Videos: Curtis Mayfield

Freddies Dead

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Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.

Best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly regarded as a pioneer of funk and of politically conscious African-American music.[1][2] He was also a multi-instrumentalist who played the guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums. Curtis Mayfield is a winner of both the Grammy Legend Award (in 1994) and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (in 1995), and was a double inductee into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted as a member of The Impressions into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991, and again in 1999 as a solo artist. He is also a two-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

Born on June 3, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois, Mayfield was the son of Marion Washington and Kenneth Mayfield. Mayfield's father left the family when Mayfield was five and his mother moved Curtis and his siblings into various Chicago projects before settling at the Cabrini–Green projects when Mayfield reached his teenage years. Mayfield attended Wells Community Academy High School. He dropped out of high school early to become lead singer and songwriter for The Impressions, then went on to a successful solo career. Perhaps most notably, Mayfield was among the first of a new wave of mainstream African-American R&B performing artists and composers injecting social commentary into their work.[1] This "message music" became extremely popular during the 1960s and 1970s.

Two significant characteristics distinguish Mayfield's sound. First, he taught himself how to play guitar, tuning it to the black keys of the piano, thus giving him an open F-sharp tuning---F#, A#, C#, F#, A#, F#---that he used throughout his career.[3] Second, he primarily sang in falsetto register, adding another flavor to his music. This was not unique in itself, but most singers sing primarily in the modal register.

Mayfield's career began in 1956 when he joined The Roosters with Arthur and Richard Brooks and Jerry Butler. Two years later The Roosters, now including also Sam Gooden, became The Impressions.[4] The band had one big hit with "For Your Precious Love". After Butler left the group and was replaced with Fred Cash,(a returning original Roosters member), Mayfield became lead singer, frequently composing for the band, starting with "Gypsy Woman", a Top 20 Pop hit. Their hit "Amen," (Top 10) ,an updated version of an old gospel tune, was included in the soundtrack of the 1963 MGM film Lilies of the Field, which starred Sidney Poitier. The Impressions reached the height of their popularity in the mid-to-late-'60s with a string of Mayfield compositions that included "Keep on Pushing," "People Get Ready", "It's All Right" (Top 10),the uptempo "Talking about My Baby"(Top 20) , "Woman's Got Soul", "Choice of Colors,"(Top 20), "Fool For You," "This is My Country" and "Check Out Your Mind." Mayfield had written much of the soundtrack of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s, but by the end of the decade he was a pioneering voice in the black pride movement along with James Brown and Sly Stone. Mayfield's "We're a Winner", a Number 1 soul hit which also reached the Billboard pop Top 20, became an anthem of the black power and black pride movements when it was released in late 1967,[5] much as his earlier "Keep on Pushing" (whose title is quoted in the lyrics of "We're a Winner" and also in "Move on up") had been an anthem for Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.[6]

Mayfield was a prolific songwriter in Chicago even outside his work for The Impressions, writing and producing scores of hits for many other artists. He also owned the Mayfield and Windy C labels which were distributed by Cameo-Parkway, and was a partner in the Curtom label (first independent, then distributed by Buddha then Warner Bros and finally RSO.)
[edit] Solo career

In 1970, Mayfield left The Impressions and began a solo career, founding the independent record label Curtom Records. Curtom would go on to release most of Mayfield's landmark 1970s records, as well as records by the Impressions, Leroy Hutson, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staples, and Baby Huey and the Babysitters, a group which at the time included Chaka Khan. Many of these records were also produced by Mayfield.

The commercial and critical peak of his solo career came with his music album Super Fly, the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film of the same name, and one of the most influential albums in African-American history. Unlike the soundtracks to other blaxploitation films (most notably Isaac Hayes' score for Shaft), which glorified the ghetto excesses of the characters, Mayfield's lyrics consisted of hard-hitting commentary on the state of affairs in black, urban ghettos at the time, as well as direct criticisms of several characters in the film. Bob Donat wrote in Rolling Stone Magazine in 1972 that while the film's message "was diluted by schizoid cross-purposes" because it "glamorizes machismo-cocaine consciousness... the anti-drug message on [Mayfield's soundtrack] is far stronger and more definite than in the film." Along with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, this album ushered in a new socially conscious, funky style of popular soul music. He was dubbed 'The Gentle Genius' to reflect his outstanding and innovative musical output with the constant presence of his soft yet insistent vocals. The single releases "Freddie's Dead" and "Super Fly" both sold over one million copies each, and were awarded gold discs by the R.I.A.A.[7]

Super Fly brought success that resulted in Mayfield being tapped for additional soundtracks, some of which he wrote and produced while having others perform the vocals. Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded Mayfield's soundtrack for Claudine in 1974, while Aretha Franklin recorded the soundtrack for Sparkle in 1976. Mayfield worked with Mavis Staples on the 1977 soundtrack for the film A Piece of the Action. He was in danger of overreaching himself being writer, producer, performer, arranger, and businessman but seemed to cope and still produce a remarkable output.

