Triple Treat: Isaac Hayes

[Videoskooter]

The darkvoiced chef of Soul and (some) Disco:

"Shaft"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yxhk8Zt1QI

"Don't let Go" (Whoppa!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1D_N...elated&search=

"Rollin' down a mountainside"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw_UqTeGLCg

Bonus: The Bar-Kays

"Son of Shaft"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMw6G...elated&search=

[Disco Funk]

Speaking of The Bar Kays, here's a video of the first incarnation of the band (most of them died in the Otis Redding plane crash). The song is credited as Soul Finger by the person who uploaded it, but that's not the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ittUq...elated&search=

Here's my favorite track of theirs from the Mercury period:

Bar Kays - Lets Have Some Fun

Thanks for posting that Isaac Hayes video. I didn't know he made one during the disco era.

As for the Wattstax stuff, I'd recommend checking out the movie itself, because you also get to see Rufus Thomas, who was a phenomenon in his own right. I mean, the guy was in his 50s! when he started kicking out the funk jams. And he was hilarious as hell!

Here he is doing The Breakdown at Wattstax:

Rufus Thomas - The Breakdown

And to keep in the funk groove (late 70's) check out this clip of Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - Bustin Loose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVCWWaxVDPI

Disco Funk

[Videoskooter]

Disco Funk, can u fill me in on "WattStax" ? That's something new to me :oops:

[visuals]

Originally Posted by Videoscooter

Disco Funk, can u fill me in on "WattStax" ? That's something new to me

Videoscooter: I don't want to spoil it for DiscoFunk being as you were questioning him and not me so I won't say awfully too much. I got the chance to see an airing of the "Wattstax" festival about 2 or 3 yrs ago on PBS. The actual festival took place in 70' or 71' if I'm not mistaken and it was a very nice and righteous gathering of people from all over.

It took place in Memphis at a football field and is also said to be the black Woodstock. Lots of the Stax artists performed some of their tunes and there were also little snippets of interviews and skits included in the video.
Richard Pryor,Ted Lange and Woodrow from Sanford & Son were there. The Barkays, Rufus Thomas, Luther Ingram, The Emotions, Little Milton, Albert King and many others performed (some were actual videos from concerts) that were included. Rance Allen performed a fiery version of "Lyin' On The Truth". Lots of social commentary involving everything from race relations to political views were also included. There are a couple of cd's available for purchase and also a DVD. Check it out if you can....You will learn a lot about Stax that you probably didn't know while enjoying the performances with a couple laughs throughout.

P.S. I wouldn't buy those first two cd's because I remember reading somewhere that both are badly butchered versions. I bought the second one before I found out about that fact but it is only highlights from the film. The 3rd one seems to be the best buy out of them all and I think there is another one available too. The DVD on the right however, Is a must have if you like Stax artists or soul/funk music in general and you've never seen it. Very informative.

[Disco Funk]

Thanks Visuals for filling everyone in. That pretty much sums it up. It was a concert that actually took place in 1973 in Watts, the Stax version of Woodstock you could say. Watts is actually in LA. Some of the footage of the surrounding city area shows early tagging by the notorious Cryps, a gang that apparently started only a couple of years earlier.

It would have been nice if the Wattstax film showed more of the performances, like the Woodstock film. I'm sure the DVD could have included more bonus footage, in addition to the three bonus performances it included. Its worth checking out the Stax artists still in their prime!

Disco Funk

[visuals]

Originally Posted by Disco Funk

It was a concert that actually took place in 1973 in Watts, the Stax version of Woodstock you could say. Watts is actually in LA.

Thanks for posting the corrections here Disco Funk. I agree with you on the film having more live performances. The version that I caught was about 2 hrs long but it was the telecast version so I'm pretty sure it was edited to allow for time slot compensation. I also read somewhere that the song that Isaac Hayes performed at the end of the festival was in some sort of label/contract violation and was taken from another performance and edited with artificial crowd noice to make it seem like it was performed at Wattstax.

[remicks]

*****

It was broadcast live on a radio station out of LA of which I , in high school at the time, recorded on my reel-to reel .... I remember being disappointed in the shortened album .... in fact aren't some artists not even on it ? Frederick Knight maybe .....Carla Thomas ? MG's ? ...... or very abreviated ...

hmmm .... I bet that concert is in my pile of tapes .....

*****