The mission of The Department of Afro-American Research Arts and Culture to identify the global significance of the creative contributions pioneered by an international diaspora of Blackness
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Sunday, November 30, 2008

Which Way Is Up? (1977)

















Starring:


Storyline
Orange picker Leroy Jones (Richard Pryor) inadvertently becomes a union leader and is forced out of town, leaving behind his sexually obsessed father, Rufus (also Pryor), and spouse, Annie Mae (Margaret Avery). He heads for Los Angeles, where he falls for union organizer Vanetta (Lonette McKee). Annie Mae seeks solace from the local preacher, Lenox Thomas (also Pryor), who eventually impregnates her. When Leroy catches wind of this, he heads home for a showdown with Lenox.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Johnny Pate - Shaft [TV Series - The Executioners] OST (1974)



Another banger @ Fraykerbreaks

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Abby (1974)

























"Abby" (1974) is a black cult horror film that Warner Brothers pulled due to copyright infringement to the 1973 film, "The Exorcist." The film had a great cast and saw early success in theaters when it was released. Unfortunately, because the film was banned, there were talks that Warner Brothers confiscated the film elements as well, and the condition of the elements is still being determined. Nevertheless, this movie is a must-see for all horror fans. You'll get entertainment, and you'll even question why there was copyright infringement in the first place after you watch it. Unfortunately, I don't know how you can copyright possession films. Hopefully, one day we will see a remastered version of this cult classic.

The lead actress, Carol Speed, passed away in January of 2022, and co-star, Austin Stoker, recently passed on October 7th. R.I.P.

Director: William Girdler
Writers: William Girdler (story), Gordon Cornell Layne (screenplay)

Starring William Marshall, Carol Speed, Terry Carter, Juanita Moore, Austin Stoker, Charles Kissinger

Storyline
Abby tells the story of a young, church-going housewife (Carol Speed) who is possessed by an erotically charged Nigerian sex demon and accidentally set free of its African confines by her archeologist father-in-law (William Marshall). Possessed by the renegade spirit, Abby goes on a hell-bent spree of destruction and wanton sexual behavior, all to the shock of her minister husband. However, when Abby's father-in-law returns from Africa to exorcise the demon inside her, all hell breaks loose as a battleground of good versus evil as Abby's family fights to save her soul from eternal damnation!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Howard Roberts - Lord Shango (1975)



Label: Bryan Records [BRS-104]
Country: US
Released: 1975
Tracks:
A1 Jenny's Theme
A2 Funky, But??
A3 Some People
A4 Walk Softly
A5 Sailin'
A6 It Was You
A7 Streak O'Lean
B1 Jesus, Sweet Jesus
B2 Glory, Glory
B3 Be Ready For The Judgement Day
B4 Banjoko
B5 Come To The Water
B6 My Lord, He Calls Me

Blaxploitation.com:
The tiny Bryan label, responsible for other small-pressing soundtracks such as the funky Deep Throat II, was scored by Howard Roberts. The first side of the album features pop and funk songs from the film, while the second side is made up of gospel and religious tracks. There's a great funk instrumental with a big guitar sound, 'Funky, But?', and several notable groovy easy listening-style tracks. Difficult to find and invariably expensive, but rewarding. The album has an early 1970s or late 1960s feel that contradicts its release date.

Provided by Musicdawn

The Wiz - Various Artists produced by Quincy Jones (1978)

1 Main Title from "The Wiz" (Overture, Pt. 1) 2:34
2 Overture, Pt. 2 2:03
3 The Feeling That We Have 3:30
4 Can I Go On 1:56
5 Glinda's Theme 1:09
6 Listen Now! He's the Wizard 2:52
7 Soon as I Get Home/Home 4:01
8 You Can't Win 3:14
9 Ease on Down the Road #1 3:19
10 What Would I Do If I Could Feel? 2:18
11 Slide Some Oil to Me 2:19
12 Ease on Down the Road #2 1:30
13 I'm a Mean Ole Lion 2:23
14 Ease on Down the Road #3 1:24
15 Poppy Girls 3:27
16 Be a Lion 4:04
17 End of the Yellow Brick Road 1:01
18 Emerald City Sequence 6:41
19 So You Wanted to See the Wizard 2:48
20 Is This What Feeling Gets? (Dorothy's Theme) 3:13
21 Don't Noboby Bring Me No Bad News 3:01
22 A Brand New Day 7:51
23 Believe in Yourself (Dorothy) 2:54
24 The Good Witch Glinda 1:10
25 Believe in Yourself (Reprise) 2:13
26 Home 3:27

AMG.com

Director Sidney Lumet's big budget film version of The Wiz, an updated
musical treatment of The Wizard of Oz with songs by Charlie Smalls, is
not remembered as one of the great movie musicals. But you wouldn't
know that from this elaborate double-LP soundtrack album, on which
Smalls's Broadway score is augmented by music written by producer
Quincy Jones, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and Luther Vandross.
Jones organized a studio band of New York jazz veterans, including
Toots Thielemans, Eric Gale, Michael Brecker, and Richard Tee, and of
course the cast provides spectacular vocal firepower in the persons of
Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. The result was a Top 40, gold-selling
album paced by a Top 40 single of "Ease on Down the Road" by Ross and
Jackson (outperforming the 1975 version by Consumer Rapport), as well
as the chart single "You Can't Win," by Jackson. Much comparison has
been made between the vocal (not to mention the facial) resemblance
between Ross and Jackson; here's the only place to hear them together.
by William Ruhlmann

Sparkle (1976)

















Starring:

Storyline
Three sisters (Sister and the Sisters) from Harlem become singers. Sister (Lonette McKee) becomes involved with drugs, while Sparkle (Irene Cara) ends up being the one who gets famous. This film tells of how drugs ruin Sister's relationships and eventually end her life. It is also about the relationship between Sparkle and Stix (Philip Michael Thomas).