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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Monday, January 14, 2008

Herbie Hancock - Fat Albert Rotunda (1969)



1. Wiggle waggle
2. Fat mama
3. Tell me a bedtime story
4. Oh! oh! here he comes
5. Jessica
6. Fat Albert Rotunda
7. Lil' brother

Blaxploitation.com
Taken from Bill Cosby's TV series, this album is superb from start to finish. Similar in feel (although more hip jazzy) to The Adventurers rescore by Quincy Jones, there's so many good tracks on here that it's difficult to pick the good ones. Suffice to say it's been sampled many times, from the snappy funky jazz of Wiggle Waggle to Fat Mama. The band are super-tight, really spacious and jazzy in tone, with plenty of strong brass work over some very, very groovy backline. A pleasure to listen to, and highly recommended.

Billy Preston & Syreeta - Fast Break (1979)




1. Go For It (Theme From "Fast Break")
2. Welcome To Cadwallader (instr.)
3. More Than Just A Friend
4. With you I'm Born Again (instr.)
5. He Didn't Stay
6. With You I'm Born Again
7. Books And Basketball (Montage, instr.)
8. Half Time (instr.)
9. The Big Game (instr.)
10. Go For It (Disco)


Blaxploitation.com
Don't miss this bargin bin album from Billy Preston and Syreeta if you like a late 70's funk sound. David Shire, the man behind the classic funk score to 'Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3', writes several noteworthy disco-funk cuts for this basketball movie including the great 70's gameshow-style instrumentals "The Big Game" and "Books And Basketball". The theme "Go For It" was a big hit at the time.

Charles Earland - The Dynamite Brothers (1972)



1. Betty's Theme
2. Never Ending Melody
3. Grasshopper
4. Shanty Blues
5. Weedhopper
6. Razor
7. Kungfusion
8. Snake
9. Incense of Essence

Blaxploitation.com
Charles Earland's only soundtrack attempt is often overlooked, and was originally issued in relatively small numbers on Prestige. Don't miss it - it's a raw, organ and flute driven psychedelic funk monster. Entirely instrumental, the best track is the insistent "Kung Fusion".

Curtis Mayfield - Superfly (1972)



Disc 1:
1. Little Child Runnin' Wild
2. Pusherman
3. Freddie's Dead
4. Junkie Chase (Instrumental)
5. Give Me Your Love (Love Song)
6. Eddie You Should Know Better
7. No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song)
8. Think (Instrumental)
9. Superfly
10. Freddie's Dead (Theme From 'Superfly') (Single Mix)
11. Superfly (Single Mix)

Disc 2:
1. Ghetto Child (Demo Of 'Little Child Runnin' Wild')
2. Pusherman (Alternate Mix)
3. Freddie's Dead (Instrumental Version)
4. Junkie Chase (Instrumental) (Full-Length Version)
5. No Thing On Me (Cocaine Song) (Instrumental Version)
6. Militant March
7. Eddie You Should Know Better (Instrumental Version)
8. Radio Spot #1
9. The Underground (Demo)
10. Check Out Your Mind (Instrumental Version)
11. Radio Spot #2
12. Curtis Mayfield (On Superfly Film & Songwriting)

Blaxploitation.com
Curtis Mayfield's finest moment. The beauty of his music completely contradicted the violence inherent in the film. The album features too many good tracks to mention; "Pusherman" and "Eddie's Dead" sound as fresh today as when they were first recorded.