Remarks:
Classic Marvin Gaye. This went to #1 on the American R&B charts in 1971. As you can tell from the song, trigger-happy policing goes back to at least the 1970s.
Lyrics:
(Marvin Gaye/James Nyx)
Dah, dah, dah, dah
dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain’t livin’, This ain’t livin’
No, no baby, this ain’t livin’
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Hang ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
I can’t pay my taxes
Oh, make me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it makes me wanna holler
And throw up both my hands
Crime is increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God know where we’re heading
Oh, make me wanna holler
They don’t understand
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah
Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we’re wrong
Who are they to judge us
Simply cause we wear our hair long
Oh My Gossssssshhhhhhhhh
Choon!
Love the cover version of this too
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Yeah, that’s a classic tune. As of late, I’ve been getting into this one song (sampled by Erick Sermon a while back), which is of a lighter note…
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I really dug Marvin Gaye and Tammi Tarrell ( sp?)
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@Bulanik
Do you remember them? I have their LP…on vinyl (really showing my age now lol)
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What’s Going On: My favorite of all times Marvin Gaye album. One song leads into another with each filled with such prophetic lyrics. Timeless material. BTW – trigger happy policing/ beatings / fire hosing extends much farther back than the 1970s, all attempts to control African Americans. By then (the 1970s), like we feel now, it should have been non-existent. Sadly, it wasn’t and still isn’t.
dbg
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@abagond, Bulanik, Demerera, ch555x,
Thank you!
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Love this song!! Been dealing with the craziness from neighbors and family over the Martin case and all the general discussions about racism that I’ve been cranking all types of tunes: Strange Fruit, The Message, Cloud 9, Be Optimistic, Tennesse, and various rap artists. Turn up the music!
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@the world we live in
Message, Cloud 9, Be Optimistic, Tennesse,
I recognise all except Cloud 9 – do you have a demo you can post?
@anonymous
Glad you liked it 🙂
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It’s amazing and shocking how songs like “What’s Going On” and “Inner City Blues” were made in the past, but the issues addressed in the songs are still going on. It’s a damning truth that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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Peace, sir.
Been on that “What’s Going On” album for some time now. It speaks SO very deeply to me about the conditions all around us. TRULY a visionary work.
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Bulanik & Brothawolf
“Other songs from around the era include Stevie Wonder’s “Heaven Help Us All”, and Edwin Starr’s “War”.”
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And:
The Temptations – Ball of Confusion
War – The World is a Ghetto / Deliver The Word
Stevie Wonder – Living For The City
Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes – Bad Luck
The O-Jays – Ship Ahoy
Earth, Wind & Fire – That’s The Way Of The World
The Temptations – Message From A Blackman
The Chi-Lites – (For God’s Sake) Give More Power To The People
The Ohio Players – I Want To Be Free
Bob Marley – Buffalo Soldier / Redemption Song
James Brown – Say It Loud, I’m Black & I’m Proud
The Impressions – Keep On Pushing
The Crusaders – Street Life
Public Enemy – 911 IS A JOKE / FIGHT THE POWER
Marvin Gaye – Trouble Man
Aretha Franklin – Young, Gifted and Black
Curtis Mayfield – Beautiful Brother of Mine
** For dave:
The Youngbloods – Get Together
Wilson Philips – Hold On
The Rolling Stones – BROWN SUGAR (look up the lyrics!)
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Sam Cooke – Bring It On Home To Me..
Thanks for posting this Bulanik! First time hearing this live version!!!
So many others sang Bring It On Home To Me. I’ve been a bit lax with (the pensive yet lively) Mr. Cooke – for no special reason. Maybe because I’m not THAT old.. lol For some reason he and Otis Redding remind me a bit of each other.
Chain Gang, and Another Saturday Night were a couple of favorites.
I have absolutely no idea how Sam might have blessed us further. You’re right about him having powers though!!! Had he lived we’d have more Cooke classics for sure.
The Staple Singers… Yes!!
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Bulanik
“The Stylistics – yes, yes – you see what I mean, saccharin soul..”
