The Texas Tiger Chronicles
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Tribute to Labelle, A letter to Janet Jackson, and other Pop Culture CommenTerryMood: Irritable. I don’t know why. But I got to work and just didn’t want to be bothered. I am still trying to make it through. I have so much to be thankful for, but don’t I deserve my evil days? I think it’s healthy. But from this point on I going to be my usual sweet-southern self. Except for the personal message I have for Ms. Jackson. It’s gonna get a lil gully but she needs a reality check. And an Oprah/CommenTerry moment.
Mode: Dark blue denim with a chocolate brown signature Sean John shirt (at first I used to hate on Sean John cause I don’t like to look like an audience member of TRL, but he has a whole new line for classy men who like to dress like grown men).
Munchies: Scrambled eggs with cheese and three slices of ham w/French toast.
Music that started off my day: I did not play a feel good song this morning. Maybe this is where I went wrong. So let me suggest a feel good so that goes along with my tribute: Shades of Difference by Labelle. You will see why I love this song in mere moments…….
Motif: Return to innocence. What is your favorite fairy tale and how has the storyline impacted your life? (think in terms of your job, love life, and relationship with family/friends)
The Ballad of Labelle (aka their story told by me with my CommenTerry)
Labelle, arguably one of the greatest female groups of the modern rock era was first incarnated in 1959 as The Bluebelles, an American R&B/soul group.
The group was led by Patti LaBelle, and composed of Nona Hendryx, Sarah Dash and Cindy Birdsong with Hendryx writhing the bulk of their prolific and sociopolitical songs. Nona was before her time. Think Lauryn Hill, with a dash of Kanye (no rap, just the thoughts) and some Mos Def. Ms. Hendryx was DEEP.
Their first single "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman" (released as the Blue-Belles) was only a minor hit but when they signed with Atlantic Records in 1965, releasing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" it would later become Ms. Labelle's signature rolling-on-the-floor, throwing down my wig, kickin off my 5-inch heels showstopping closing number (a riveting performance which has been remade, redone and reinterpreted by nearly every black drag queen in NorthAmerica who is on top of his/her diva game).
After Cindy Birdsong left the group to join the Supremes (following the death of Florence Ballard), the group hired Vicki Wickham, a British TV producer, who set about to remake their image. She changed the name to Labelle and pushed the group to a more contemporary "rock" sound, with futuristic infusions, outlandish costumes and over-the-top live shows.
Here is where it gets interesting. For those of you who don’t know, most girls groups had a lead singer. But not the Supremes. When they first started out, Diana, Florence and Mary Wilson ALL sung leads. In fact, Florence sang the bulk of the leads. But because she didn’t have the “B*tch get off me” attitude of Lady Diana (mainly due to post-traumatic stress stemming from a sexual assualt from her late teens), Diana emerged as the lead singer and pushed the other two to the status of glorified background. But not so with Labelle and Vicki’s vision. Sure, Patti was the lead singer and you can’t deny that. But when you listen to ANY Labelle song, you can CLEARLY her Nona’s sultry alto. Her voice was the anchor of the group. And you can hear Sarah’s distinct soprano. Her voice was the group’s wind sail. And then there was Patti. Her voice was the whole damn boat (the Queen Mary II).
Why I am sharing this with you is because I think you should know about the power of this vocal group. Imagine three women who can ALL SANG in one group. In my lifetime (with the exception of En Vouge) there has never been a group who could compare (except The Clark Sisters but my blog clearly isn’t a religious blog so we will leave gospel music out of the convo for right now).
What I want all the folks under 35 to know (especially the young R&Bers who think that Destiny’s Child is the second coming of the Supremes) is that Labelle was a real group. When was the last time (actually there has never been a time but let me finish this thought)…..when was the last time you heard a Destiny’s Child song and could clearly hear Michelle or Kelly. I have always asked myself, why does Beyonce feel the need to sing the lead, the bridge and drown out the girls on the chorus? Listen to The Writings on the Wall….was anyone else ever in the studio? I see why Letoya and Latavia got mad. See the average person thinks about the group from Beyonce’s perspective (I am pretty and I can sing riffs so let me be the loudest). But think about being Letoya’s momma. I would be like, “My baby can sing. Why can’t I hear her on “Say My name?”
