Share thanks and gratitude
with a feast of friends!
Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis, Nina Simone,
The Beatles, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder,
Sam and Dave, Led Zeppelin,
Sly And The Family Stone, Nick Drake,
Bob Dylan, Big Star,
Earth Wind and Fire, Isley Brothers,
Talking Heads, Bob Marley, The Damned,
The Flaming Lips, Jane's Addiction,
Beastie Boys, Neil Young,
Gal Costa, Bad Brains, Mavis Staples,
Bjork, Kelis, Dengue Fever,
and many more guests!
ROCK Sex says "it might grind slow but it grinds fine".
Today, the strands that intertwine "Indian Rope Man".
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The culture baton today starts with the original version by its writer Richie Havens.
Richie always had an intense drive that propelled his Folk songs with furious urgency. As much as the Folk and Gospel tradition, that relentless rhythm places his music somewhere between the polyrhythmic afrobeat of Fela and the Punk-Folk of Billy Bragg.
Here's he takes the pace down a bit and becomes entrancing.
RICHIE HAVENS -"Indian Rope Man" (1969)
No right-minded band could pass that fantastic groove up. The first was the Brian Auger Trinity, with the formidible vocals of Julie Driscoll, turning it into a Funk-Rock masterpiece.
JULIE DRISCOLL w/ BRIAN AUGER TRINITY -"Indian Rope Man" (1969)
That seemed to break the floodgates as it became a staple in jam bands' repertoire, all clearly influenced by the Driscoll/Auger version.
The English jazz-rock band Warm Dust ignited the career of Soul singer Paul Carrack.
The Driscoll/Auger template of funk-rock with female vocals clearly stamped itself on versions by Australia's McFEE, and Germany's Phaze and the twenty-minute version by Tomorrow's Gift.
Determined to make their own mark on it. the German Frumpy slowed it down and boiled the burn. And it didn't hurt that their singer was the blasting soul powerhouse Inga Rumpf, who gives even the mighty Driscoll a hard run for her money.
FRUMPY, w/ INGA RUMPF -"Indian Rope Man" (1971)
Bob Marley takes us from the Ganges to Ganja with "African Herbsman", mellowing it out in homage to his medicinal extract.
BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS -"African Herbsman" (1973)
ROCK Sex is back showing how pop culture links up.
Here's how the Bubblegum Pop hit "Sugar Sugar" turns into sultry Soul.
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ARCHIE, the popular comic book character, had a cartoon series in the late '60s. To stay hip with the youth, the cast formed a band and performed songs throughout the show in the tradition of The Monkees.
Beyond all absurdity, they scored a #1 hit that gets in your head and never goes away.
The vocals were actually sung by Pop journeyman Ron Dante, with a bit of an all-star cast of studio stalwarts, including Girl Group scribe Elle Greenwich and Country star Ray Stevens.
THE ARCHIES -"Sugar, Sugar" (1969)
Wilson Pickett had an incredible knack for covering other folk's songs and surpassing the original.
First off, he was Wilson Pickett. And secondly he was usually backed by the Stax Records house bands or the Muscle Shoals bands.
Here's another sterling example of Wicked Pickett taking ownership of a song.
Another musical relay race today, where one song changes hands and sounds and names.
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Between 1970 and 1977, you couldn't go up against WAR.
This formidable Funk troop could take down all comers with their scary chops and continuous hits. Here's the abstractly anti-drug anthem, "Slippin' Into Darkness".
WAR -"Slippin' Into Darkness" (1972)
Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer spliced that riff into their spliff with this classic of their own:
THE WAILERS -"Get Up Stand Up" (1973)
Meanwhile the deluge of covers began. Here's a survey of the different slants everybody brought to the groove.
THE 19th WHOLE goes with vibraphones, organ, and peels of acid guitar:
THE 19th WHOLE -"Slipping Into Darkness" (1972)
Ohio grew great Funk like it was grass (Bootsy Collins, Ohio Players, Zapp). Here's THE DAYTON SIDEWINDERS putting some serious Meters-style hard kick into the song:
THE DAYTON SIDEWINDERS -"Slipping Into Darkness" (197_)
Now original groover RAMSEY LEWIS sasses some Jazz razzmatazz on it, with some slow slunk in the style of Sly And The Family Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On.
RAMSEY LEWIS -"Slipping Into Darkness" (1973)
CARL BRADNEY goes Marley one better by giving it the full-on Reggae treatment, with beautiful harmonies.
Naturally hardcore L.A. HipHop put a kit on it.
FUNKY AZTEKS, ft. 2PAC -"Slippin' Into Darkness" (1995)
The song is now a standard for every self-respecting Funk band.
LETTUCE -"Slipping Into Darkness" (2012)
The song has also been used in the films AMERICAN ME (1992) and SUICIDE SQUAD (2016).
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There's a "War" touring around nowdays, but it's just one guy with a legal name-grab. Instead, go see THE LOW RIDER BAND, which has all the surviving members in great form!
"Where I talk to my brothers who never said their names."
"Liberation for all. Everything must be rethought." ______________
Two great things hybrid a third great thing. ROCK SEX is a metaphor for the creative connections that link our shared culture together. This Pop Culture hub explores the roots and branches of Music, Film, Art, Comics, and more. _______________
Rock'n'Soul music is a baton relayed by everyone. Learn the holistic history with the most advanced Music Playlists online!:
BLUES, MAMBO, JAZZ, ROCKABILLY, SURF, BEAT, SOUL, GARAGE, PSYCHEDELIA, FUNK, GLAM, PUNK, NEW WAVE, HIPHOP, POSTPUNK, GRUNGE, RIOT GRRRL, ELECTRO, next! _______________
This is our party and everyone is invited!
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