CD2 1. Curtis Mayfield – Superfly The end music from 1972’s ‘Superfly’ is the Blaxploitation theme to end all themes – poignant, funky and the perfect portrait of Ron O’Neal’s character, Youngblood Priest “trying to get over” the fruitless hustle of ghetto life. Mayfield worked on a later version in 1990 with hard-hitting MC, Ice T. 2 Eddie Kendricks - My People…Hold On Licensed courtesy of Universal Music Licensing Division Despite the Civil Rights advances of the ‘60s, the 1970s brought disappointment and disillusionment to Black America with continuing poverty and unemployment. Former Temptations singer Kendricks urges his people to keep strong on this Motown classic from ’72. 3 The Temptations - Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone Producer Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong’s Grammy Award-winning masterpiece from 1972. Released in many versions, the longest of which touched 18 minutes, this is a timeless, mournful cinematic soul symphony with rich imagery around urban hardship: “Papa was never much on thinkin’, spend most of his time chasin’ women and drinkin’.” 4 Aaron Neville – Hercules A 1973 New Orleans gem as the unique falsetto of Neville Brother Aaron meets a sinuous Allen Toussaint arrangement for a pulsing, funky tale of ghetto reality. Sampled by many from Young MC to Cypress Hill. 5 Cymande – Bra Cymande’s self-taught ‘Nyah Rock’ brought us a unique, deeply earthy fusion of Rasta folk songs and funk, direct from Brixton, South London. Here’s one of their best known from 1972 featuring one of the mothers of all basslines, later sampled by DJ Kool, De La Soul and more. 6 The Notations - Super People Signed to Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label in 1974, Chicago’s Notations, led by Cliff Curry, sound uncannily like their boss on this classic funk outing, one of several R&B hits. They’re still going strong in their original line-up too, keeping the Windy City nice and soulful. 7 Maceo & All The Kings Men - Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself Again Sax supremo Maceo Parker helped define over a decade of James Brown’s pioneering funk sound. Here, he left The Godfather in 1970, taking with him his brother Melvin and most of the James Brown band to record two super-funky side albums. This one’s a cracking cover of a Sly & The Family Stone classic. 8 Johnny Pate - Brother On The Run Bucking the trend of early ‘70s blax films by featuring a smooth professor on the run (who shares his genetic code with as many females as he can), the theme, voiced by Adam Wade, was part of a funky score by Johnny ‘Shaft In Africa’ Pate, ex-arranger for the Impressions. 9 Syl Johnson - Concrete Reservation Originally a Chicago bluesman, Johnson brought the genre’s despairing, world-weary edginess to this gritty 1970 classic on the Twinight label, comparing the confinement of inner city housing projects to Indian reservations. 10 Ohio Players - It’s A Cryin’ Shame In 1967, the Players had become the house band for New York label, Compass, with new lead singers Bobby Lee Fears and Dutch Robinson. Although this, their second single for the label, failed to register with R&B fans at the time, the band’s bottom heavy, horn-led sound was beginning to take shape. 11 The Rimshots - Neighbour! Get Your Own The house band for Sylvia Robinson’s New Jersey-based All Platinum label group, led by composer / producers Walter Morris and Tommy Keith give up a hunk of motivating instrumental funk from their 1971 ‘Soul Train’ long player. 12 Maceo & All The Kings Men - (I Remember) Mr. Banks A smouldering late night beauty from Maceo and the brothers’ ‘Doin’ Their Own Thing’ set from 1970, showcasing his exquisite feel on the sax. Written as a tribute to Maceo’s high school music director who mentored Parker from eighth grade. 13 Ripple - Get Off Produced by veteran Blue Note musician Dee Ervin, multi-racial Michigan funk combo Ripple sprinkled all manner of pop and jazz elements into their funk on their self-titled debut on GRC in ’73. Here’s one of the better cuts, a sharp, harmonised instrumental funk groover. 14 The Meters - Funky Miracle Another big New Orleans staple from Porter, Neocentelli, Modeliste and Neville, this one is from their third album, ‘Look-Ka Py Py’, produced by Big Easy legends Allen Touissaint and Marshall Sehorn. Later sampled famously by Gang Starr on ‘Take A Rest’. 15 Lee Dorsey - Yes We Can Can Having worked with producer Allen Toussaint since 1958, the pair produced this New Orleans wake-up call in 1970, backed by The Meters at their very best: “We gotta make this land a better land in this world in which we live...” Later covered by the Pointer Sisters, Robert Palmer, Little Feat and more.