Rather than our standard write up, I thought it might be interesting to just post our pre-show notes from this mid-week episode of Yeah Uh Huh. We are really excited about the topic and hope it inspires you consume this amazing film!
Summer of Soul … (or when the Revolution could not be televised) in theatres and on Hulu now!
- The Harlem Cultural Festival in Mt. Morris Park.
- Festival lasted 6 weeks, celebrating black culture.
- Footage sat for 50 years in a basement in Karl Knudson’s house. Knudson was the owner of the Jazz Label Storyville.
- In January 2021, the film won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival
- Amir “Questlove” Thompson is the producer, as well as the musical director for the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
- Tony Lawrence was the festival organizer and MC. He dressed flamboyantly.
- Aretha Franklin was supposed to appear, but was a late scratch.
- Jimi Hendrix DID want to be there, does not seem to have been invited. He was with the Band of Gypsies at the time.
- You (Aaron) have said it might be the best rock doc yet. What is in the same ballpark?
- Tony Lawrence - Flamboyant organizer of the festival.
- 300k ppl and not a single incident of violence.
- Sly and the Family Stone was paid $2500 to play the show.
- The police did not want to work the festival, so the Black Panthers provided it under the leadership of “Bullwhip”. By the second week the police took over.
- Mahalia Jackson was highest at $10k. Jackson had performed “Precious Lord” at MLK’s funeral.
- Mahalia was the granddaughter of enslaved people
⁃ “Summer of Soul” was directed by Questlove.
⁃ Recoded over 6 weeks in the Summer of 69 in Harlem.
- In an article about Questlove, a woman recounts seeing her brother who was later killed in Vietnam in a six second closeup. They had no other pictures of him.
⁃ John Lindsay was the Republican mayor of NY at the time - “Blue eyed soul brother” was introduced to a cheering crowd as a "liberal" Republican mayor.
⁃ Stevie Wonder, BB King, The Fifth Dimension
⁃ Ppl thought the 5th Dimension was a white act. “Age of Aquarius”
⁃ Aquarius was from the musical Hair, but the 5th Dimension popularized it.
⁃ Edwin Hawkins “Oh Happy Day” was very controversial with the pentecostal church.
⁃ It had elements of a revival.
⁃ Mahalia Jackson performed. Gospel was ever present.
⁃ “Precious Lord” by Tim Branch was MLK’s favorite song. “Take my hand.”
⁃ Precious Lord was playing whenn MLK was assassinated.
⁃ David Ruffin recently departed from the Temptations did “My Girl”.
⁃ Gladys Night and the Pups did “Grapevine”.
⁃ Sly and the Family Stone - “Sing a Happy Song”
⁃ “Every Day People”
⁃ Style was fluid at the time between the conservatism of the early.60’s and afro centic influences of the esly 70’s.
⁃ Spanish Harlem was East Harlem.
⁃ Ray Barreto drummer. Seemed to inspire Shelia E.
⁃ Space program was happening at the time, but black ppl why money could not be applied to poverty than celestial pursuits.
⁃ Stevie: Shoo Bee Doo Bee Doo Da Day.
⁃ He was 19 yo.
⁃ Sonny Sharrock - Free form guitar music.
⁃ Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach - “unapologetically black.”
⁃ Hugh Maskela played the Festival
⁃ Nina Simone - “Mississippi God Damn!” “To be young, gifted and black.”
⁃ “Are You ready to kill, if necessary?”, she asked.
⁃ “Going to leave you with the bliues”.
⁃ The festival was lost as a part of history. Promotion paled by comparison to Woodstock.
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