Now young readers settle down…and just listen to someone a lil older and wiser. I picked up a Labelle song one day (and not Lady Marmalade) and I got a tutorial on girl groups. As with most artists, the biggest hit is NEVER the best song. I just want you each to get on http://www.itunes.com/ and find a Labelle song and listen to it. This is a girl group. Not just a cheap PR ploy concocted by a pushy stage-father to further one girl’s career. Yea, I said it.
But back to the tribute: Labelle released Labelle in 1971 and Moonshadow (1972). After the albums flopped, Hendryx wrote most of their third album, Pressure Cookin' (1973).
After Pressure Cookin', Labelle signed with Epic Records and recorded an album, Nightbirds, which featured the 1975 breakout smash Lady Marmalade that pushed the album to the top of the charts.
Despite releasing two classic albums after Nightbirds, Labelle never saw the top of the charts again and subsequently split in 1976. Patti went onto a successful solo career while Hendryx went on to achieve moderate success as a songwriter and solo artist and Dash went on in the industry as a backup singer for groups like the Rolling Stones.
The group has recently reunited and are recording a new album as we speak!
For those of you taking me up on my advice, I would recommend the Nightbirds and the Chameleon album. They did not have the gowns and wigs and false eyelashes of the Supremes, but they had VOCALS. Pure raw unaltered VOCALS.
This is what I liked about them, not only were they SANGING but they were SANGING about something. “Shades of Difference” was a song about people of different races and hues and colors all struggling with the same social ills and challenges. No matter where you are from and what walk of life you are walking, there are only shades of difference. Human emotions are universal. “What Can I do for you” was a song about economic impoverishment and the “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch your back” philosophy of dirty politicians.
“People want to live, not merely exist.”
I was going to share the lyrics to “Shades of Difference” with you but I really think we all need to reread the lyrics to "What Can I do For You." What touches me is that Nona was funky and political and everything she wrote is still relevant today in light of the Bush adminstration’s response to Hurricane Katrina (Who’s Watching the Watcher), the war in Iraq (Shades of Difference), race riots in France (Sunday’s News), political disenfranchisement (Don’t Bring Me Down), HIV/AIDS epidemic (Are you Lonely?) finding true love (Going down makes me Shiver), losing true love (Isn’t It a Shame) and a song that foreshadows our future for those who trust Bush and the Christian right wing (Won’t get Fooled Again).
People, I think Madonna (or Madge as the Brits call her) said it best when she said “Music makes the people come together.”
Songs like Laffy Taffy, Drop it Like It’s Hot and Hollaback Girl won’t stand the test of time cause when were are 65, they won’t be relevant like the songs of Sam Cook, the Isley Brothers, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday or Pebbles.
"Mercedes Boy" will stand the test of time!
No Labelle does not have the hit list of the Supremes, and they didn’t get all Bootylicious like Destiny’s Child, but I am fed up with so-called music lovers who think an artist’s credibility belies their list of hits. Britney Spears has sold over 40 million albums….who will care in 2050? Will your children or mine be going through our old CDs (or old ipod) and listening to Hit Me Baby One More Time and be inspired to make a difference in the world? No. I don’t think so.
You are my Nightbirds. And you feed the fire of my flame.
What Can I Do for You (1975) – Labelle
People want truth
Or nothing at all
People want sincerity
And nothing more
People need happiness as land needs rain
We need rain we need light we need love
Some people find it so hard
To live without love love love P
eople want to live (uh huh)
Not merely exist
People want to enjoy
Not suffer and fear no no no
People need understanding
Not tensions or confusion
Oh I wonder should we hate those
Who present us disillusion
But talk about love love love
Love love love
Love love love
Oh yeah
We need power
We need peacePeacePeacePeace
I think we'll all agree
Let’s stop fighting
Let’s stop fighting
And become sister and brutha
Sister and brutha
Sister and brutha
I know it’s not too late to love love love
What can I do for you?
What can you do for me?
What can I do for you?
What can you do for me?
SIDEBAR: Ok, I promised you a letter to Janet Jackson but even if I included it you would not read it as I am sure you have checked out of this online conversation with me already. But if you are still with me, thank you. Here is today’s gossip and CommenTerry and tomorrow will be ALL about miss Janet. And if you do discover Labelle at some point, please let me know what you think.
And today in Entertainment News.....
