Black Entertainment : DELLS*DELFONICS*DRAMATICS*STYLISTICS*SPINNERS*CHI-LITES*& CLASSIC SOUL BALLADS...

Isaiah

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Jun 8, 2004
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I know there are a whole buncha yawl dig classic soul ballads, but yawl so skeered to discuss 'em for fear of being called out as OLD... Don't be shamed of being OLD... The old always brings in the new, and the new should never be allowed to forget that...

Besides, the afore-mentioned groups are clearly BETTER than anything that exists today, and that's not about age, that's about being better skilled - and that's what I'd like to get into here... I don't want us to start doing no song lists, or a whole lotta blue-lights-in da basement reminsciing... I want to examine what it took and takes to BECOME the finished and polished product that afore-mentioned groups and individuals became, and juxtapose that to today...

For example, back in the day, a group or individual had to be taken through a process before they ever stepped to the set as a finished entertainer... Before Berry Gordy established his whole independent corporate finishing school, Black entertainers began their careers in the church - particularly the singers... That was their very first audience, and they learned how to perform in front of that audience from those who came before them... They taught them the finer points of music, of reading, of executing, or emoting, and captivating and engaging the audience... Every move counted toward that end... Later they performed in front of small crowds, and then to some world-famous amateur hour... They took their lumps, and learned, and when they came before us with that hit record, they were so polished they made it all seem so effortless... They went through the process, FIRST...

Today's artists don't go through the finishing process... Their very rawness gives them a level of "credibility..." Street Cred, they call it, and the wilder and more degenerate the artist is, the more he is appreciated... It is made more interesting by the fact that when these artists do something stupid and ridiculous - as many of them do - we oft react like we didn't encourage them to behave as they do... It is why I contend that HipHop artists REALLY need a finishing school that can polish them as PEOPLE, before they become artists... Being an artist is not just about your stage presence, but your presence off the stage... Can I get a witness on that???

Watching the great artists mentioned in the thread title today, I understand that FINISHING the PRODUCT was once very, very important to African American entertainers... They represented OUR COMMUNITY, and wanted to put forth the best image... They dressed uniformly, and with class and sophistication, and they wasted little motion as they dazzled us with the precision dance moves... I don't believe today's artists are nearly as conscious and cognizant of that... Rarely, if ever, back in the day, did we hear foolishness coming from the mouths of our entertainers, and they supported the right causes... Wondering if any of you can tell me why you think this was so, and why it isn't so today... All answers are welcome...



Peace!
Isaiah
 
Yes u can get a big one from me today artist really don't know music
and i agree they really need a finishing class before stepping out in prime time
when u speak about great bands & groups i think about the list above
chi-lites / whispers / spinners / Temptation / four tops / Dells / Delfonics /and many more
That brought us classical music good soulful sounds to respect, good loyal figures
on and off stage the vioces rings and rings then came the second coming likes of
Boyz II Men / O'jay's / cameo / Ohio players / Earth Wind & fire / S.O.S Band / Enchatments / Frankie beverley & Maze
that brought us too our knees in easy listening soulful Ballads .
then we got the smokey Robinsons / Frankie Lymon / Luther / Berry / Teddy / Lenny
Marvin that took women hearts into captivity
the list is unstoppable with Minnie Riperton / Glady's / Anita / Pattie / Aretha

but today we got the get up on it / and shake what ya momma gave ya / the N that
and the B this pimpin in my ride / on dubs and all kind of crap that's corrupting the
true soulful sounds like Miles Davis / Eric Bennet and a host of sweet sounds .
 
$$RICH$$ said:
Yes u can get a big one from me today artist really don't know music
and i agree they really need a finishing class before stepping out in prime time
when u speak about great bands & groups i think about the list above
chi-lites / whispers / spinners / Temptation / four tops / Dells / Delfonics /and many more
That brought us classical music good soulful sounds to respect, good loyal figures
on and off stage the vioces rings and rings then came the second coming likes of
Boyz II Men / O'jay's / cameo / Ohio players / Earth Wind & fire / S.O.S Band / Enchatments / Frankie beverley & Maze
that brought us too our knees in easy listening soulful Ballads .
then we got the smokey Robinsons / Frankie Lymon / Luther / Berry / Teddy / Lenny
Marvin that took women hearts into captivity
the list is unstoppable with Minnie Riperton / Glady's / Anita / Pattie / Aretha

but today we got the get up on it / and shake what ya momma gave ya / the N that
and the B this pimpin in my ride / on dubs and all kind of crap that's corrupting the
true soulful sounds like Miles Davis / Eric Bennet and a host of sweet sounds .


Yes, sir, $Rich$, and their music has withstood the test of time, along with the beauty of their performance styles... Looking at those classic groups on film, one can actually learn a great deal about stage presence, about the ABC's of performing in front of an audience, and actually entertaining them without a lot of unnecessary pyrotechnics...

I saw the Whispers and the Manhattans recently, and them cats are in their 60's, and can still HOOF on stage, man... And they do it all while singing their classic joints with a smile on their faces... Like they are enjoying what they are doing, because what they do pleases the audience... That's not very prevalent in this era, an entertainer who understands that pleasing the audience is what it's all about...

Peace!
Isaiah
 
dells,delfonics...

as radio grew more popular in the forties and fifties and black artist were being heard,teens on every street corner in america who had any semlence of a voice were[doo-wopping]under the streetlamps hoping that someone with connections[dj-talent scout]would cruise by and hear em croonin,in every hallway be it an apartment or school you could hear the harmony comin outta the windows and doorways and alot of it was good,and if you read or listen to the history of the great groups mentioned here most will say that's how they got started,some members drifted from group to group before they found the right one,such as johnny carter coming from the flamingos to the dells,in any case these youngsters wanted to sing and let nothing get in the way of thier dreams of stardom although many fell by the wayside many others endured to become the legends that we love today,was it blind luck?was it talent alone?no it was both...there would have been no drifters if billy ward not fired clyde mcphatter...if eddie kendricks had not called otis about singing together with himself and paul williams would there have been the temptations?suppose that the dells after the car crash in 58 decided to give it up?aren't we glad that these and other great stuck it out and went on to make the music that we all grew up on,while not a fan of rap i see some promise in todays young artist and our hope is that like the ones that came before they listen and learn.
 
Hopefully today era would go back and listen to artists who blew the
stage up in sale out concerts, these was pure entertainers at it's best .

Rappers today still have a lot to learn and conditioning to do
folks like Kool mo' Dee / Run DMC / LL / whooodini and many more paved the way
these guys today forgot to respect the art of these guys
 

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