One of Mayfield's most successful funk-disco meldings was the 1977 hit "Do Do Wap is Strong in Here" from his soundtrack to the Robert M. Young film of Miguel Piñero's play Short Eyes. In his 2003 biography of Curtis Mayfield, titled "People Never Give Up", author Peter Burns noted that Curtis has 140 songs in the Curtom vaults. Burns indicated that the songs maybe already completed or in the stages of completion, so that they could then be released commercially. These recordings include "The Great Escape", "In The News", "Turn up the Radio", "Whats The Situation?" and one recording labelled "Curtis at Montreux Jazz Festival 87". Two other albums, featuring Curtis Mayfield present in the Curtom vaults and as yet unissued are, a 1982/83 live recording titled "25th Silver Anniversary" (which features performances by Curtis, The Impressions and Jerry Butler) and a live performance, recorded in September 1966 by The Impressions titled 'Live at the Club Chicago'.

In later years, Mayfield's music would be featured in the movies I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Hollywood Shuffle, and Friday (though not on the soundtrack). Mayfield was also in the 1977 movie Short Eyes.
[edit] Later years

Mayfield was active throughout the 1970s and 1980s, though he had a somewhat lower public profile in the 1980s. On August 13, 1990, Mayfield was paralyzed from the neck down after stage lighting equipment fell on him at an outdoor concert at Wingate Field in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York.[8] The accident set him back, but Mayfield forged ahead. He was unable to play guitar, but he wrote, sang, and directed the recording of his last album, New World Order. Mayfield's vocals were painstakingly recorded, usually line-by-line while lying on his back.

Mayfield received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. In February, 1998, he had to have his right leg amputated due to diabetes. Mayfield was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 1999. Health reasons prevented him from attending the ceremony, which included fellow inductees Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Dusty Springfield, George Martin, and 1970s Curtom signee and labelmate The Staple Singers.

His last appearance on record was with the group Bran Van 3000 on the song "Astounded" for their album Discosis, recorded just before his death and released in 2001.
[edit] Death

Curtis Mayfield died on December 26, 1999 at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia due to his steadily declining health subsequent to his paralysis. [9]
[edit] Awards and legacy

Mayfield has left a remarkable legacy for his introduction of social consciousness into R&B and for pioneering the funk style. Many of his recordings with the Impressions became anthems of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and his most famous album, Super Fly, is regarded as an all-time great that influenced many and truly invented a new style of modern black music.

Mayfield's solo Super Fly is ranked #69 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time).
The Impressions' album/CD The Anthology 1961–1977 is ranked at #179 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of all time.
As a member of The Impressions, he was posthumously inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.
Along with his group The Impressions, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
In 1999, he was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist making him one of the few artists to be a double inductee.
Posthumously, in 2000, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
He was a winner of the prestigious Grammy Legend Award in 1994.
He received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
He is a 2-time Grammy Hall of Fame inductee: for the song People Get Ready with The Impresssions, and for the award-winning album Super Fly as a solo artist.
The Impressions' 1965 hit song, "People Get Ready", composed by Mayfield, has been chosen as one of the Top 10 Best Songs Of All Time by a panel of 20 top industry songwriters and producers, including Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Hal David, and others, as reported to Britain's Mojo music magazine.
The Impressions hits, People Get Ready and For Your Precious Love are both ranked on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, as #24 and #327 respectively.
In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Mayfield #98 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[10]

[edit] Filmography

Movin' On Up- "The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions" (DVD-2008)
Short Eyes (1977) (Role - Pappy)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (film) (1978) (Role - Guest)
Curtis Mayfield Live at Ronnie Scotts - issued on VHS and DVD (2002)

[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums

Curtis (1970)
Roots (1971)
Back to the World (1973)
Got to Find a Way (1974)
Sweet Exorcist (1974)
There's No Place Like America Today (1975)
Give, Get, Take and Have (1976)
Never Say You Can't Survive (1977)
Do It All Night (1978)
Heartbeat (1979)
Something to Believe In (1980)
The Right Combination (with Linda Clifford) (1980)
Love is the Place (1982)
Honesty (1983)
We Come in Peace with a Message of Love (1985)
Take It to the Streets (1990)
New World Order (1997)

[edit] Soundtrack albums

Super Fly (1972)
Claudine (1974)
Let's Do It Again (1975)
Sparkle (1976)
A Piece of the Action (1977)
Short Eyes (1977)
The Return of Superfly (1990)

[edit] Live albums

Curtis/Live! (1971)
Curtis in Chicago (1973)
Live in Europe (1988)
Live at Ronnie Scott's (1988)

[edit] Compilations

The Anthology 1961-1977 (1992)
People Get Ready: The Curtis Mayfield Story (1996)
Get Down to the Funky Groove (1996) [Charly][11]
The Very Best of Curtis Mayfield (1997)
Beautiful Brother. The Essential Curtis Mayfield (2000)
Soul Legacy (2001)
Greatest Hits (2006)