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Saccharin? LOL
Ohhh, you mean like SUPER SWEET?? 🙂
As in Blue Magic, Eddie Holman, Delfonics, The Four Tops, Bloodstone’s Natural High, Flamingos’ I Only Have Eyes For You, Little Anthony, Jerry Butler, Luther Vandross, Peaches & Herb, Teddy Pendergrass — sweet. : )))
I better stop! It’s starting to get all sugary up in here.
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Killer lists , Matari, Sam Cook, my mom used to play him on the box when I was real young and Id be liking it a lot
Smokey, Fontela Bass , Rescue Me , Donny Hathaway, Martha and the Vandellas, how about Minnie Ripperton singing If I Ever Lose This Heaven on Quincy’s Body Heat…or heck Loving You…Stevie Wonder produced that one
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Chaka Khan…darn what was her group called ?
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For sure, Matari, Earth Wind and Fire were prolific
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My favorite Sam Cook , along with Chaingang, was the one about “Rain drops keep falling from my eyes…” what was the name? I loved that cha cha bolero groove into the rainy night feeling
Gladys Knight…Her version of Heard it Through the Grapevine
I tell you, that was a majic era. it really was special special special
quiet as kep, I loved loved lovec Harry Belafonte and his type calypso which probably wasnt authentic, but man, Belafonte is a tremendous indivudual
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ah, thats it , Rufus, thanks Bulanik
ah , I love Irene Cara, I know she is a little later and her songs were poppy, but, Ive heard her up close and she has a huge marvelous voice in a pete little body
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Does anyhone here remember “Bumpin on Sunset” by Wes Montgomery or “Ti Mon Bo” by Tito Puentes?
They were huge hits on our hip little social dance scene in Chicago when I grew up
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Bulanik
“I need to tell you it was my grandparents who introduced me to Sam Cooke’s music! :-D”
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I see you got jokes.. lol
: ))
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B.R.
“Gladys Knight…Her version of Heard it Through the Grapevine”
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…is every bit as delicious as Marvin’s version. I could never make up my mind which version I like best. Gladys Knight (and the Pips) are living legends!!
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It was really tragic how Marvin died, to this day I dont understand what was going on with his dad..
I worked with Odell Brown and the Organisers. Odell eventualy was the music director for Marvin and co-wrote Sexual Healing.
He called me out to work with Minnie Ripperton and her Perfect Angel tour. It was a tumultous tour and lots of people were laid off…incuding me…but, Ill never forget Minnies voice
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How about “Going Round in Circles” by Billy Preston and Bruce Fischer ?
Bruce Fischer would substitue one of the singers in a soul group I worked with in the beginning of my pro days.He was a good entertainer. Billy Preston really was a great cat.
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B.R.
“It was really tragic how Marvin died, to this day I dont understand what was going on with his dad..”
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There seems to be a rather high ratio of tragedies among performing artists in that business. A lot of musicians have died at relatively young ages, in plane crashes, shootings, suicides, over dose.. Sylvester (Sly) Stone was recently shown by the media as homeless. Is there some particular common cause/pressure in the music business that promotes adversity and grief?
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Matari, before I comment on what you said, Id like to say to you, before I came back in here, I was following your posts, and, I admire what you have been saying, same with Brothawolf. I learned a lot about your point of veiw and how I initialy veiw what you say and dont get it right away, but then I check it out and it is right on.
Brothawolf, I was absolutly humbled what he said about why he is here, and like I said I can learn from what you all are saying
Same with Truthbetold
Yes, I dont know why it plays out how it does. Why did so many jaxx musicians get into heroin ? Its not even racial as far as early death, lots of punk rockers are dying from heroin overdose.
I do know tht the heavy black American jazz musicians sufferred a temendous amount of discrimination, and they are geniuses and I know that takes a toll on self esteem and can lead to depresion. I know persosnaly, black American musicians that are geniuses , absolute geniuses who play all styles and sing and write wonderful songs and are undiscovered and it takes an enourmos toll on their psych. We all know that a lot of white artists made a lot of money copping black american culture, and, lets face it a lot of people with deep emotions and who are sensitive get into the arts and it can be a double edge sord
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[…] “Marvin Gaye: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” […]
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LOVE KOVE MARVIN
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