NICOLE Richie is having a hard time after being dumped by her fiance Adam Goldstein, aka "DJ A.M." Goldstein left Richie because "it was just something that he knew he had to do," said a pal of the super-skinny media personality. The split was unexpected and the day of the break-up, Goldstein and Richie were "still making plans together for trips and business ventures. It really did come right out of left field for Nicole." Richie is said to be devastated and very hurt.
SIDEBAR: For some reason, Nicole Richie is my play-sister in my head. I imagine us going to Bungalow 8 and Marquee together when she is in Manhattan. I imagine us on the phone at 2:35am saying mean things about Paris Hilton. I imagine us both going to the Ivy or Cipriani or Tavern on the Green and ordering a whole lot of food and then both going to the unisex bathroom and throwing up together. I imagine myself passing her a mirror or a lighter (depending on the party flavor for that evening). I imagine pulling her imitation blonde hair behind her head after a drunken night so she won’t gag and mess us her Chanel blouse. I am so mad DJ AM hurt my sister. I imagine she needs to talk to me right now about as much as I need her. Nicole – please call.
KATHIE Lee Gifford won't be showing up to her old show anytime soon. The former "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" co-host told Martha Stewart yesterday she's never been invited to appear with Regis Philbin and her replacement, Kelly Ripa, on "Live with Regis & Kelly." "That ain't gonna happen. No, no, no. I have never been back to the show. No, no no," Gifford said on Martha's talk show. "I would love to. All it would take is an invitation. I would be delighted to go back, but that's gonna happen when hell freezes over." Gifford left the show in 2000 after more than a decade as co-host.
DON'T cross Karl Lagerfeld! The legendary designer was miffed when Ashley Olsen was late to the Chanel show at his flagship store the other night and then didn't even recognize his famous face. The show was held up for half an hour while the Olsen twin raced uptown, but she was still too late, and the diminutive actress had to view the collection from backstage. To make things worse, when Lagerfeld waved at Olsen and tried to talk to her, our source reports that "She cringed away from him like he was a stalker. Her person had to tell her who he was, but he had already whispered something nasty in French about her and was very mad." Olsen was refused another audience by Lagerfeld. A better and more prompt guest was Lindsay Lohan, who, we hear, is in the running for the next Chanel campaign. SIDEBAR: Just so you won't miss out on your chance to become a Chanel girl, study the pick above. If a pasty white man with a handkerchief and hand fan topped off with a head of snow smiles at you....ya might wanna wink at him.
COULD somebody please explain to us what Jesse Jackson is doing in New York insinuating himself into the negotiations between the MTA and the Transport Workers Union? The camera-loving cleric has been richocheting all week between California, where he pleaded for clemency for a four-time killer, and Manhattan, where he's become a self-styled expert on our municipal finances. Shouldn't he be tending to his flock in Chicago? If there's a strike, we will think unfondly of Jackson in his limousine as we trudge to work in the arctic chill.
SIDEBAR: Jesse, what makes you relevant? I mean seriously, you serve NO ONE but yourself. And these insincere appearances to line your pockets and keep yourself in front of the cameras, at your age, is beyond pathetic. I hope one day I get to sit-down an interview you. I have some really hard questions I want to throw at you. Although I find Al Sharpton equally disgusting in terms of his camera-hogging, I at least think he is relevant to the state of politics.
While he is jockeying for the camera he at least challenges the status quo. Who do you challenge? Who do you represent? Who is babysitting all them illegitimate kids you got? Cause I sure as hell don’t believe you only have one. You know what really confirmed your slimy side to me? When you went to Florida for Terri Shivao. I mean….really? Really? Really! Why were you there? Do you even know? No, better question, how much did you get paid to go down there? I am sure you charged someone a consulting fee? There ain’t nada you can tell me that would convince me you did it with a sincere heart. I don’t believe you have one...in 2006? You might have been all red, black and green in 1983...but now it's just green.
JESSE: Go raise some money for AIDS in the Black community if you want to be useful. Seems like for all you have done you fail to address the real issues of the community (AIDS, baby daddies, systematic poverty, R.Kelly)
IT'S a bird, it's a plane — it's superbulge!
"Superman Returns" star Brandon Routh is supposedly giving the suits at Warner Brothers fits because of his prodigious package of masculinity. The 26-year-old beefcake's extra-large endowment is said to be so distracting through his skin-tight costume that producers may have to shrink him during post-production.
