That drum intro can’t ever mean anything to me other than Benny Benjamin opening up Ain’t Too Proud To Beg. I’ve made money singing that song. Please notice that I didn’t claim I earned money singing that song. I said I was paid money to sing that song. Different set of circumstances. Mayer Hawthorne is earning his money.
There really can’t be anything truly new in culture. The idea that you’re an artist so you have to constantly break new ground is silly. Humans have a trajectory as individuals, and as societies; humans start from scratch but their cultures don’t. Smart humans don’t reject everything that came before them out of hand. Winnowing through the dross to get the gloss.
After a while, the only way to do something truly new is to do something bad. After all the bad stuff is taken, you have to move on to malignant. The search for novelty over all things is a form of vivisection. You made a new animal, Dr. Moreau, it’s true, but it’s born dead. And ugly.
It’s hard enough to be entertaining, or interesting — hell, it’s hard to be plain competent. Holland-Dozier-Holland didn’t invent music. Mayer Hawthorne didn’t either, but being unafraid to plant a fresh crop in a fertile vineyard is a kind of bravery nowadays. Go, man, go.
8 Responses
There can be nothing created that's old, Sipp.
This? It's new!
Oh, yeah, the Funk Brothers. I learned and imitated all of Jamerson's riffs, even put LaBellas on my P bass. Not for long, they played hard!
Nothin' wrong, playin' them evergreens.
Dang, Sipp, you hadda trigger them memories. Now I got "Have You Seen Her?" runnin' through my noggin. I tried to shift but I went to the Dramatics with some OJs thrown in.
At least the music I played and still enjoy will never end up as elevator musak.
chas, my man, I was in a bank in '92 or so that had a radio playing elevator music. Sounded vaguely familiar. Then came the hammer of recognition: Stairway To Heaven. OY! and VEY!
Yaknow, that's a helluva way to start the day. Gets the blood a-pumpin',but there's just too much leakage!
Have you seen her?
Brother can you tell me have you seen her?
You would remember those thighs. First.
What? I'm lost. Oh well…
Stoned Soul Picnic…
Try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lWtgjwGyuo&list=PLB89116B50ED8207B
D