypsy Woman” (ABC-Paramount, 1961)
Major Lance “Girls” (Okeh, 1964)
The Fascinations “The Girls Are Out To Get You” (Mayfield, 1967)
Curtis Mayfield “Get Down” (Curtom, 1971)
Curtis Mayfield “Trippin’ Out” (RSO / Curtom, 1980)

Today we celebrate the birthday of one the major figures in American music and one of my personal musical heroes, Curtis Mayfield.

His recording career started with The Impressions and another Chicago sould heavyweight Jerry Butler.  In fact, when Mayfield joined the group they were known as “Jerry Butler and The Impressions” but after their first hit, “For Your Precious Love” Butler chose to leave the group and go solo.  He struck gold with a number of Mayfield penned tunes and went on to have considerable success as a solo artist.  This left Curtis in the driver’s seat of the Impressions now with only bandmates Fred Cash and Sam Gooden, Mayfield had to find some hits with his distinctive falsetto and unusual guitar tuning.  Fortunately they didn’t have to wait long and found success in 1962 with one of today’s 45s “Gypsy Woman.”  Throughout the 60’s Mayfield would continue to write an unbelievable string of records that were critically and commercially successful along with many of them “Keep On Pushing,” “People Get Ready,” and one of my favorites “It’s All Right” becoming anthems for the emerging Black Power movement.

During the early 60’s, along with performing with The Impressions, Mayfield worked for the Okeh label, the origin of today’s Major Lance 45.  He worked closely with their in house arrangers and producers Johnny Pate and Carl Davis, two equally large figures in the shaping of the Chicago sound.  Major Lance has so many good songs from this period I literally just chose the one I was listening to the most these days.  Mayfield left Okeh in mid-60s over disagreements with management about writing credits and the like.  The success of the Impressions wasn’t enough to satisfy the tireless mayfield and he continued to write, record and release music on his Windy C label and Mayfield Records along with writing and producing for Impression manager Eddie Thomas’ eponymous label Thomas.  The Fascinations track included here is a favorite of mine and marks one of the (unfortunately rare) times he worked with female artists. (note: Check the Five Stairsteps and The Amazers on the “Get Yourself Together” Mix further back in the blog for a couple great tracks that Mayfield wrote/produced on Windy C and Thomas!)

Original Impression and break out star Jerry Butler

In 1970 Mayfield went solo and began the Curtom label releasing some of the most charged and soulful funk the decade would see.  His acumen in the studio would let him create some of the most sophisticated, nuanced and deep records of the decade.  “Get Down” is a perfect example of Mayfield’s style; loose vocal chants, some afro-cuban percussion and a mega-heavy fuzz bass holding it all together.  The track continues to build and though his signature guitar is restrained in this particular track his voice really brings together all the other elements- the racing drums, the subdued horn arrangements and awesome fuzz guitar lead.

It’s hard to imagine, but he continued to build on his astonishing body of work for the remainder of the decade putting out amazing solo LPs and soundtracks including the wildly popular Superfly.  I’ll concede that some of edge and bite may have subsided as his work approached the 80’s, but as evidenced in the final 45 there is no way you can say the beauty of his records, present from day one, ever faded.  “Trippin’ Out” is a masterful track from the “Something To Believe In” LP.  This is the 45 edit here, on the album it breathes even more, clocking in at over 7:00.  Interesting to note that long time Philadelphia hero Bunny Sigler is the writer of the track.

Throughout the 80’s Mayfield maintained a low profile, releasing only a few albums and in 1990 on the verge of the release of “The Return of Superfly” soundtrack he was tragically injured in an accident at a concert where stage lighting fell on his back leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.  Finally, in 1999, after years of struggling with his health he passed away on Dec. 26th.

I hope you enjoy today’s tracks and take some time to check out more of his work, I guarantee you will never be disappointed.

All the best,

-George / Snack Attack

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