Wednesday, 11 August 2010
Phelps 'Catfish' Collins RIP
Growing up in Cincinnati, Catfish inspired Bootsy to outfit an old guitar with bass strings, helping to define Bootsy’s signature funk sound. Catfish also introduced his brother to the music of Indiana blues guitarist Lonnie Mack. The siblings first played together in the Pacemakers, a funk act, in 1968. One year later, James Brown recruited them to join the original lineup of the J.B.'s, Brown's touring band. Catfish's clean, funky strumming was integral to Brown classics like "Super Bad," "Get Up," "Soul Power," and "Give It Up." "It was like playing a big school with James [as the teacher], like psychotic bump school, only deeper," Bootsy told Rolling Stone in 1978.
When the original J.B.'s split from Brown in 1971, the Collins brothers joined Parliament-Funkadelic, playing on albums like 1972's classic America Eats Its Young. (Catfish also played in Bootsy's side project, Bootsy's Rubber Band.) In 1983, Catfish split from Funkadelic, remaining mostly quiet until 2007, when he contributed guitar to the Superbad soundtrack.
Collins' death comes just one month after fellow Parliament-Funkadelic guitarist Garry Shider passed away from cancer at 56.
Patrick Doyle @'Rolling Stone'
SageFrancisSFR If the artist has to wear multiple hats in order to survive but the middlemen refuse to work extra angles then #KillEmAllAndLetGodSortEmOut
Thom Yorke plays new Radiohead song
Radiohead front-man Thom Yorke played a surprise gig at the Big Chill festival, and during his set, the man performed a brand new Radiohead tune called “Give Up The Ghost”. This wasn’t, however, the first time Yorke has played “Give Up The Ghost”.
via prettymuchamazing
download link for another live version of "Give up the Ghost"
Everyone goes on holiday in Britain...
Even Hells Angels.
I've just found a wonderful, very funny documentary made in 1973 about a group of British Hells Angels.
It's about their daily life and culminates in them going on a weekend mini-break on a derelict barge in the pouring rain near Aylesbury.
They're obviously not very nice people (especially as they tend to go on about Nazis). And the film has a disapproving commentary that talks about their "psychotic tendencies" and their "empty daily existence". But as you watch the film you begin to realise that the director (or possibly the editor) was making a completely different film.
It uses the Hells Angels as a comic and exaggerated parody of the emptiness of the daily life for everyone in Britain.
The film is full of wonderful moments. The lead character - Mad John - goes round to see his wife, but completely ignores her because he finds a letter to him from the fountainhead of Angeldom - the California Angels chapter.
His wife stomps off leaving Mad John with his suitcase of memorabilia. Inside the suitcase is a magazine called "Big Chopper" and a real chopper. He sits with his only real friend - his alsatian dog called Hitler.
And the Hells Angels' holiday ends with all them all sitting together on the barge in the rain watching Dr Who on television drinking cans of lager.
Not much change there then.
Here are the stars of the film:
"Mad John" the Vice President of the Chapter. He was named "Mad John" by "Buttons" who was the first official Hells Angel's leader in Britain. (You can see Buttons' legendary autobiography - Buttons, The Making of a President - briefly in Mad John's suitcase.)
Karl - the Sergeant at Arms of the Chapter. He has been cross-eyed ever since his eyes were knocked out of their sockets in a fight.
Mad John's dog called Hitler plus a great carpet and some fantastic wallpaper.
And Angel member Mick's mum who comes round to lend them a portable TV for the weekend. She is asked what she thinks about her son being a Hells Angel - and she gives one of the best quotes I have ever heard. It is brilliantly comic.
Adam Curtis @'BBC'
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
Wyclef Jean Marks Haitian Presidential Campaign with First Ad
If Wyclef Jean announcing his foray into Haitian politics wasn’t bizarre enough, the hip-hop star’s first campaign ad will get your heads scratching in bewilderment.
The first spot for the Fas A Fas campaign follows Jean during a campaign trail, with fanatic supporters rallying around the star, much like at a hip-hop concert.
There’s no dialog involved either; there’s just celebrity posturing with the thumbs-up signs and posters of Jean’s face being touted all through the two-and-a-half minute ad. In fact, the whole thing looks and sounds more like a music video than anything else.
Sure, it’s not that bad, but the ad doesn’t answer any questions or give any information on Jean’s campaign. So after watching it, we’re still unconvinced if Jean can run a country as he can a stage.
Watch the above video from HipHopWired and tell us what you think of the ad.
The first spot for the Fas A Fas campaign follows Jean during a campaign trail, with fanatic supporters rallying around the star, much like at a hip-hop concert.
There’s no dialog involved either; there’s just celebrity posturing with the thumbs-up signs and posters of Jean’s face being touted all through the two-and-a-half minute ad. In fact, the whole thing looks and sounds more like a music video than anything else.
Sure, it’s not that bad, but the ad doesn’t answer any questions or give any information on Jean’s campaign. So after watching it, we’re still unconvinced if Jean can run a country as he can a stage.
Watch the above video from HipHopWired and tell us what you think of the ad.
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