"It's a major issue for the studio," a "Superman Returns" production source fretted to the London Sun. "Brandon is extremely well-endowed and they don't want it up on the big screen. We may be forced to erase his package with digital effects."
SIDEBAR: Let’s all say it in unison…BULLSH*T. This is clearly a piece of gossip created by a publicist and fed to gossip columns (like mine) to get people interested in what will likely be a movie full of $100 million special effects and a $2.50 storyline (like Troy, Gladiator, and the entire Batman series).
MORE Christmas. Rene Syler of CBS-TV's "Morning Show": "Honey, I'm just grateful. I was so poor starting out I used to eat only potatoes. Every day. Every meal. It's all I had. I began as a reporter in Reno. I only made $15,000 a year. I waitressed at TGI Friday's to put myself through college. I used to be able to serve four wine glasses in one hand. What am I doing for Christmas? Just being thankful!" SIDEBAR: Go for your dreams. Just like Celie said, "Heaven last always"
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- For Carol Burnett, once around with "Once Upon a Mattress" was far from enough. Before Burnett established herself as one of television's great comedians, she made a sparkling Broadway debut in the 1959 musical. She revisited it in a 1964 black-and-white TV special and in another broadcast version in 1974.
But her fondness for the tale, a peppy spoof of the tale of the princess and the pea, remained undiminished. So Burnett is taking a fourth crack at it, with a twist: she's graduated from the role of princess to that of queen, as well as executive producer.
The update also stars veteran comedian Tracy Ullman. I know you may remember me saying I am not into family-type comedies but this will be an exception. I love fairy tales. Always have.
SIDEBAR: I used to watch Showtime as a child cause they showed Shelly Duvall’s Fairy Tale Theater. Does anyone over 25 remember that? I just had an Oprah moment. I think I expect my love life to play out like a fairy tale and for various reasons it hasn’t. But I guess I can trace my associations with love and romance to my love of these tales. I have kissed plenty of frogs in my day (although they were all gorgeous, they were frogs nonetheless).
I think we need more shows reminiscent of Fairy Tale Theater. I am horrified by the violence and sexual images that are so prevalent in today’s video games and cartoons. What ever happened to Pac-Man and Q-bert? They’ve been replaced by vengeful assassins, mutant aliens and cartoonish characters, who look chocolate and butter-pecan (e.g. Grand Theft Auto), as they wreck havoc on LA and reinforce negative images of minorities in America.
I say, give me the Saturday morning Supercade where all of my favorite Nintendo characters came to life from Pac-Man to Q-bert to Donkey Kong. It wasn’t about color or class or religion. It was just about universal characters telling universal stories that could connect the rich boy with the poor boy, the black child with the asian child, the jew with the gentile, the christian with the scientologist. The cartoons were so pure even Tom Cruise would let his child watch. And while we are at it, God bless the child that calls Tom Cruise "daddy" (or Mommy). Cause his daddy is gonna be a looney tune (a cartoon unto himself). I wonder is he gonna let his child takes meds if he catches a cold and will he get vaccinated? All that crap he dished out on Brooke Shields has got me a little afraid. And poor Katie Holmes, she needs some Fairy Tales in her life. She looks trapped. She needs the escape that those stories provide. We all need those stories. Even as adults.
And I recently say the “new” Tom and Jerry and I got a little depressed. It just wasn’t the same. Just aesthetically. I remember the vintage old 60s feel of Tom and Jerry from when I was growing up. The newer version has this crisp clear high-definition feel to the drawing and for some reason it bothers me. Tom and Jerry are classic characters and in my opinion, the writers should have left well enough alone. But I suppose that feel they need to keep up with the pace of other cartoons. But I think a certain measure of innocence has been lost with the addition of newer technology and “new” voices.
Hey, remember Chilly Willy? He was one of my favorite characters.
What was your favorite cartoon growing up AND what do you remember watching on Saturday mornings?
About This Blog
Name::Texas Tiger in NYC
From::New York City/Harlem, New York, United States
I am a wonderful array of contradictions. A shy flirt, a social wallflower, hip geek, urban prepster
View my complete profile
About Me
Name::Texas Tiger in NYC
From::New York City/Harlem, New York, United States
I am a wonderful array of contradictions. A shy flirt, a social wallflower, hip geek, urban prepster
View my complete profile
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