[edit] Chart hits by other artists written by Mayfield

Mayfield was a prolific composer. In addition to writing or co-writing almost all of the hit singles he had as a member of The Impressions and as a solo artist, Mayfield also wrote (and sometimes produced) numerous hits for other artists. The following is a list of chart hits, arranged chronologically, that were written (or co-written) by Curtis Mayfield and performed by artists other than Mayfield and/or The Impressions:
Year Title Artist US R&B[12] US Pop[12] UK[13]
1960 "He Will Break Your Heart" Jerry Butler
1

7

-
1961 "Find Another Girl" Jerry Butler
10

27

-
1961 "I'm A-Telling You" Jerry Butler
8

25

-
1963 "Mama Didn't Lie" Jan Bradley
8

14

-
1963 "Mama Didn't Lie" The Fascinations
-

108

-
1963 "The Monkey Time" Major Lance
2

8

-
1963 "Hey Little Girl" Major Lance
12

13

-
1963 "Rainbow" Gene Chandler
11

47

-
1963 "Found True Love" Billy Butler & The Four Enchanters
-

134

-
1963 "Man's Temptation" Gene Chandler
17

71

-
1964 "Think Nothing About It" Gene Chandler
28*

107

-
1964 "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um" Major Lance
1*

5

40
1964 "Just Be True" Gene Chandler
4*

19

-
1964 "Gotta Get Away" Billy Butler & The Enchanters
38*

101

-
1964 "It Ain't No Use" Major Lance
33*

68

-
1964 "Girls" Major Lance
25*

68

-
1964 "It's Too Late" Walter Jackson
10*

67

-
1964 "Nevertheless" Billy Butler & The Chanters
-

102

-
1964 "Need To Belong" Jerry Butler
2*

31

-
1964 "Bless Our Love" Gene Chandler
4*

39

-
1964 "Rhythm" Major Lance
3*

24

-
1965 "Rainbow '65 (Part I)" Gene Chandler
2

69

-
1965 "Sometimes I Wonder" Major Lance
13

64

-
1965 "I Can't Work No Longer" Billy Butler & The Chanters
6

60

-
1965 "Come See" Major Lance
20

40

-
1965 "What Now" Gene Chandler
18

40

-
1965 "Ain't It a Shame" Major Lance
20

91

-
1965 "Nothing Can Stop Me" Gene Chandler
3

18

41**
1965 "(Gonna Be) Good Times" Gene Chandler
40

92

-
1965 "(I've Got A Feeling) You're Gonna Be Sorry" Billy Butler
-

103

-
1965 "You Can't Hurt Me No More" Gene Chandler
40

92

-
1966 "He Will Break Your Heart" The Righteous Brothers
-

91

-
1966 "Say It Isn't So" The Fascinations
47

-

-
1967 "Girls Are Out To Get You" The Fascinations
13

92

32**
1967 "I'm In Love" The Fascinations
47

-

-
1967 "Danger! She's A Stranger" The Five Stairsteps
16

89

-
1968 "Don't Change Your Love" The Five Stairsteps
15

59

-
1969 "Baby Make Me Feel So Good" The Five Stairsteps
12

101

-
1969 "We Must Be In Love" The Five Stairsteps
17

88

-
1969 "I Thank You Baby" June & Donnie
(Donny Hathaway & June Conquest)
45

-

-
1969 "Stay Close To Me" The Five Stairsteps
-

91

-
1970 "Gypsy Woman" Brian Hyland
-

3

42
1970 "Stay Away From Me (I Love You Too Much)" Major Lance
13

67

-
1970 "Must Be Love Coming Down" Major Lance
31

119

-
1970 "I'm So Proud" The Main Ingredient
13

49

-
1972 "I Thank You"
Reissue of 1969 recording "I Thank You Baby", with shorter title and modified artist credit. Donny Hathaway & June Conquest
41

92

-
1974 "{It's Gonna Be} A Long, Long Winter" Linda Clifford 75 - -
1974 "On and On" (from Claudine) Gladys Knight & The Pips 2 5 -
1974 "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um"
New version Major Lance
59

-

-
1975 "Let's Do It Again" The Staple Singers
1

1

–
1975 "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" Tony Orlando & Dawn
-

1

-
1976 "New Orleans" The Staple Singers
4

70

–
1976 "Something He Can Feel" Aretha Franklin 1 28 -
1976 "Jump" Aretha Franklin 17 72 -
1976 "Hooked On Your Love" Aretha Franklin 17 - -
1976 "Look Into Your Heart" Aretha Franklin 10 82 -
1977 "A Piece Of The Action" Mavis Staples
47

-

-
1977 "It's Too Late"
New version Walter Jackson
75

-

-
1977 "Curious Mind (Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um)" Johnny Rivers
41

1978 "More Than Just A Joy" Aretha Franklin 51 - -
1979 "Between You Baby And Me" Linda Clifford 14 - -
1983 "I'm So Proud" Deniece Williams 28 - -
1984 "One Love/People Get Ready" Bob Marley & The Wailers - - 5
1985 "People Get Ready" Jeff Beck & Rod Stewart - 48 49
1992 "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" En Vogue 1 6 16
1994 "I'm So Proud" The Isley Brothers